'Organised' rides - Suffolk/Cambs

[Morrisette]

Evening all,

Right, this year I want to do more cycling.

Hopefully I have come to the right place for help in this area  .

Has anyone done/heard of any 'organised'/would this be a sportive? type rides in the Suffolk/Cambs/N Essex area that they would recommend as a good day out? I know someone's going to say audax but with my map reading skills...perhaps not just yet.

I have already looked into the Action Medical series - did the Suffolk one last year and that was good if freezing cold (which wasn't really their fault!), and the London-Cambridge which has become a bit of a family tradition, but are there others in a similar vein? Not 'charity' rides necessarily, though I don't mind raising money for a good cause. Google brings up vast lists of things but I'm not really sure what I'm looking at.

Thanks for any suggestions!

[corshamjim]

The site I've been looking at for such rides is
   2010 UK Cyclo Sportive Events Calendar


I'm not convinced the search by postcode/location works too well though, so have a good look through all the UK events there.

[Tim Hall]

Have you thought of doing an Audax or two? A quick squint at the AUK calendar here shows a few possibilities down your way.

Usually not as busy as sportives, but not as expensive either.

[Feline]

What about the local CTC branch? They seem to have an active ride list at CTC Suffolk

[DrMekon]

You may be rubbish at reading maps, but I suspect there will be several YACFers at any of the local audax events who you could follow round. I am doing the 200 and 300 in Cambridge.

Also, if someone does a Jo / SimonP style gpx file with a combined route & track with waypoint names done as junction instructions, it is impossible to get lost with a GPS. Even on the infamously poor instructions for the Mildenhall 300, I only took 2 wrong turns, and both were corrected within 200 yds.

[Regulator]

I shall be doing some more Reggie Rides this year, Morrisette, if that's any help... 

[Morrisette]

Cool, thanks for the suggestions!

Corshamjim, I saw that website - a touch confusing but lots of info.

Tim Hall, I have looked at the audax calendar. I was scared! It's a possibility. Not sure I am up for the whole 'sleeping in bus shelters' lifestyle. Some of them are 100km though right? Hmmmm....

Feline, I have looked at CTC Suffolk in the past - their rides are a bugger to get to on a Sunday with no car. Cambridge CTC is a possibility though, which I am checking out.

DrMekon, 'it's impossible to get lost with a GPS' that sounds like a challenge to me! I reckon I could manage it!!

And yay! more Reggie Rides 

Thanks everyone! Lots of ideas there.

[Chris S]

The 50km/100km audaxes from Henham are brilliant, and don't require bookings at the local bus shelter hotels (ok,ok - these are in Essex, but they're not far from you!)

Feb 26 - Henham 106
Mar 05 - Henham 100
Mar 12 - Ugley 105

The Hauxton rides are always well organised

Mar 20 - Hauxton 100

as are Andrew's rides from Long Melford

May 14 - Long Melford 104

[L CC]

Less formally than those, the WSW run rides every week at all paces from stupid fast training chain gang intervals stuff to family pootle.
Some of us are even friendly. The slow Sunday ride is led by me once a month which is always lovely.
Website: West Suffolk Wheelers and Triathlon Club

[arabella]

Incidentally you don't generally need to map read on an audax*, you get directions eg:

R out of control
L @ T $ somewhere-you-don't-visit
L (1st exit) @ mrab
SO @ X $ SOMEWHERE_YOU_DO_VISIT
next R no $
etc.
(mrab is a mini roundabout, but a key is always provided)

you can even download some of them for a full viewing.

*I tend to take a map just in case though.  The more slavishly you follow the instructions the less likely you are to go wrong.

[Honest John]

Tim Hall, I have looked at the audax calendar. I was scared! It's a possibility. Not sure I am up for the whole 'sleeping in bus shelters' lifestyle. Some of them are 100km though right? Hmmmm....

100km rides are fun, 200km still fun but a bit more challenging. The Audax Hotels (bus shelters) only kick in for the longer rides... but you might get into them after a while if you get the Audax bug.

[Woofage]

Less formally than those, the WSW run rides every week at all paces from stupid fast training chain gang intervals stuff to family pootle.
Some of us are even friendly. The slow Sunday ride is led by me once a month which is always lovely.
Website: West Suffolk Wheelers and Triathlon Club

Is it worthwhile joining the Wheelers? I got the impression they only do fast Sunday rides and TTs, neither of which appeal to me . If there are slower pootles then maybe I should reconsider.

PS: sorry to Morrisette, I hope you don't think I'm thread hijacking. It's just that I'm in a similar position in the same part of the country.

[L CC]

Less formally than those, the WSW run rides every week at all paces from stupid fast training chain gang intervals stuff to family pootle.
Some of us are even friendly. The slow Sunday ride is led by me once a month which is always lovely.
Website: West Suffolk Wheelers and Triathlon Club

Is it worthwhile joining the Wheelers? I got the impression they only do fast Sunday rides and TTs, neither of which appeal to me . If there are slower pootles then maybe I should reconsider.

PS: sorry to Morrisette, I hope you don't think I'm thread hijacking. It's just that I'm in a similar position in the same part of the country.

I don't know. There are rides on Saturday and Sunday mornings every week which aren't fast or about racing. However, it's definitely a Sports Club, and IME there is a big difference between folks who do cycling as recreation, cycling as transport and cycling as Sport. You don't have to be a member to ride with us, (though obviously we'd prefer it) so I'd suggest you tried a ride to see if you like it. I can thoroughly recommend the one on Sunday 23rd . The Woofettes may enjoy the Go Ride when it restarts in the spring- we've won awards for that, and if you've been to Mildenhall Rally we run the kids sessions there.

