Hi all,


Congratulations to all of you who took part in the Ride don't Hide today. That was a tough headwind to deal with, but the return was pretty cool!


For a change, we fancy going for a ride in Lumsden and area. We'll meet at Lumsden High School. Obviously it's a bit further to drive but it's quite pretty around there and they have two ice cream shops on Main street. :)
It will take a little longer to get there but the road works are pretty much done, unless you're coming from the south end! 

Groups 1-3 will be heading out to Seven Bridges, then through town and out towards Craven. Nice rolling hills and nothing too dramatic.
The other Groups will be doing a little bit of Hill work in town and towards Deer Valley.

There's a bunch of names that you will become familiar with after the evening is concluded. Garbage Hill, The Old Highway, The Retreat Hill, James st. Your Ride Leaders are familiar with them and they are a ton of  " fun"!!

We can start a little later as Sunset is at 9:14 and we're not riding too far. So, meet at 6:15, Ride briefing at 6:30 and on the road by 6:45.

I'm watching the weather. 40% chance of rain. As usual, I'll post a Go, No Go at 4pm if there's any question. Otherwise see you at the school. Parking is generally pretty good but feel free to park on a side street or wherever.

See you tomorrow,

​Mark.

​Hi all,


Along with some other Spokies we had the pleasure of hosting the 7th Spoke n' Hot triathlon out at Echo this weekend. The weather was a challenge but it held off raining for the event and was a success overall. It's exciting to see athletes challenge themselves to swim in open water, bike around Echo AND then do a 3k or 5k run. Congratulations to all participants!

The weather looks a lot better for Monday evening. It's good to see the Groups settling in, learning how to ride with each other and have a good time. Let's meet at the Tourist Info parking lot as usual, ride briefing at 6:15, on the road by 6:30.

As usual, if the weather takes a turn I will monitor and post a Go/ No Go by 4 pm.

See you tomorrow,

Mark and Theresa.

​Hi all,


It looks pretty good for tomorrow night. High of 22C with light winds expected in the evening.
Meet at 6pm at the old Tourist Info booth parking lot. Ride briefing at 6:20 and on the road by 6:30.

Hopefully you've thought about the Time Trial last week and how you did. I know that some of you were quite surprised by your performance! It's important to remember though that "with great power comes great responsibility".You might be fast in a Time Trial when you're on your own but are you fast AND safe? 
One of our riders approached me and said she was dropping down a Group because she wanted to learn more about riding safely at a slightly slower pace, allowing her to relax a little. This is totally appropriate, and I wish the men would approach riding in the same manner!

Riding is about more than just speed. It's about fresh air, friendship and a common bond. Take pride in how you performed last week, tuck it in your pocket, and think about what you want to achieve with Spoke n' Hot. If you decide that you want to move up a Group, talk to your Ride Leader, see what she thinks and then decide. There's lots of season and learning left!!

Mark

Hi all,


We like to do a Time Trial at the start of the season and again at the end. The idea is that you can get an idea of how fast you are now and how much you've improved by the middle of August.

It's a pretty simple format. We line you up individually and send you off every 10 seconds on a marked 10 km course. You go as hard as you can, sweat a bit and stun yourself by realizing that yes, you are a Bad Ass! It takes a little organizing to make it happen. We preload our iPad with Timing software and give you all numbers. You stick them on your helmets and ride. We'll have a little warm up in the area before we ride.

What we have found is that some of you are a LOT faster than you think you are and this is the ideal opportunity to find that out.
A couple of years ago we had one rider who insisted she was a Group 4 rider who had the fastest time overall! 
After all is said and done, you will know what you can do. You may decide to stay where you are or go up or down a Group, the choice is always yours. We'll have the results by the end of the ride and we can let you know right away.

We've normally used Hwy 734 by the Brandt house but I've found a new location that should work out a little better for us.
Head out on Arcola towards the Bypass. Go under the Bypass, past the Bypass entrance and then take your next left to the Service road, then take an immediate left again. You'll see the truck and you can park along the road there. 
We will be using the south service road as there is little traffic, the speed limit is 70 and the pavement is fabulous. I'll be out there a little earlier and will mark the course for you. It's a simple out and back. 

And that's it, it's fun and educational!  

See you tomorrow at 6.

Mark and Theresa.