My first week as part of the Velo. Being based overseas in Cyprus for the past two years ive been quite looking forward to returning to the North East to see friends and family, but from Cyprus i noticed that an explosion was happening and that was the Velo. I joined the FB group and right away i noticed how much of a friendly and helpful group this was, now whilst i did have my bike with me i didnt ride much and this was the spark i needed to get excited about riding. After flying back on the 2nd i noticed the first thing i could get involved with was training loops on Wednesday 6th. As with every new experience i was excited but a little nervous, so i drive down to the Velo in Gypsies Green at about 1815 thinking 15 mins before was plenty enough time to be there and boy was i wrong, it was at that moment i realized id made the ultimate schoolboy error and left my shoes at home( i know what your thinking who does that?) well after flying home at a rapid rate of knots i get my shoes and fly back. I end up passing people coming the other way down the sea front and my first thoughts were damn ive missed it but i was there and i didnt want to waste the journey. I parked up got my bike sorted and hoped that i might catch up with a few people on there second lap, i set off at a quick pace (well quick for me) and finally complete my first loop only to realize i have a rear puncture so with that i abandoned my ride and give up for the night. Not letting this be the end of me trying to get into cycling i see Paul Tyrrell (the Velo training coach) posted a ride upto Silver hills with a stop at Pedaling Squares on route. I guessed this could be redemption for the disaster of Loops i accepted the invite and rode along with Paul to the meeting point. Now with me being new to cycling this was an ideal ride for me to go on as it stated it was a no drop ride, which basically means they wait for everyone. Whilst at the meeting point i met two other riders Kenny and Craig who were very friendly guys and then the four of us set off. The pace was nice and steady which was good for me being new and carrying a few extra pounds than normal until we hit Silver hills. At Silver Hills i begun to struggle but with the coaching from Paul i managed to get to the top and i only got off the bike a few times, Craig and Kenny kindly waited at the top for me and after a few seconds we started the decent down to Pedaling Squares. Pedaling Squares was also a new experience for me and i was quite shocked id never been there before. The four of us stopped for about 45mins to an hour chatting and eating cake before jumping back on our bikes and riding gently home. I noticed that the Velo would soon be selling there own club kit so i popped around to Christine and Barrys to try on the samples. Im the kind of guy thats a different size in every shop, so having the opportunity to try before you buy was a godsend for me. Christine and Barry were most welcoming and Barry advised me which of the kits would be the best for me and the minute the site went live i ordered my Velo kit. Thoughout the week i made the decision to upgrade my bike rather than buy a new one. The Velo were most helpful with advising me on parts and what not so that i didnt order things that didnt work together and what would be best for me. this was invaluable as i dont have a clue and maybe ordering online or going into shops blindly would have cost me a bomb. So with new some of my new parts on my bike i headed for Redemption part 2 the Wednesday night training loops take 2. This time i made the decision to ride down as i knew this would help with not forgetting my shoes this time. I arrived at about 1800ish and the first person i met was Andrew who wasnt there to ride just yet as he is injured at the moment but he was there to support the riders, which to me showed alot of how friendly and welcoming this club is. After a short amount of time rider after rider turned up and after speaking to a few people there it was established that there was about 10 or so regulars not in attendance due to commitments. This didnt thin the numbers tho as there was a jaw dropping 45ish in attendance and at 1830 it was the big off. The group is filled with members of varying levels of ability with the racing snakes shooting off and others working together or plodding at there own pace the coast was filled with bikes spread all the way along. Now myself not being a racing snake i opted for the plod along and my strava can attest to that as im the second slowest person on strava to complete loops. Whist riding round on loops the group was full of encouragement which helped alot with the hellish wind on the coast. After a sluggish 1hr5mins i finished and returned to the Velo where the other riders had stopped and were chatting, after every rider came in the group was full of well dones and this made the experience enjoyable but also very relaxed and welcoming. After about 10-15mins or so of chatting i rode home with a huge smile on my face and a sense that i had been part of something.The smile was made bigger when i got home and the misses had made me steak and chips. The point ive tried to make buy writing this is that SSVCC is a very friendly and welcoming club for all levels of riders so pass on the word.
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 21:31:29 +0000
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