[Wowbagger]

I think I ought to do more Suffolk riding. How often do you intent your sides to be, Morrisette? And how far?

[Tim Hall]

I think I ought to do more Suffolk riding. How often do you intent your sides to be, Morrisette? And how far?

(This translation has been provided by the YACF Wowbagger mobile text input correction service)

I think the bearded gentleman above meant to say: "How often do you intend your rides to be"

Back on the Audax bus shelter thing, I've never ridden beyond 200km, so haven't kipped in a bus shelter yet. I have eaten plenty of cake though.

[Wowbagger]

WMTICS! I hope you'll be on hand at all times when I'm texting on my phone after almost no sleep, Tim!

[Morrisette]

I think I ought to do more Suffolk riding. How often do you intent your sides to be, Morrisette? And how far?

Hi Wowbagger,

I'm thinking of around one 'proper' ride a month. More often in the summer, although there do seem to be lots of family events cluttering up the diary already....As for distance, up to about sixty miles/100km until (if I ever!) get faster. I'm going to start my commute again as soon as the weather is less foul.

Are you carrying on with the WARTY rides? I managed to get to a couple of those last year. My kind of thing, with stops in the pub!!

[Morrisette]

Less formally than those, the WSW run rides every week at all paces from stupid fast training chain gang intervals stuff to family pootle.
Some of us are even friendly. The slow Sunday ride is led by me once a month which is always lovely.
Website: West Suffolk Wheelers and Triathlon Club

Is it worthwhile joining the Wheelers? I got the impression they only do fast Sunday rides and TTs, neither of which appeal to me . If there are slower pootles then maybe I should reconsider.

PS: sorry to Morrisette, I hope you don't think I'm thread hijacking. It's just that I'm in a similar position in the same part of the country.

I don't know. There are rides on Saturday and Sunday mornings every week which aren't fast or about racing. However, it's definitely a Sports Club, and IME there is a big difference between folks who do cycling as recreation, cycling as transport and cycling as Sport. You don't have to be a member to ride with us, (though obviously we'd prefer it) so I'd suggest you tried a ride to see if you like it. I can thoroughly recommend the one on Sunday 23rd . The Woofettes may enjoy the Go Ride when it restarts in the spring- we've won awards for that, and if you've been to Mildenhall Rally we run the kids sessions there.

I was wondering about this as well Woofage. Newmarket also has a cycling club but they seem very focused on triathlon, which isn't my cup of tea at all (and if you thought my cycling was slow that's because you've never seen me attempting to run or floundering about in the pool!).

What we need is a 'cycling to the pub' club....

[Feline]

Less formally than those, the WSW run rides every week at all paces from stupid fast training chain gang intervals stuff to family pootle.
Some of us are even friendly. The slow Sunday ride is led by me once a month which is always lovely.
Website: West Suffolk Wheelers and Triathlon Club

Is it worthwhile joining the Wheelers? I got the impression they only do fast Sunday rides and TTs, neither of which appeal to me . If there are slower pootles then maybe I should reconsider.

PS: sorry to Morrisette, I hope you don't think I'm thread hijacking. It's just that I'm in a similar position in the same part of the country.

I don't know. There are rides on Saturday and Sunday mornings every week which aren't fast or about racing. However, it's definitely a Sports Club, and IME there is a big difference between folks who do cycling as recreation, cycling as transport and cycling as Sport. You don't have to be a member to ride with us, (though obviously we'd prefer it) so I'd suggest you tried a ride to see if you like it. I can thoroughly recommend the one on Sunday 23rd . The Woofettes may enjoy the Go Ride when it restarts in the spring- we've won awards for that, and if you've been to Mildenhall Rally we run the kids sessions there.

I was wondering about this as well Woofage. Newmarket also has a cycling club but they seem very focused on triathlon, which isn't my cup of tea at all (and if you thought my cycling was slow that's because you've never seen me attempting to run or floundering about in the pool!).

What we need is a 'cycling to the pub' club....

Yes, I ride with a group in this area who claim to be a drinking club with a cycling problem 

[L CC]

What we need is a 'cycling to the pub' club....

These chaps?

[Morrisette]

Goodness me! I'm amazed they have a website!!

[Regulator]

Goodness me! I'm amazed they have a website!!

Ah!  But will they admit 'gels'?

[Woofage]

I've just got back from a short errand and I saw the Wheelers out on one of their club runs. Saw only very fit looking blokes on blingy (fast) road bikes. Didn't look much like a casual pootle in the countryside.

[L CC]

I've just got back from a short errand and I saw the Wheelers out on one of their club runs. Saw only very fit looking blokes on blingy (fast) road bikes. Didn't look much like a casual pootle in the countryside.

Wednesday-old lags and part timers 16mph 60m ride.
Sat 730 training ride intervals and 15-25mph, no cake (why would anyone do that?) hardcore roadies ride
Sat 10am easy leisure ride 10-12mph (wives and kids ride)
Sun 9am espresso 70m @ 17-20mph with added testosterone
Sun 930am cappuccino 50m @ 15mph
Sun 10am latte 30m @ 10-12mph.
Something for everyone.

And they're not paying me for this advertising!

[Tim Hall]

Goodness me! I'm amazed they have a website!!

Ah!  But will they admit 'gels'?

There seem to be two gels in the bunch at the top of the page.
Whether they're admitted or not is hard to say.

And secretary, Andrew Pattle. Blimey, another name from urc.