Swindon Road Club Regular Club Rides
Swindon Road Club are active all year round and have a number of regular rides for members and guests to take part in.
Please make sure that you have read our code of conduct before taking part in any of our rides.
Rides start promptly so ensure you are at the meeting point in good time.
Saturday Club Ride - All Year Round start 9:30 AM
On Saturdays riders meet on the corner by the roundabout at the start of Cheney Manor industrial estate, Rodbourne for a 16 mile ride to Greasy Joe's cafe in Cirencester (near Tesco's). After a stop for a cup of tea and a chat the ride returns via a similar route back to Swindon.
This is the most popular club ride, with usually between 20 and 40 cyclists turning up. The route is identical each week so there is no chance of getting lost. Pace is generally steady although the last 3 miles to Greasy's tends to get a bit quicker.
Saturday Development Ride - All Year Round start 9:30 AM
Development/Beginners ride - Meet up just off Swinley Drive (back of Peatmoor School). This will be an easier paced ride for beginners and those not used to group riding. The idea is this group will reach Greasy Joe's just before the Cheney Manor group arrive.
If you are new to the club this is the best ride to join in with. The route is flat and the generally the group stays together at a steady pace until the last couple of miles (usually!). On the return ride back to Swindon the pace tends to pick up over the last few miles from Ashton Keynes to Swindon and the group may split up.
If you are a novice rider don't be too concerned if at first you find it hard going staying with the group. Most club members start out this way but find that after a few weeks their fitness and bike handling improves and the ride becomes easier. Once again safety is paramount.
Sunday Morning Rides - All Year Round start 9.00am
To cater for the wide range of abilities and riding preferences within the club membership, there are now usually 2 organised Sunday morning rides. The Short Ride will depend on whether anyone is present that wishes to take that route. Both rides start together from the Town Hall but will split into a couple of separate rides.
- Long Ride - Usually about 70 to 80 miles, hilly and generally quicker ride lead by an experienced club rider. Bring money for a cafe stop. Different route each week.
- Short Ride – (If taking place) Usually about 40 to 50 miles. The first part of the ride is ridden with the Long Ride group, at the same quicker pace. It may become steadier once the Long and Short Rides split. Without a cafe stop for those riders who prefer to do a few less miles and return to Swindon a bit sooner.
Both rides start together but at some point on the ride those riders doing the shorter ride will branch off and make their way back to Swindon.
The exact nature of each ride varies from week to week and will depend on who turns up.
During the summer the last Sunday of the month is usually a longer 100+ mile ride which starts at the earlier time of 08:00. See the What's On calendar for details.
Tuesday Evening Club Ride - summer only start 18:00 or 18:30
Meet at the Kingsdown Pub in Stratton (on the junction of Kingsdown Road and Hyde Road) for a ride of about 1.5 to 2 hours. The aim of this ride is to maintain a fast pace. It is the responsibility of each rider to ensure that they carry adequate spares and tools to fix punctures or a mechanical failure that they may encounter. It is also strongly recommended that you bring a mobile phone. Be aware that riders will be dropped. The groups will usually not wait for anyone who cannot maintain the pace of their group.
The ride is based on the Reliability format of forming similar size groups of differing ability, each group will then set off at agreed staggered times. Please ensure you choose the correct group (this will probably come after perhaps painful experience!) as each rider within their chosen group is expected to contribute to maintaining the pace, this is usually done by “chain ganging” and “through and off”.
Start time is 18:00 during April and September, 18:30 during May, June, July & August.
Tuesday Evening Development Ride - summer only start 18:00 hours
Meet in the car park of Casa Paolo’s (the old Foresters Pub) at 18:00 hours for a steady non stop ride of about 1.5 to 2 hours. The aim of this ride is to ride at a steady pace, gain confidence in riding in a group and develop basic riding skills. If you are new to the club and a beginner this is a ride to start on, the route is the same each week and is flat.
Tuesday Evening RPM Training - winter only TBC for 2012/13
Swindon Road Club usually organises a private RPM session for its members held at the Link Centre in West Swindon, further details for 2012/13 will be announced via the website nearer the date.
