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Guests are allways most welcome but please read the notes below about preperation, commitment and ability
The purpose of the 'Cafe Club' Saturday ride from Rowlands Castle :
1 - To provide i-Team Members with a structured, safe and friendly group riding experience for a mixture of ages & abilities, from Novice to / intermediate club standard.
2 - To encourage and support i-Team Members & Guests develop their cycling skills and ability.
3 - To give experienced riders an easy 'recovery ride' the day before races etc.
Meeting Time:
Meet at or shortly after 09:45. The ride leaves at 10.00 PROMPT - please do not expect everyone to wait even a couple of minutes for you as this is unfair on those who arrived early.
N.B. On alternate weeks, this ride will be met by the Cowplain Club Ride and riders may drop out and join the Cafe Club ride for a 10.00am depart. Depending on numbers, either the rides will be separate from the start, or all riders may start together for a sociable ride for 30 mins or so, before the rides split back into separate rides. If riders want to keep to one group, the average speed must be adjusted to suit the lowest ability in the group so that no one is left behind.
Meeting Place:
Outside The Village Coffee Shop, 2 The Green, Rowland's Castle PO9 6BN
N.B. Please keep the entrance to the shop clear for their customers and also keep the pavement clear to maintain our good relationship with the residents of the village. If you are going to use the shop services (tables & chairs, toilet etc.) it goes without saying that you should buy a drink or some food from them and keep the facilities clean.
Target Groups:
i-Team Members i.e.:
* Novice but experienced youth riders aged 12+ accompanied by parents (e.g. can ride for 1 hour solo at 14mph / 20kph)
* Newcomers who are thinking of joining and who have a reasonably good level of fitness (e.g. can ride for 1 hours solo at 14mph / 20kph)
* Intermediate or Advanced riders who may be on the come-back trail, or injured or who fancy a pleasurable break from full-on training (or any member who wants to help me put something back into the club by helping at grass roots level.)
Structure of ride:
* 60 to 90mins road session, typically 14 mph average speed, on pre-set routes.
* Before every ride starts, there should be a quick chat about the route, saftey points (which is allways ultimately the responsibility of the individual participants, who take part at their own risk,) and also a quick introduction for any new faces.
*We allways have a 30 mins steady warm up at 14 mph max.
*Everyone rides with the group and does not overtake the leader - we ride at the pace of the slowest rider.
*At pre-agreed points, on a hill etc, everyone can press on at their own pace but we will allways regroup at the top of the climb.
*About 15 minutes from the finish, the 'red flag' goes down and everyone who want's to can up the pace to the finish (This helps to thin any big bunches out and so helps getting the group back through any Saturday traffic.)
How everyone can help:
1 - If this is goiing to be your first time - please contact Guy Watson in advance on info @ i-team.cc
2 - Everyone must arrive promtly at the start.
3 - Any new faces are introduced and made to feel welcome.
4 - The route and aims of the ride are explained to everyone before leaving.
5 - Saftey is everyone's responsibility - don't blindly follow - stay alert and be aware of the potential risks to yourself and others
6 - Bikes must be fit for purpose & very well maintained.
7 - You must have at least 1 spare tube and proper pump and/or CO2 pump and know how to use them.
N.B. Everyone punctures from time to time and if it happens to you, don't panic - shout out and everyone should stop and someone will be able to check if you are OK. Assistance will be on hand to help with this but riders should try to be self sufficient and have a spare tube and either full size pump or CO2 pump to minimise time lost. PLEASE DO NOT WAIT UNTIL HALF WAY THROUGH THE RIDE TO START PRACTISING HOW TO CHANGE A TYRE!!!
8 - The first 30 mins HAS TO BE STEADY to allow everyone to warm up.
9 - The group has to stay compact - front riders do not up the pace or sprint out of corners If you are fit - stay on the front on low gears but for no more than 5 minutes but DO NOT UP THE AVERAGE PACE.. Rear riders should try hard not to let gaps OF MORE THAN ONE BIKE LENGTH open up out of corners - or when riding at a steady pace - NO MORE THAN 1 meter from the wheel in front (This includes descents - just ride to the side of the rider in front - this gives you effectively 3 Meters.)
10 - There has to be good communication - if a rider is about to be dropped, or punctures, or has to answer the call of nature - he should shout out 'EASY!' before he looses contact with the group. The exception may be on some hills where we ride up at our individual best pace and regroup at the top - but the group does not start the descent before group has reformed. EVERONE MAKE SURE THE FRONT RIDERS KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING.
11 - These rides can be a good training session but they are not the place to show everyone how fit you are, to the extent of splitting the group up on every climb. If you are in good form, gear down and spin. Help other riders by protecting them from the wind, giving the odd helpfull push on a climb.
IMPORTANT NOTES ON ROUTES Etc.:
- This Club Ride is not meant to be like a Sportive or other organised event, so a rough direction and route only might be announced on the day as part of the pre-ride group breifing, this can then take into account the conditions on the day i.e.: Weather / Traffic / Composition of the Group.
