GGCC Club Run, Sunday 3rd March 2024, North 'Roon The Back Via JMW To Balloch - 51 Miles
This week we plan to head North and west. With the forecast being cool and not terribly windy, it is ideal for a wee adventure onto some of the lanes beyond croftamie and nice quiet roads to cycle in groups.
Please meet under the McLennan Arch on the green for 8:30am start.
We plan to head out up the high street and onto Balmore road, through Milngavie and Mugdock over to Strathblane. from there its along the A81 until Gartness, where we turn onto the lanes and over the narrow bridge, taking in a nice stretch of the John Muir Way. Then its through Gartocharn and over the back to Balloch park and onto Mcdonalds for coffee.
The route back takes us through Renton, Dumbarton, Bowling and over the Erskine bridge to Erskine, Inchinnan, Renfrew and back home via Govan etc
* Please remember money for coffee & McMuffins!
We will head out of town in groups of 10 before splitting into our paced groups at the Kirkhouse in Strathblane.
**GROUP LEADERS will be identified and nominated at Glasgow Green and a quick brief will be discussed for the ride ahead and agreed. At the split point before we move to paced groups, each group leader will get their respective group together and brief the group on the etiquette of the ride, what should and will happen and the format of the day so everyone in the group fully understands so everyone gets the most from the group they take part in.
We will go through some basic safety, group riding etiquette and group riding technique, first aid and basic bike maintenance before we set off so that everyone stays safe and knows exactly what’s happening on the ride.
For those of you who are first aid trained and have been issued first aid pack, can you please bring these along on Sunday (and each run you attend)
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU LOOK AT THE ROUTE PRIOR TO SUNDAYS RIDE.
Forecast for Sunday morning is likely to be dry and cool. Temperatures will be around 3-6 degrees, with a 4 mph ESE wind gusting to 9 mph.
We will split into STEADY, CHALLENGE, CHEEKY CHALLENGE and RACE
Groups should contain no more than 10 riders.
Steady is steady and usually sit between 14 – 16 mph average **NOBODY gets dropped**
Challenge should push your ability and sits about 16 - 18 mph average.
Cheeky Challenge is slightly faster and is around 18 - 20 mph.
Race pace is 20mph & above
**PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT ALL GROUPS STAY TOGETHER AND WORK TOGETHER - THIS IS A TRAINING / SOCIAL RIDE
**these are the averages you should expect over the course of the ride in the above groups and there will be sections ridden faster and some slower depending on road profile and conditions
**Please remember to communicate within your group. If you get split due to junctions, traffic, roundabouts then get back together. If you get split as someone is really dropping off the pace then that rider steps down a group, (or steps up if going through to hard) **THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT SO BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING OR FEEL FRESH - Group Leaders may suggest a step up or down for the sake of the smoothness of the remaining group
**If you need to ask the group to slow up, we would suggest you step down as you may be in the wrong group
Please pick your group carefully and remember that all groups work together to promote group riding but steady is the only group that rides at the pace of the slowest rider and the other groups don't wait for dropped riders unless agreed amongst the group and riders on the day
**Please remember tubes, pump, levers, multitool and also please ensure your bike is in good working order, oiled, lubed, maintained **
Thanks from The Team @ GGCC