Sunday : Club Ride

The Club rides are normally between 45 and 65 miles, and take place on Sunday mornings. The ride is usually split into two based on an average speed of 14-16mph for a slower group and 16-18mph for a faster group. The former meets at 9.00am and the latter at 9.30am with the aim of meeting up at the café stop, usually taken at about the halfway point of the ride, although both groups do not necessarily always follow exactly the same route. The start times are subject to change, particularly during the winter months when a later start may lead to more preferable riding conditions.

Sunday Club riders aim to be back in Wellesbourne about lunchtime. Ride Leaders decide on a route for the day which they share with the Club WhatsApp group at least two days before the ride and members are able to download the route if they wish. Route details are also published on the Wheelers website under the Events section.

The expectation is that each member of Sunday Club who rides on a regular basis will contribute to the ride schedule that is published by the Group Organiser (GO) on a 3 monthly basis. Any local sportives are incorporated into the ride schedule, so there will be no member organised rides on those dates to allow Sunday Club riders to take part in these sportives instead.

Sunday Club Group Organiser – Ashley Sherren

The Sunday Casual Ride meet time is 9-30 am on Sunday morning.  Distance is typically 20 to 30 miles at an average speed of between 11 and 13 mph. A coffee stop is usually taken around the halfway point of the ride. Enjoying a refreshing ride with friends and good coffee is the objective, back in Wellesbourne by 1 pm.  

Sunday Casual Group Organiser - John Tuck

Tuesday mornings are all about riding as a group to get round a reasonably short course - around 24 to 26 miles without stopping and as quickly as you can. The start is at the Ettington lay-by, meeting at 10.15am. The ethos is geared towards the “sports” sector of our club, but anyone can ride with us if they want to give themselves a bit of a test in pushing just that little bit harder!
Essentially, it’s a “bash” type ride but, importantly, we still maintain a “no drop policy” as per our traditional club rides on Thursdays and Sundays. We recognise that for this to work we need differing average speed groups and these are roughly as follows:
Group A; 18-20mph
Group B; 16-18mph
Group C; 14-16mph
Basically, it’s your choice on arrival which group you ride with and this can be determined by how you feel on the day or who else is riding in a particular group!
At the end of the ride, we usually all end up at the Garden Shed Cafe in Wellesbourne and occasionally at other local venues.

Tuesday Morning Group Organiser - Simon Hamilton-Smith

On Tuesday evenings during the longer days we run a Women's ride.  The pace is steady without too many hills and we usually finish at the pub for refreshments with the Tuesday Evening ride members.  Whilst it is listed as a Women on bikes ride, it is open to everyone.

Some winter rides may also be organised on an ad hoc basis so keep an eye on the Events schedule.

We meet at Old Ettington Road in Wellesbourne, by the recreational area.

Women on Wheels Group Organiser - Caroline Young / Debbie Freeman

The Mountford group are a social and sociable group – the ideal place to start if you are new to group riding.  We meet in Wellesbourne, on Old Ettington Road, at 10am on Thursday. 

Our rides are usually around 25 miles, and favour gentle terrain rather than big hills.  We usually average between 11-13 mph, which is a relaxed pace and always set to keep everyone together.  A ride highlight is always the coffee stop, and we know a number of good places to go for a brew and cake.

So, if you like riding but wonder whether a club ride will work for you, give us a try!

Mountford Group Organisers

Chas Hilditch

Peter Wain 

Dene usually meet at 10.00am on Thursday. Distance is 35 miles to 45 miles, typically at speeds of between 12 and 15 mph.

As with all our groups if the group gets split up for any reason (on hill climbs, for instance), then we wait and regroup accordingly, so that nobody ever gets left behind. The rides include a stop for coffee (and cake).

Dene Group Organiser - Dave Seal

The Hastings group meets at 10.00am throughout the year and - between March and November - usually ride at least 40 miles, with the distance typically increasing to around 50 to 55 miles during the summer months of May to September. Lunch stops are taken at roughly the midway point of the ride and our aim is to be back in Wellesbourne before 3pm.

Winter rides - between December and February - are shortened to 30 to 35 miles, with an approximate 1pm refreshment stop at (or near) the end of the route. Average speeds range between 15 and 17 mph dependent on the terrain and we have a policy of regrouping at the top of hills so that nobody gets left behind. We utilise a two abreast formation when safe to do so and we ride in single file (temporarily splitting the group if appropriate) when on busy main roads.

Hastings Group Organiser - Gary Gristwood