got a few ideas a route near me, but because of the terrain it would mean linking trails via quite a few (albeit quiet)roads and it wouldn't keep the hardcore macho brigade entertained at all, more for beginners or members who have a less experienced riding other half/friend,pubs avaliable en route, is it worth pursuing do you think?

Id be up for it, assuming the snows dont block the high altitude alpine passes….. 😉

Yep. Build it and they will come.

The essentials are
1)An easy to find meeting point with decent parking
2)Cafe or pub en-route
3)Cake
4)Relaxed attitude: TELL everyone it's a slow social ride. Tell everyone you're in charge of the route and pace, and the pace is that of the slowest rider.
5)Be sure of your route. I memorized mine, all 25 miles of it.
6)Allow faffage time. Start earlier than you would like in case someone is late

It's great fun to organise….
😀

Ride
Beer
Pish Take of each other

Ditto pete's number 4 .Racing snakes look elsewhere !!!! No one is scoring points 😀

A thing to think about is that they work well as "leisure rides" – all abilities and no expectation of tearing around the hills (think 3.5 mph overall) – which leaves plenty of time for chatting, banter and mechanicals.

There are some who will not ride more than 200m of tarmac period. But I suspect most will be fine with it as long as the off-road bits you link together are fun. In fact quiet tarmac climbs can be useful for getting to the next fun bit quickly. From what I've read, STW central is like that.

Make sure to include a nice food/rest stop.

Go for it!

I'd be interested in suggestions as im organising one on the Isle of Wight on sept 12th (Sameless plug!)
So far what Peter has said makes much sense (for a change!!)
I was thinking perhaps 25-30 miles with some sort of pub / cafe lunch stop.

>There are some who will not ride more than 200m of tarmac period.

Really? How odd….

the route is about 20 miles, but i'd be worried that folk would travel a long way and be disappointed, it's not exactly hilly or technical around here

rOcKeTdOg – go for it! Sounds perfect! Is a wuss girlie invited 🙄

Agree with Mr Poddy's list – spot on. The first one is always daunting to organise but after that it's a doddle, even when Swinley Forest was minus 7 degrees in January 😯

Throw up some dates please 🙂

Midlands based ? I'd be up for it with some other neer do wells.

What route do you have in mind RD? I'm midlands based, if I'm free on the date could help out if required?

I worry about road sections some MTB are just so dangerous on the road (ASBO peleton I call it)

As they never endure tarmac I have seen them take blind bends on worng side of raod chatting to a mate etc

You seem to have everything covered

I also advise a co-ordinated spares list as you dont all need to carry your own pump do you?
One person takes a rear mech , one takes a tyre , one takes a shock pump etc to cover all eventualities.

Most people do them for the social aspect and to meet other STW ers noyt to showboat their skills

Having organised a few, my tips would be to pretty much follow what PP said, after all he learned from the master 😉

The faffage time is a big factor, and rises exponentially with group size. As for gnarl factor, just set expectations, must most will people will be able to gauge it from the location (the Cotswolds, for example, is not exactly 'core).

Also, pick an area you know well, so you can adapt the route on the fly if necessary

Cake, it's important there is plenty of cake.

maybe consider doing the route with parking 'in the middle', ie so you're never MILES from the car, so that disasters can be catered for with shortcuts and splitting the group etc.

Must be time for another quantocks route soon…..

you see, all this 'carrying of spares' thing shouts 'wilderness riding' to me and it'd be about as far from that as it's possible to be, think more semi rural pootling with canals and little wooded hills thrown in, i mean a 1/3 of it would be near or in sight of the old Rover factory site, so a mince-pootle is more like it, maybe it's not entertaining enough

I also advise a co-ordinated spares list as you dont all need to carry your own pump do you?

Very true, but this is a step too far for most STW based rides. Let everyone just carry what they want, it's not going to make any difference. Save the minimalist packing for big back country expeditions!
🙂

on worng side of raod

Eliptic was practising bunny hops and did exactly this on Sunday 😆

keep it moderate – you don't want people struggling to keep up and so not enjoying it

http://www.vimeo.com/3748039

People just have to be self-sufficient although there are always mechanicals that can not be fixed by the trail side.

Go for it!

When Rich and I organised the Purbecks one, I was worried that people would think it was boring, too much road, not as good as the Qs one the previous month etc. But everyone seemed to love it, the day was ace, no-one fell off and really hurt themselves.

I think these group rides are almost more about the social aspect (cycling close second of course!) so if you like your route rocketdog, then others will enjoy the ride cos it's about meeting up.

My organisational skills are best described as loose. Haven't really thought about route yet, it will be a bit 'fluid' depending on weather conditions, numbers, mechanicals etc.
Scenery, chatting, riding, laughing and cakes (and hopefully not horizontal rain) in the Purbecks 27th Sept.

To entice me along it needs some hype , pics and to know my close riding pals are going . The Qs take some beating as venue but I enjoy riding fullstop so sort out the date.

