Saturday Club runs
Update 18/09/21
Following changes to club rides during the pandemic, we are back to business as usual for Saturday club rides. Rides are now arranged via Spond (search for the app or visit https://spond.com/welcome).
If you are a club member and do not have details for Spond please email membership@leicesterforest.com.
If you’d like to try use out before joining, please register with Spond and let us know here the email address you’ve used to register with Spond. We’ll add you into a temporary LFCC Guest group for up to 8 weeks (before you get the boot), which will allow you to sign up for any club ride. Joining the club is a modest £15!
Please make any new riders welcome. We'd ask that any participating members may take new riders under their wing for their first ride to ensure that their first experience is a positive one. Many new riders can find it quite daunting and a friendly smile goes a long way to ease them in and no one likes getting lost on their first group ride.
The current routes use the club’s Ride With GPS page;
We also have route on our Strava Club page however the routes are not being currently kept up to date as we’ve switched to RWGPS for now.
All rides meet 08.30AM at The Bulls Head, Hinckley Road, Leicester forest west LE9 9JE
New riders or riders not used to riding in groups are generally directed towards the A ride or the Sunday Social Ride initially.
If you plan to meet a ride en-route, it’s always worth posting on Spond or contacting a clubmate going to the Bull’s Head so if there are any last minute changes you’re not left waiting.
A (SLOW), B (MEdium), C (FAST) - Club Ride speeds & abilities:
A rides - These are ideal for beginners, those returning to cycling or those who want a more leisurely ride. Rides will include some short climbs. Average speed on this ride will be between 15mph and 16mph depending on terrain and weather conditions (note that rides tend to speed up as the season progresses and everyone gets fit!)
B rides - These are ideal for experienced cyclists who are used to Social riding in a group and can maintain a sustained pace over a good distance. Rides may include short sharp hills and longer climbs. Average speeds will range from 17mph – 18mph depending on terrain and weather conditions.
C rides - These are ideal for experienced cyclists who are used to riding in a group and can sustain a high pace over long distances. Rides will include variable terrain including short sharp hills and longer hard climbs. Average speeds will range from 19mph+ depending on terrain and weather conditions.
Further Club Ride Details:
Club rides start at 8.30am from the Bulls Head at Leicester Forest West on the A47 towards Hinckley, although participants are welcome to start and/or finish at any point along the ride. There will always be a café stop roughly half way round. Please ensure that your bike is roadworthy and that you are carrying basic tools and spares in case of a mechanical, also remember to bring money for the café stop.
All club members and guests are welcome to join whichever ride they like, however please don’t push the pace unless you:
Have a pre agreed sprint in which case you will need to wait at the end of that sprint for the ride to regroup,
A long climb which might split the group in which case you will need to wait at the top of any such climb or
You have the full agreement of everybody else on that particular ride.
Before you select your ride please be honest with yourself, are you really capable of sustaining the minimum pace over the agreed distance? Each participant is responsible for staying with the group, the group or club is not responsible for any individual on the club run. It is highly recommended that you download the routes as shown to a suitable GPS device such as a smartphone or Garmin so that you can find your way around just in case you find the pace a bit too much and find it difficult staying with the group.
Club members are both ambassadors of the club and of cycle-sport in general, on any club run there is an expectation from the club for members to obey the rules of the road, be polite to other road users and members of the public and to other participants on the same ride. Members who in any way bring the club into disrepute or who flagrantly and repeatedly ignore the rules of the road will be dealt with by the club’s disciplinary committee. If you intend to join any of these rides please take a look at ride etiquette here.
For the purpose of safety a ride should be split into two obviously separate groups where any one ride exceeds 25 participants.