- No individual rider is ever responsible for the final route taken - a rider can propose a route for the group to take but the final choice is always a unanmous group decision beacuse...
- ...Each rider always makes their own individual dynamic risk assesment throught the ride, based on their best judgement - it is always up to the individual whether to follow another rider or not, or take advice or to ignore it.
- To affiliate the organisation to suitable governing bodies such as British Cycling
- To set guidelines in the best interests of safety and maintaining a good club image
- To endevour to try to maintain awareness of the guidelines
- To offer facilities that allow members to interact with each other and arrange to meet on rides.
- To raise awareness of the requirements & responsibilities of individual members and club organisation
- To organise their own appropriate 3rd Party Insurance
- To make themselves and other members aware of the current club rules and guidelines in the interests of safety and club image
- As far as possible to make themselves aware of the nature and format of the ride and to ensure that they are properly prepared
- As far as possible to ensure that their bike is serviceable with spare tube / pump / tools (and be proficient their use)
- Wear club clothing as far as possible / practical
- To arrive promptly and do their best to ensure that the ride departs at the pre-set time.
- To become a member of the club after a maximum of 3 guest rides and to keep membership up to date
- To help ensure that no more than 5 non-members ever ride with any club ride
- Raise awareness as soon as possible of any hazards or difficulties
- Try to look out for others in difficulty
- Help with positive feedback after each ride using the appropriate forum thread
- Respect and consider any advice given by more experienced members
- To ride safely, allways following the Highway Code when practical and always riding with consideration for other road users, other club members and your own individual safety
- It is strongly recommended that all participants wear a suitable, correctly fitting helmet
- Headphones, personal stereos etc. and anything that might unduely affect an individual rider's awareness should be removed while particiapting in club rides - therefore please do not be offended if you are asked by another member to comply with this advice
How many take part in these rides?
Typically around 20-30 riders.
How fast are the rides?
Typically 14 mph / 20 kmh average
How fit do I need to be?
If you can ride solo for 1 hour at 14mph average, you'll be fine but you also need to be able to ride comfortably in a group. At first this may take some getting used to, cornering with other riders by your side, in front and behind - but this is the place to learn these skils, it's what the rides are for - so don't be intimidated, you will be encoraged and given advice.
How far do you go?
The duration of this ride is kept to around 90 minutes.
Do you always meet at the same time / place on Saturdays?
Yes - this is most important - that way everyone knows the score and the ride leaves promptly - especially important if it is cold.
Is it always the same route?
The routes are varied as much as possible but the limitations are that with 20 plus riders, we have to try to minimise exposure to heavy traffic, busy junctions, right turns, roundabouts etc and get back to the start within 2 hours.
Why do you sometimes go down the Centurion Way (cycle path) sometimes - we allways puncture there?
2 reasons:
1 - This section allows the group to get back together and take a breather - especially if I notice some guys are struggling on the way out.
2 - The alternatives to get to Lavant are either very muddy narrow lanes or busy roads
We definitely do not get any more punctures here than eleswhere on the ride - there is some leaf mulch that can be a bit slippery but that will improve your bike handling - so go with the flow and enjoy being away from the cars.
How good does my bike need to be?
It doesn't need to be expensive but it really needs to be a road bike and must be reliable - if in doubt, get your bike checked out at a local bike shop in the week BEFORE the ride.
How old do I have to be?
Typically, the minimum age is 12 if accompanied by your parent etc but it depends on your ability - please contact Guy Watson in advance on info @ i-team.cc
Do you ride in all weather?
Everything except ice and fog - we often get more turn up when it's raining!
Are non-members allowed to come along on these rides?
Absolutely - that's what we are all about!
- but, to ensure that everyone gets the most enjoyment from it, there are some conditions:i) ABILITY:
We don't wan't to leave anyone behind but there is a minimum ability standard for this ride - please note the average speeds and duration. That's not to say that this ride is beyond the ability of a fit novice, but you will need to be fairly confident riding in a group.
To avoid potential dissapointment or embarrasment, the best advise would be to come along on one of the Saturday Morning 'Cafe Club' rides from Rowlands Castle first, and see how that goes.
ii) PREPERATION:
It is a bit disrespectful to other people if you turm up on a group ride and you haven't checked your bike before hand to see that it is serviceable and well maintained.
iii) COMMITMENT: These rides are organised by i-Team members, for i-Team members. Guests are allways very welcome, but after 3 rides, guests will be expected to make a commitment and purchase i-Team Membership.
iv) INSURANCE: It is a condition of i-Team membership that members must organise and keep current, their own 3rd party insurance, e.g. British Cycling Silver or Gold membership. N.B. For our British Cycling Club Insurance purposes, no more than 5 guests can be accommodated on any club ride.
v) LIABILITY: All participants of i-Team club rides do so entirely at their own risk. If members bring a guest with them - they are responsible for them (please stay near to them on the ride and look after them as need be.) In no event will i-Team.cc, or any of it's members, be liable for any loss or damage, including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from participating on our club rides.
More info for members
Essential Information For Riding in a Group
