Meets at Palmer Park

This ride is targeted at riders who wish to improve their conditioning and pack riding skills. We concentrate on exercises that build aerobic and anaerobic abilities. We also have some race-like events allowing everyone to test themselves and have fun competing with other riders. This is a friendly co-operative group that enjoys encouraging others and seeing them improve.

We use double, single and circular pacelines during most of our riding. If you are unfamiliar with these techniques do not worry, you will learn quickly after receiving some instruction, but mostly by watching experienced riders and participating.

A route map is usually supplied to members at the beginning of the ride. For about the first 30 minutes, the group stays together riding a double paceline. After that we have several standard agendas:

Mini-group Pacelines
We divide into mini-groups, usually 4-6 riders, where mini-group members have relatively equal abilities.
We then ride in single file pace-lines and circles
Each mini-group rides at a pace they can maintain for 30-60 minutes.
At various times during the ride the group will sit-up and relax in order to allow everyone to get in some recovery.
In a 4-man group each rider is pulling 25% (threshold or slightly anaerobic) and sitting on 75% (under aerobic threshold).
Riders thus develop their aerobic capacity and handling skills.
This ride is our standard ride during the spring (March, April & May).

Hill Workouts
We usually divide into equal ability mini-groups of 4-6.
We ride the hills at a high effort.
At the top of the hill riders recover and allow for their mini-group to reform.
These rides usually take place during the summer season.

World Championship Road Race (WCRR)
This is a race like workout designed to push everyone to there limits
The course will be predetermined and announced so all riders will have a chance to learn the route.
The entire group will ride/race together, with shortcuts and designated regroups to allow slower riders to catch up.
The course will have both flat sprints and KOM (King of the Mountain) sprints.
Points will be accumulated at each sprint and totaled to determine winners.
WCRRs are usually run once a month in May, June, July and August.
WCRRs allow:
Everyone to test themselves against other riders.
Practice and observation of racing techniques and strategies.
Practice of sprinting, including timing of sprints.
Discovery of your strengths and weaknesses

Time Trials (TT)
These events are timed events over a specified distance.
Distances are usually 5-10 miles long.
Riders can enter either individually or as a team (2-man, 3-man or 4-man).
The TTs are usually preceded with a group warm-up and followed by a group fun ride.
TTs are not the favorite ride of our usual riders, but we force ourselves to do a couple TTs a year.

Group Free for All
Riders ride together and the pace is determined by the riders.
Often the pace explodes for 5-10 minutes and then usually slows and regroups.
Hills are often hammered and afterwards the pace relaxes and everyone regroups.
There is no real control during the “Free for All” rides and often people are dropped and spread solo all over the countryside. It may be important to have a map these nights. If dropped look behind you, wait for other riders and form a mini-group of your own.
We divide the “A” ride into mini-groups for various reasons. Each mini-group should contain riders of approximately equal ability. Mini-groups allow riders with different strengths to exert the same relative effort, therefore receive the proper training load to improve their strength. The stronger riders need not soft pedal to keep the group together. Weaker riders get the max training benefit by riding at a pace appropriate to their strength. Weaker riders have their own mini-group, so they do not run the risk of being dropped by faster riders and left solo.

Contact the ride leader if you have questions or need more information about this ride.

Ken Pearson- Ride Leader