Month: November 2014

Hard getting out in the cold and rain?  Need some motivation from your fellow pink-clad riders?  This is the answer!

We’re looking for confirmation of interest in joining the Condors spinning classes, which is all we need to get this started! Everything else is good to go!

Tuesday night 1915 – 2015 hrs for a total of 15 weeks, with potential for a secondary class 1530-1930 on Thursdays if we’re super keen (which we are!).

We all know how soul destroying it can be in the dark all cold and wet but there really is no need for that with these classes.

The classes will be run by none other than our very own Mike Devaney! Not only is he one of the very quickest Condors, but he’s also a fully qualified instructor and he’s ready with some good sessions planned and practised. Anyone who’s ridden with Mike will know he’s seriously fast and spinning is what he attributes his motivation and fitness to.  

Costs will be as follows:

£3 per session if booked in advance (securing your bike)
£5 per session otherwise. So just turn up.

These classes will be held at Iffley Road Running Track. Michael will open a gate so you can just come in off the street and not have to go down to the reception. A 5 minute cycle from Ricks if you’re as fast as him!

To register your interest please go to our facebook group.

A very big shout out goes to Mike, Cathy and Carrie for their tireless work in setting all of this up, it’s a great achievement and a real boon for the club.

We are very pleased to announce that Tom Kirk (Custom Cycle Coaching) is going to a lead a 2 hour coached ride on Saturday 22nd November.  

This is a skills session, but it isn’t just for those new to cycling.   Many of us at all levels in the club are great at dishing out the watts, but not so great at carving the corners, holding our line when opening up the throttle or the road gets narrow, picking the right gear to climb in before the hill starts, etc.  

If any of that sounds familiar then get yourself along to this ride.  This is a great opportunity to hone your skills on the bike, increase your confidence and become a safer rider to ride with.  

The session will focus on:

• Handling
• Group skills/riding close
• Pedalling technique/cadence
• Fuelling and hydration in winter/cold weather
• Winter skills

This is planned to be the first of a series of coached rides that will take place over the winter.

The format of the Condors’ rides changes a bit in the winter as there tend to be fewer people riding at this time of year:

Tuesday and Thursday night rides

Tuesday and Thursday night rides are not formally organised during the winter and instead become much more ad-hoc.  They will only run if riders turn up, so to be sure you’re going to find someone at Rick’s to ride with, it’s best to organise the ride ahead of time on our Facebook group.  Ideally post up about the ride a day or two in advance, you’ll get more people joining you that way.  

There won’t necessarily be an experienced Condor on the winter rides so it’s a great opportunity for other riders to get used to organising and leading rides.

Weekend rides

There should still be a ride every weekend and there tend to be more riders on those rides.  Again, it’s  important to post up as early as possible in the week that you are looking to ride on the weekend.

Daytime weekday rides

There is a contingent of Condors starting to organise rides during the daylight hours on weekdays.  These rides are very ad-hoc.  Again, post in the Facebook group if you are interested.

Rides at any other time!

The ranks of the Condors have swelled considerably, so if you find yourself with a few hours to ride and fancy some company, a quick post in the Facebook group will probably find someone who fancies a spin too.

Alternate forms of training… warning… contains sacrilege… 

If riding on the dark and wet roads of an evening is not your thing then all is not lost!  There are lots of Condors who have strapped on their running shoes or who are hitting the gym to keep the fitness up over the winter.  We hope to get some formalised Condors cross-training activities up and running this winter, but in the meantime why not post on the Facebook group to see if you can find a running partner or gym-buddy.  You know it makes sense… it gives you an excuse to wear your winter Condors kit!