5th Febuary Cotswold Reliability Ride

[Deleted member 1258]

I haven't done this event for over 10 years but it was always a hard but enjoyable day out.

http://www.stratfordcc.co.uk/index.asp

DATE: 05 February 2012
EVENT:
TIME:
DETAILS

ANNUAL RELIABILITY RIDE

Ride now in its 20th year

Sunday 5th February 2012

Entry : £5.00

The route will take you over 54 miles of undulating roads through beautiful Cotswold scenery !

4 ½ hour - Start - 10.00 a.m.
4 hour - Start - 10.10 a.m.
3 ½ hour - Start - 10.20 a.m.
3 hour - Start - 10.30 a.m.

Headquarters, FISSC sports club [Knights Lane ,Tiddington
Behind the NFU Mutual main office ]
CV377BJ

Contact : Keith Walton
Tel 01789 269089

ROUTE

 

[ColinJ]

So, are you doing it this year then Dave, and if so, are you riding to and from Stratford as well?

 

[Deleted member 1258]

So, are you doing it this year then Dave, and if so, are you riding to and from Stratford as well?

If the weathers nice, its early this year, and I can get my mojo working I am thinking of doing it, I haven't done this event for over 10 years, if I do it I will be riding down from Coventry. There's usually a crowd of the club lads doing it and I might join one of the groups, I've been training since the beginning of December, twice a week on the turbo, so I might be able to keep up if I join the right group.

http://www.fusion-media.co.uk/covrc/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1290

 

[ColinJ]

Sounds good!

So a 'reliability ride' is a bit like an audax event with a maximum time limit, but no minimum?

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Sounds good!

So a 'reliability ride' is a bit like an audax event with a maximum time limit, but no minimum?

That's about right, years ago the idea was to sign up for a time limit and try to get as close to the limit as you could without going over it, but that idea seems to have gone now and a lot of people use it as a training ride or a test of their fitness, though if you go round to quickly there may be questions asked about whether you stuck to the course or not. In the past I would go for the 4 hours and expect to do somewhere around 31/2 hours, most of the club lads would have been going for the 3 or 31/2 hour time limit. In the past my times have varied between 5 hours and 3 and a bit hours, the 5 hour time was done a long time ago with the clubs family ride and once past Stowe we took it in turns to push one rider up the hills.

 

[totallyfixed]

Hope Dave doesn't mind me chipping in here, I've been involved with reliability rides for a long time now. They were originally run by clubs as a sort of coming out of hibernation for the racing set and for many still are. Most established clubs have them although nowadays many club sec's have spotted a way of making money for the club. It used to always be free and run by the club for the club members and indeed my second claim club, Cambridge CC [Town & County] still run them this way. However since around the time of the advent of the Sportive it was quickly realised that all the gear no idea would be racers middle age crisis there was an audience that would pay money to be told where to go.
Sorry if that sounded a bit cynical but although it brings money in for the club it can also sour the traditions of the reliability ride a bit. Cambridge run 3 rides on consecutive Sundays, 50, 75 and 90 miles with each ride split into levels of ability, great rides with each group staying together, whereas now they often resemble a Sportive with all the attendant litter and poor road craft.
Sorry Colin / Dave, not meant to be a rant, I'm sure the Cotswolds one isn't like that at all but many are.
Ok I'm ready

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Hope Dave doesn't mind me chipping in here, I've been involved with reliability rides for a long time now. They were originally run by clubs as a sort of coming out of hibernation for the racing set and for many still are. Most established clubs have them although nowadays many club sec's have spotted a way of making money for the club. It used to always be free and run by the club for the club members and indeed my second claim club, Cambridge CC [Town & County] still run them this way. However since around the time of the advent of the Sportive it was quickly realised that all the gear no idea would be racers middle age crisis there was an audience that would pay money to be told where to go.
Sorry if that sounded a bit cynical but although it brings money in for the club it can also sour the traditions of the reliability ride a bit. Cambridge run 3 rides on consecutive Sundays, 50, 75 and 90 miles with each ride split into levels of ability, great rides with each group staying together, whereas now they often resemble a Sportive with all the attendant litter and poor road craft.
Sorry Colin / Dave, not meant to be a rant, I'm sure the Cotswolds one isn't like that at all but many are.
Ok I'm ready

Sound similar to my experience of them, the early ones I did were enjoyable early season leg stretchers done with my mates and we stuck together, as time went on they became more like training bashes or devil take the hindmost events. I haven't done a reliability trial for over ten years now but I've enjoyed myself on this one in the past so I'm seriously thinking about doing it again. It will also help me get ready for the Mikes Warwickshire 100 charity event in March.

 

[ColinJ]

I'm organising some forum unreliability rides up here! We'll set a target time but ride along chatting, spend too long at the cafe and then need lights on the way home!

 

[totallyfixed]

Well, you know who needs a bit of hill training and she has never ridden those parts.....you never know

 

[ColinJ]

Well, you know who needs a bit of hill training and she has never ridden those parts.....you never know

Oh, that would be nice. (This Saturday is the hilly one - the longer ride the following weekend is much flatter, but 50% longer.)

Perhaps you and Helen would have to romp up the hills, then come back down and do them again to keep warm because I'll be climbing pretty slowly!

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I'm good to go on this, I've spent time with internet maps refreshing myself on the route, when I got home tonight the fixed was washed down and put in the shed, the geared bike was brought out of the shed, washed down, checked and oiled. The only fly in the ointment is the weather, I'm both watching the weather and the Stratford clubs website, with rain and snow forecast for Saturday night Sunday morning could be icy.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Theres a message on their website informing people that this event has been cancelled due to the weather.

http://www.stratfordcc.co.uk/

 

[totallyfixed]

Reliability rides in this area cancelled too.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Reliability rides in this area cancelled too.

Whats it like by you? we have a couple of inches of lying snow and the sky's full of it, I recon I might be on the turbo later on and that will be it.

 

[skudupnorth]

I'm organising some forum unreliability rides up here! We'll set a target time but ride along chatting, spend too long at the cafe and then need lights on the way home!

They are the best rides Colin !