Chalmerston road chaingang

[Mark B]

Chain gangs of small groups sometimes just need a bit of communication. I don't know if it was going on but sometimes s few shouts to slow it down a bit can do the trick. Either that or slow it down to your speed by going through a bit more slowly!
That, and tell the guys who were too fast this week to move up to the next!

[granty]

always a problem with chaingangs-riders wanting to 'willy wave' in the slower groups rather than move up and get a harder time of it in a faster group.

pedal power have an informal rule that the group must stay together to carnwath which is have way round then its anything goes.  trouble is you still get guys showing off and trying to destroy tue group. dont think theres much you can really do about it other than name and shame at the staft or the ride like happens at falkirk. have seen chancers there be told in no uncertain terms to bugger off into a faster group

[Eddie A]

The same could be true of riders who insist on going in a faster group and sitting on the back, or get dropped, instead of going in the slower groups. This is as much as a problem as faster riders going in slower groups.

I take your point Granty and I am all for keeping it together for the first part of the chaingang, but by keeping it together I would mean going hard and steady but not attacking or jumping about. I don't think it is fair to expect riders in the faster groups, especially the scratch, to sacrifice their training and take it easy because there are people struggling to hold onto the pace of the group. Why would they bother coming back if the session did not push them to the level expected of a chaingang?

Yes there is always going to be issues with people going in the wrong group but I don't see it as a one sided issue and think people also need to be more realistic about their abilities and go in a slower group instead of going in too hard a group and then not able with the pace.

[granty]

i was meaning the first or novice group really. once youre in the scratch then you should know the score!. to me there should be a novice group looking to hold 17-18 mph which for people who may do a lot of miles but most of it below 20mph is still a hard workout especially when youve got hills and drags etc but it should be manageable rather than demoralising. what are the time gaps at the sbc? could a novice group be set off ten minutes before the rest?

[Scooby26]

I'll be there tomorrow for the first time this year, and after a long weekend lads holiday in Portugal I plan to start at 6:50pm  6:40pm

 

[Owen]

Unfortunately my bike got smashed in an unfortunate incident with roof bars and a car port on Saturday so I won't be there tomorrow.

But if I was, I'd be trying to get a middle group going, to enable fast 1st group people to step up (which might make it easier for novices to get their foot in the door) or anyone chewing the bars in the scratch group (like I spend most of the 3 laps doing) to drop down.

Despite all this debate, I love the chaingangs whatever the group, was sorely tempted to do it on my 30lb hybrid/town bike but would definitely not be safe!

[KatherineArthur]

What time does the chaingang start tonight? 6:30 or 7pm?

[AndrewWilson]

7pm sharpish Ms Arthur, no dilly dally otherwise you'll be made to go in 'smelly' group with Owen and Sam (might be a 3 up this week ).
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Also just noticed a lot of chat above about groupings/timings/speed etc, it always like this at the start of the year, I'm sure if everyone gives it another few weeks it will naturally sort itself out.

[Owen]

There was some talk amongst riders about changing up the route once a month, and doing the Deanston/Braes/A811 route for a change.

I think 1st Tuesday of the month, from what I can gather from previous posts. Which means tonight.

Sorry for late notice, I/SBC are not 'organiser' as such, rather I have just been trying to publicise the times etc. Could folk just make sure all comers are aware what the route is at the start?

I won't be there- smashed bike.  :'(

[Steven Moffat]

Great chaingang tonight, I came along from Gargunnock and saw a group of riders go past the end about 6:40ish so thought it must have been an earlier start so did a loop myself hoping I might get picked up by the scratch, came round to the main road again just in time to catch the first group, bailed after getting dropped on my 3rd lap and road home via Coldoch Road/Kippen.  Headwind on the way in from Buchlyvie was brutal.

[Kyle Petrie]

Hi
Think we saw riders down and an ambulance on the last lap by the truck that had broken down and just wanted to know if everything is alright?

Knew that truck was trouble, hope all is well!

KP

[Graeme Hay]

The fellow down tonight wasn't in the chaingang. He was cycling on his own and collided with the truck that was stationary. He's reasonably OK though. Can't say the same for his bike which looks like it's going to be converted into some bottle tops.

[Archie J]

i was meaning the first or novice group really. once youre in the scratch then you should know the score!. to me there should be a novice group looking to hold 17-18 mph which for people who may do a lot of miles but most of it below 20mph is still a hard workout especially when youve got hills and drags etc but it should be manageable rather than demoralising. what are the time gaps at the sbc? could a novice group be set off ten minutes before the rest?

A novice group at 17-18mph would be picked up before the Thornhill turn off Grant and would probably be better waiting to see if the club can get a novice chaingang training night set up so that the skills can be taught and practiced before heading into the melee! Agree with you that it might also be better setting this group off at 6.50pm with an experienced rider so that the first 'catch' can be done on a quieter road rather than the main Blairdrummond road.

It was my first session of the season last night and the first group was sitting at a steady 25-26mph (Scooby obviously full of sugars from the lads weekend away!!  ) out the Blairdrummond road and settled back to 22-23mph on the micro braes run to Thornhill. We were caught by 2nd bunch at Thornhill on the second lap but split again with traffic coming down from Thornhill - a Novice group would have to be aware that 2nd and Scratch groups will pass at a rate of knots and that any swerve or severe movement could cause chaos if done at the wrong moment.

Don't want to put anyone off or have them demoralised  when they come - but better being realistic with what speeds are being done, and the skills required if you fancy 'jumping on' from a novice group to the first or even 2nd groups as they pass.

[granty]

wow sounds brutal Archie - glad I can't get out on Tuesdays!!!

As an indication, the fastest i've got round falkirk is 24mph and that was the middle group but we just got caught by the scratch a mile before the end.

And I think the Falkirk course is flatter!

SBC must be the hardest one locally judging by those speeds quoted.

At the end of the day - if it gets a big crowd and everyone is happy then shooty-in.

[granty]

my missus plays netball on a tuesday which runs to the school holidays but it sounds like I should come along for a 7-week beasting during the summer