Hello and welcome back to the channel! This week I am out for some good old fashioned type 2 fun, getting my legs ripped off by some mates. It is mother’s day and I just picked up a cold, so ultra wasn’t working. I’m joining my club, Portsmouth North End Cycling Club, for a group ride to get a little fitness bump. The long line will hopefully be next weekend, have a good one folks!
This ride – https://strava.app.link/7ieBBcGgWHb
0:00 Intro
3:08 The Group Ride
4:50 The Climb
7:07 On Group Riding
10:49 On Solo Training
Got big Bo L just a few riding in a group is a hell of a lot of fun and we’ll whip you into shape in no time good morning welcome to another Ultra cycling related video here in sunny England if you watch any previous ones thanks a lot for
Coming back this is your first one my name is Andy I’m ultra cyclist on the south coast of the UK videos I make are about Ultra cycling training and Adventures so if you have endurance goals of your own subscribe follow along I’m sure there’ll be something in there
For you maybe you teach me something on the cars for today you might notice we’re in my club Jersey as we’re going for a group ride something I haven’t done for a while actually really looking forward to going to see some mates I haven’t rid with for a while
Probably Clinging On for Grim death for 2 hours turning myself inside out it should be a good workout If you’ve been watching the last few weeks then I appreciate you sticking around while I recover today is a bit different to what I had planned actually I planned a route that was about 160 Mi lots of climbing all over the south of England not quite feeling there yet so
Earlier this week just as I was starting to get some energy back and enthusiasm start of this week I picked up a cold so not ideal feel fine now really but 150 Mi be a really bad idea I’ve actually been in member of this club for about 5 years now I’m not
Riding with him for about 6 months that’s about time I showed my Face hello Yeah P it’s notop Here Oh Got any big Bo just a Few I all right oh See you later here just peeled off from the group they were about 2 or 3 miles away from the cafe that was some good oldfashioned type two fun got to say much harder Pace than I’ve been accustomed to the last few months but a lot of
Fun I missed that a lot actually really good bunch of people and chasing people around like that some really fit people really teases some Fitness out of your legs as I mentioned earlier I’ve been a member of that club for about 5 years and the last 6 months or so I
Haven’t rib with them once just been focusing on endurance and doing my own thing and surprising how much I missed it actually really is a lot to be said for group riding and cycling clubs in general whatever that was just Ro past and Shout morning andyc good morning to you twoo that’s
Really put a smile in my face that right you don’t already ride with the Cycling Club and you love cycling you’re watching this video you probably do join a Cycling Club if you’re look to up your distances a bit ride new routs that you haven’t ridden before get a bit fitter
That all happens in a Cycling Club without a whole lot of effort my club charge an adult 25 quid for the year so about 50 p a week it’s a group ride every week four different levels different speeds all led by an experienced ride leader get looked
After a group look after each other you don’t have to plan a route you don’t really have to think a whole lot Cafe stops take you to a nice cafe and pretty much get dropped off if you’re local not a million miles away from where you live really good Community to be part
Of that’s why I’d say if you’re not already in a club ask around your local area what local clubs are around the general attitude in the clubs and the pace they ride at see what seems like it works for you generally you can do two or three
Rides before you have to be a paid up member you give it a go first personally I definitely recommend it when I first started riding my road bike I probably rode for about 3 months on my own can’t even remember how I came across the club joined up and the first
Ride I went on absolutely got trashed went into a place called South Harting in the South Downs I a climb called turkey Island climb these are names if you’re at all local then you’ll know them and I was absolutely dead by the end of that ride
But the ride leader looked after me made sure I got back home safe as soon as I recovered a little bit laid on the kitchen floor ate some food and felt bloody brilliant I’ve been a member ever since and in the months after that getting my legs ripped off by
Mates every weekend Fitness just picked up and up when you’re chasing people around that fit challenging yourself a bit the fitness will just come that said as an endurance Rider can’t always ride with a club which is a real shame you could do a slower group ride do some
Exr Ms at the start in the end end but uh as an endurance Rider there are drawbacks you got to kind of Bear in mind when you’re in a group a large larg group of people you might have crash obviously you got to help people out you might