If you have a good route in mind, post it. Post a meeting point, route details, pace etc etc… if people are interested they will show up.

go for it RD if you get the date(s) up quick i might even be able to get a day pass and make it(that should scare a few people :wink:)

Try and have your start point near your final descent – I failed miserably at this on the North York Moors ride – lowey had it spot on for the Settle one though

Try and have at least a couple of other people that know the route and can assist – I also failed miserably at this on the NYM ride

Maybe I should not offer any advice . . .

I have enjoyed planning the route for the couple I have organised and really had a good time on the ones I have attended. Met some great people — go on DO IT

Bit of a hi-jack really but i'm taking a small group out to the Long Mynd at Church Stretton in Shropshire on Saturday 5th September. Big secure car park with decent public loos to change in, average pace about the magic 3.5mph, 25 to 30 miles with pub stop in the middle, about 5 miles in total of roadwork on very minor roads, one long doable fire road climb, one shortish but steep and unrideable, except to the gods, (not quite up to Jacobs Ladder standard) climb to get started and all the rest on good dry open moorland with two great downhills, one measures, on good old Google Earth, at about 2 miles and the other about 1.5 miles a spattering of shorter up and downhills in between to keep the interest up, none of it technical and all can be ridden by novice, not complete beginner though.
I'm advertising this on the other site (bikeradar) shssss, but if any one wants to join us then feel free, meet at 9.30am depart 10.00am Co-Op car park in the centre of Church Stretton Saturday 5th September, all day parking for £3.00

What you should do is arrange a whole weekend of different riding for everyone and non riding for everyone else and beer for everyone and wine for everyone else and music for everyone and free camping for everyone else. Oh, hang on a minute, that formula sounds a bit familiar. Anyone heard of anything like that happening this weekend*?

*Sorry for the hijack but as you are coming anyway I guessed you wouldn't mind. We still have some tickets to shift and late entries are causing havok with ordering the beer as it has to settle for 2 days before you can drink it. Proper beer.

Must be time for another quantocks route soon…..

WINNER

I think once you start getting up to 30 people, it's easier to split into two groups so the dirt roadies can enjoy their lycra in peace 🙂

My favourite group ride is still the Quantocks one from April. It just seemed really well organised, the riding was great, we all met up for lunch but there were 3 groups so suited everyone for pace/ability. One great aspect from that and also Sunday's Mendips ride was that the tricky bits were an option. Useful, because you don't want to hurt people on your ride…

Wouldn't worry about climbing on the road, sometimes I prefer it as you get to the next downhill easier and faster. We don't have great local riding in Salisbury, but there's been a few low key rides here and people have enjoyed those. I guess that indicates the importance of the social aspect.

Quantocks and Isle of Wight rides are being arranged at the Big Bike BAsh I think. The IOW thread earlier certainly was.

"My favourite group ride is still the Quantocks one from April. It just seemed really well organised,"

Im touched , but to be fair IT WAS REALLY WELL ORGAINISED ! only joking .
The format of a local at the front and back works well. The other thing to remember as an organiser is that the ride is put on for others pleasure. The riders may have come from miles away so you have to make it a good day for them. You can ride local any day of the week. Oh and take lots of photos.

ok, worked out a route, but are you sure pace is 3.5 miles and hour?, route is 21 miles so 21 divided by 3.5 is 6hours?? that can't be right can it? proposed route will start and finish at a pub, most of the road work done in the first 1/3, icecream/cake/toilet stop after most of the climbing (not a lot though and mostly on quiet roads) is done, then 75% off road winding back to start point, finishing downhill, anyways lot's to sort out yet, thinking of late sept for autumn colours and when the stingers have died back a bit (CG, does your fear of water extend to canals?)

anyway anyone want to express an interest post on here and i'll email any further details, as i feel putting route and start point is dangerous given this is a public forum and i don't want scumbags knowing where all the unattended cars will be (if anyone turns up that is!)

Junkyard – Member
I worry about road sections some MTB are just so dangerous on the road (ASBO peleton I call it)

i just dont look and misteriously aim for roadies 😉

Gary – it will be fine 🙂

Seriously, the people that come on these Forum rides are chilled anyway. It's a way of escaping from the world for a day, meeting like-minded people, having a laugh. After all, it is SO much nicer on here these days compared to how it used to be with all the aggro.

Tell you what, for the canal section you can protect me and ride nearest it 😉

I look forward to instructions, e-mail in profile 🙂

All important points have been mentioned..

Beware, it has the potential to take over your life with concerns it'll go tits up and leave people disappointed……once to route been sorted and a place time set..everything generally falls into place and the social banter, making new friends just makes things right..

Don't make the trails out to be more than they are…sell it as it is, if the highlight is a food stop and good company mixed in with few trails to ride, then that's enough to keep most happy..

Thanks Richpenny, excess work was put into making the Tox ride work as it did and i'm happy to sort another on a similar or different format…ie, i demand a sat ride and BBQ sleep over the social laff is half the crack

proposed route will start and finish at a pub

I'm in.

I'm in.

all day? 🙂

Did I mention to make sure there is plenty of cake?