For those who don’t know, reliability rides are either the transition from winter training to something closer to race pace, a cheap winter sportive without any frills, a big club run or an unlicenced road race – you decide. What they are in more prosaic terms is a series of Sunday group rides organised by the local clubs over set distances with 2 or 3 differently paced groups. Normally there is somewhere to get a cup of tea and a bun at the end. They tend to be over familiar routes and there is usually some form of map or directions for those new to the game.
Don’t expect to be molly-coddled or picked up by race support if it all goes pear shaped – the emphasis is on reliability so make sure you are equipped for the conditions and the normal eventualities of riding your bike in the winter.
The first reliability on the 20th January is being organised by the Bridgnorth Cycling Club. This the second time the guys have organised this being a new club to the scene. They have risen quickly to being well represented by local riders and have been seen in strength at the Mamil Cycling Shropshire Hills sportive (get your entries in for this years edition on the 7th July) over the past two years. I was present on the inaugural club run of BCC in it’s modern format and they have worked really hard to generate a good club ethos so please support their event and the others on the calendar.
If anybody fancies forming a ‘wheezers’ group to bring up the rear, look out for me won’t you...?
The Acton Arms
Morville, Bridgnorth, Shropshire WV16 4RJ
First aid cover, recovery and parking is all available.
Ø 27th Jan: Wrekinsport CC: Wellington Leisure Centre, 60 miles 9:30-9:50am
Ø 3rd Feb: Ludlow CC: Ludlow Leisure Centre, 47 and 70 miles, 9:20-9:45am
Ø 10th Feb: Paramount CRT: Sundorne Sports Village, 42 and 64 miles, 9:30-10:00am.
Ø 17th Feb: North Shropshire Wheelers: Raven Café Prees, 50 and 84 miles, 9:00-9:15am.
Ø 24th Feb: Mid Shropshire Wheelers: Sundorne Sports Village, 54 miles, 9:30am.
Ø 3rd Mar: Newport Shropshire CC: B&M Home Bargains car park, 50 miles, 9:30-9:45am.
Ø 10th Mar: Market Drayton CC: Lidl car park, 55 miles, 9:00am.
Ø 17th Mar: Nova Raiders: The Lodge at The Pheasant Inn Newport, 50 miles, 9:30am.
Ø 12th May: Oswestry Paragon CC: Llanyblodwel Village Hall, 49 miles, 10:00am.