Wednesday Farm/ "recovery" ride

[Bosie]

As we get into Spring and rides get bigger- Something to consider:

The Farm team ride has become a "recovery" ride for a number of TS riders who dont want to do hills on Wednesday . This has had the effect of making the Farm Team ride fairly Big on good weather days and getting Bigger.

The Farm Team ethos is a very social non drop ride which a number of us enjoy on Wednesdays (like a B3/C ride), but because of the disparate fitness in the group, there are often calls for "Steady" at fairly slow speeds for the stronger riders and some of the weaker riders feel overwhelmed by the size and speed of the growing number of Wednesday riders. This potentially takes away from their enjoyment of the ride for everyone.

The Farm Team is also a non insured ride for TS riders (and the Farm team) I think?.

I cannot speak to how the Farmers feel about the growing numbers of TS riders who join their ride, but I suspect some might feel it is getting a bit large and unmanageable for their liking.

I am wondering if it is time for TS to have a more ordered/ structured Wednesday recovery ride (or something different) that does not encroach on the Farm Team ride? Or at least to begin a conversation with the Farm Team as to what they would like to see in their Wednesday rides, so that everyone knows the agreed "rules" ?

[Greg F]

I’ve seen this happen over and over in other cycling communities. Speeds ramp up and up, young riders are unable to join the rides (without significant help), getting up over any hill takes a double- or triple-hand, calls of “Steady!” are ignored because, Hey, going Fast is Fun!

Until……. the Bubble bursts....
- Overnight, speeds plummet to <20km/hr;
- Any further newcomers are treated as bike-flipping vultures;
- B1/A2 (as well as C0/Z3/etc) riders, saddled with now-unaffordable carbon frames & electronic shifting, are forced to down-size to Walmart beach cruisers or Gunnars at significant loss; and
- Post-ride coffees are spent huddled around a sticky booth in Tim Horton’s, nursing small double-doubles, wistfully sharing whispers of past glories, faster rides, and Americano’s given away like water….

Ye be warned!

[John D]

Like the debate on whether we need an A2 ride, or whether the B1 should become a drop ride, this one's been kicked around before, too:

Don't mess with the Farm Team Ride

The gist of the message still holds true.

[chrisb]

The Tripleshot hills ride is great, and you can spend half the time doing recovery (during the downhill)

CB

[Claire]

This seems worthy of the next TS executive meeting agenda. I'm sure if there was a slightly up-tempo TS Wednesday non-hill ride planned, it would quickly be populated.

More immediately, Lisa and I are doing a non-sanctioned, non-Farm, non-TS ride tomorrow from Alpha St Sbx.

[Paul C.]

I really like your ending comments Greg.
So another....can of worms has reopened.
Really easy partial solution...next time there are more that 14 people, split into 2...and I would suggest one group is faster.

[Dave L]

My reply to Craig's email to the Farmers:

"I welcome the addition of argyle-clad riders on Wednesday, they add a little zip and it's nice to catch up (particulaly as the TS contingent usually ride a group or two above me). The things that will make this ride more enjoyable for all are no different than the things that make most variable-strength group rides go more smoothly:
1) when "Steady Up!" is called, go slow, not a slight easing off, go slow, then we can regroup and get going quicker rather than riding for a km or so at half speed wondering if we are all together
2) The call to "Roll!" should come from the back, ideally from the person that initiated the Steady Up, that way the front of the group isn't left wondering
3) Farmers put a foot down at the top of Ash, the top of Caddy Bay and the top of KGT.
4) If you are on the front after feet being put down (see 3), roll easy and check that the group is together. We often spend time trying go regroup after these locations because the front riders have gone off down the road while the back of the group is still unclipping.
5) If we have a big group, share the front, and if you're on the front when we are going downhill, pedal (# 4, notwithstanding).
6) If the group is large, split into 2 groups, but make it an arbitrary split based on numbers, not on speed.

My preference is that we don't encourage a separate ride - just my 8 Colones-worth from Costa Rica."

Dave