Have several punctures to wait around for when you’re on your own you’ve only already got yourself to think about Pace more often than not training for endurance you’re riding at a very very much mandated pace set by yourself when you’re in a group got to ride at the
Group space you can definitely make it work to bear that sort of thing in mind for me for the most part it’s a shame I don’t see the guys that often occasionally me of the pub through a pint pretty rarely to be honest and then don’t see people for months
Because focusing on long slow efforts very much my own pace and generally not stopping at all definitely pluses and minuses for both but definitely riding in a group is a hell of a lot of fun and we’ll whip you into shape in no time one major drawback mud
Guards bit of a lack of mud guards today so my nice white jersey not so white anymore now today in England is mothering Sunday or Mother’s Day I want to go see my Mom that was nice don’t see my family anywhere near as much as I should do always far too busy running biks that’s about all the hard stuff done now have a nice cool down ride home about 45 minutes get nice hot bath and some food cuz I am starving Oh N okay that wasn’t really a cool down I’ll start doing one now a great ride though just what I needed wasn’t what I planned was planning about 160 Mi today but I think I save that chewed in next week I might do it then let’s have a good week I’ll see you
On the next one [Applause] yeah
15 Comments
I understand what riding with others can do for your fitness and that for some people, the social aspect of cycling can be the most important part of the experience. For me, I do all of my riding solo. I have increasingly come to love the solitude of my rides and what that does for me. In the end, cycling is a big sport with room for everyone.
Hi Andy! Have you considered including a link to the GPX file for each ride in your videos, or perhaps a link to your Garmin account? I'd like to try a few 🙂
So fun Andy! Do you have a Strava?
nice video Andy, good to see the PNECC crew smashing it through the lanes – they really would rip my legs off and leave me for dead especially up harting hill! I know what you mean in terms of riding with others and how you really do pick up the fitness and pace quickly, but I'm too slow for group rides to be fun so I'll stick to solo miles and just trying to push and improve myself – without being destroyed trying to keep up with the power and KOM heads! 🙂 cheers
Brave going no handed down Copnor Rd!
Good on you Andy, I much prefer the solitude of riding my bike..
Nice breakdown of the pros and cons of club riding. Thanks Andy. Looking forward to some decent weather.
That group ride looked pretty fast – they were not messing about! You've got me curious about my local cycle clubs here in Tokyo. Thanks Andy!
Now, at 63 even if i had the legs to keep up i dont think id have the reaction time to avoid a collision with fellow riders at those speeds. Occasionally i ride with others but i find im increasingly frustrated by their cavalier attitudes towards other road users.
Anyone driving a car has right of way over me. Riding solo is safer for me as i can control and deflate any potential conflict.
I love that climb up beacon Hill, from behind the shoe inn, it’s great for the south. Having young children has really stop me doing group rides, just can’t get away with the time it requires on a sat/sun. All my miles are done between 4:00am and 9:00 in morning, also have the roads to myself which is great.
Smashing the watts out there Andy!
Never want to generalise, but the road groups I see are more often than not a bit 'attitudey' and despite getting a bit lonely sometimes on long rides, I just could be bothered with it and all the 'pro wannabe' hand signals and stuff. But they do go a lot faster in a group which would be nice! Prefer to work to my own route and timings and fitness. I still stop and check if I see someone with a puncture etc.
Great video, i ride solo but i have audax uk this year😊
I find ride riding with others can have the opposite effect on fitness especially friends, if I ride with them regualy the fitness really starts to go down hill. I guess the key is to find a group that are at your pace or little above.
Another great video Andy. Boy those guys looked fast! Reminds me of days gone by when I was younger and ( a lot!) fitter. Hats off to you for the promotion of club cycling, I agree with you about the mudguard thing! This will always divide opinion but personally I think that as they keep you drier and cleaner as well as your ride mates….why wouldn’t you have them?
I love riding with my local club, meeting up with like-minded people for a good laugh over coffee and cake and playing chase up hills etc. and on the flip side solo rides also to keep the balance. The club rides as you say make a big difference. Nice video again Andy, look forward to what’s next 👍