From Exeter Wheelers Cycling Club
Exeter Wheelers Club Rides
The Exeter Wheelers organise regular club training rides on a Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday which are targeted towards racing and sporting cyclists (defined as who are looking to push their physical and boundaries by going further and faster than they have previously done). These rides happen year round and vary through the year to reflect differing training intensities required through the racing and off seasons.
The Sunday Club Run
This is the main wheelers club ride and is a steady training ride and designed to accommodate mixed abilities from the sportive rider through to elite racers. Average distances, speeds and inclusion of a cafe stop through the year are summarised in table below.
Sunday Club Run - Details
| Time of Year
| Distance (miles)
| Avg Speed (mph)
| Cafe Stop
|
| Oct - Dec
| 40 - 50
| 16 - 17
| Yes
|
| Jan - March
| 50 - 65
| 17 - 19
| No
|
| April - July
| 50 - 65
| 18 - 20
| No
|
| July - Sept
| 40 - 60
| 17 - 20
| No
|
October to December is predominantly the off season so the ride length is reduced and a cafe stop included. Rides at this time of year are run at a more modest pace and is probably the best time of year to come a try a club run (though new riders are welcome all year). In preparation for the new racing and sportive seasons, the rides from January through until the spring are targeted towards building up endurance and will gradually increase in length (up to a maximum of 65 miles) and average speed (up to a maximum of 19 – 20 mph).
The ride calendar for January - March 2012 and route details are published here. The ride meets at 9.00 am outside the Odeon cinema in town.
If you are planning of joining us on a club run for the first time but are unsure of the standard required our reckoning is if you can complete a 30 – 40 mile solo ride at 15 – 17 mph you will be ok. There is a group of members who act as informal ride leaders whose job is to welcome new riders. Please ask for them if you are attending a Wheelers ride for the first time:
- Greg Rorke
- Didier Lebatteaux
- John Nye
- Nick Helsing
- Jamie Howard
- Robert Allen
- Rob Barrow
- Nick Denning
The Sunday club ride is a non competitive ride and all riders who join the ride should be familiar with the wheelers guide to riding in a group.
Tuesday Training Ride
This ride is held on a 30km loop running between the out skirts of Exeter and Dawlish Warren. The ride meets at 6.30pm starts from the lay-by just before the BP garage south of the Matford roundabout (intersection of Bridge Road and Sannerville Way) on the Dawlish road. The primary focus of the ride is race training and ridden as a 'chain gang' or ‘through and off’. This ride has two phases during the year summarised in the table below.
Tuesday training ride - Details
| Time of Year
| Average Speed (mph)
| Comments
|
| Oct - Feb
| 20
| * Tempo riding for endurance development
- Technical focus on pedalling technique
- Limited speed
- Ridden as a group
|
| March - Sept
| 23 - 24
| * Riders split into ability groups
- Groups set off at timed intervals
- Aimed at race development
|
Thursday Training Ride
This ride is longer than the Tuesday ride and is held on the Triangle Route. Similar to the Tuesday ride it is designed for race training and ride has two phases during the year summarised in the table below. The ride meets at 6.30pm outside the Aldi store in Pinhoe.
Thursday Training Ride - Details
| Time of Year
| Average Speed (mph)
| Comments
|
| Oct - Feb
| 19
| * Tempo riding for endurance development
- Technical focus on pedalling technique
- Limited speed
- Ridden as a group
|
| March - Sept
| 22-23
| * Ridden in three sections:
- tempo
- chain gang
- race pace
- Ridden as a group (only split if numbers > 15).
|
Ride notes
- All riders ride at their own risk.
- The ride descriptions are for guidance only and may vary according to weather and road conditions
- Rides may vary from those published in response to adverse weather conditions, road conditions or roadworks.
