Winter Spins Red Group

7 rolled out from the Popes Cross this morning. A cold/misty start to the morning but the sun finally broke through. A nice steady pace at 30kph. Nice route Jules the road surface was good all the way around.

Hi Ken,

Who was in the group? Any new faces? It seems strange to me that we only have 7 people in the club that want to do a speed of >27km/h on a Sunday?

I'm hoping to join the red group next week - I think it'll be bigger for definite and if there was a really quick stop in Dunlavin, there could be a few more. is there any filling station there or nearby by any chance? I remember a cafe but that would take too long

Jules, of the 7, I belive at least 4 were newly migrated from last year's orange.

Reading Stephen's report on the weekend spins, it looks like there were 70 in Orange, with some of the orange spins doing red speeds. It would be great if we could figure a way to balance it up a bit better.

Hi Jules

I agree with Diarmuid there are plenty of individuals in the Orange Group who are well able for the Red Group pace and will be pleasantly surprised how well the Reds work/stick together as a group. The majority of the guys from last years Red Group were otherwise engaged last Sunday but I do know that their intention is to participate in this years Red Spins. I think the jury is still out on the subject of coffee stops in the Red Group but I'm sure the debate will rage on. I believe Gar Connolly is setting up a campaign for compulsory coffee stops across all Group Spins?

I'm planning on heading out with the reds this Saturday.

I'm fairly confident that I could have done last week's red spin as it was pancake flat but the long climb out of Firhouse might be too much for me at red pace. The oranges are following behind on the route so I can always drop back to them anyway or just solo home.

I don't want to be completely exhausted at the end of my Sunday spins - I've young kids to wrangle and as I understand it it's better training for me to finish able to do a bit more rather than be destroyed for the next few days.

Anyway, will give it a go but wanted to explain that even if someone is physically capable of doing red pace they may not want to. As long as they're capable of self-moderating to Orange pace then they won't cause a problem in Orange groups as far as I can see. If they're not capable of that then they do need to be booted up to Red whether they want to or not and I think as a club we should be a bit firmer on that :))

ken...my idea is just to cycle to Dundrum and hang out in a coffee stop for a few hours and skip the bike altogether...surely the perfect Winter training no?? You know me lazy and all that??
We can call it the coffee coloured group....??
g

I think it should be pointed out that while the speed was at the higher end of what is expected for reds, the route was flat and the surface wise very good. The pace was also very steady.

A lot of the park spins go over fairly flat terrain compared to the Joe Daly spins. They'd be ideal spins for someone stepping up to the red group at this time of the year due to their steadier pace and lack of hills.

An idea someone mentioned at the park while we were waiting was that for Park Spins people meet up at Joe Dalys at around 8.30/40 and go from there to meet up at the Park at 9.00

That is a great idea Peadar, from experience over the last 2 years it is the starting location of the spin (ie Park) which enforces a larger orange group and indeed also pushes the pace considerably in some Orange groups as the weeks go on.

Equally the designated pace of 24-26kph in orange which jumps to the very wide pace range of 26-30kph average in red is somewhat unrealistic. A person who at best can hold a 27-28kph average will most likely always opt for an orange group.

Very simply a group whether it be described as lightening orange, orange fast or orangutan on the run should be called on a Sunday (after Red ) with a designed pace of 26-28kph, with the 24-26 averages following on. A person within each Orange group should be nominated as in charge of that group spin by the dispatcher. It is a very simple and viable approach and will enable better control of groups.

Eileen wrote:

That is a great idea Peadar, from experience over the last 2 years it is the starting location of the spin (ie Park) which enforces a larger orange group and indeed also pushes the pace considerably in some Orange groups as the weeks go on.

Equally the designated pace of 24-26kph in orange which jumps to the very wide pace range of 26-30kph average in red is somewhat unrealistic. A person who at best can hold a 27-28kph average will most likely always opt for an orange group.

Very simply a group whether it be described as lightening orange, orange fast or orangutan on the run should be called on a Sunday (after Red ) with a designed pace of 26-28kph, with the 24-26 averages following on. A person within each Orange group should be nominated as in charge of that group spin by the dispatcher. It is a very simple and viable approach and will enable better control of groups.

I think they're good points.

The thing about the speed. Anyone who can do 25/26km on their own over a route of say 80km would have kept up with us. No hills to speak of. Meaning for the 7 of us we spent most of the time sitting in chatting in the bunch. Red spins from the park will always be easier due to the route options available even if speeds are higher. On hillier routes speeds will be lower.

Still I'd agree if people don't move up it would indicate demand for an intermediate group.

Surely if the club wants some of the oranges to move to the dark side (red) and risk the possibility of a coffee less spin then there should be at least one red group leaving joes every week to encourage same?

12 Reds rolled out from Joe's on a warm but very windy Sunday morning. A decision was made before setting out to do the route the opposite way round which allowed us to take advantage of the tailwind on the way home on the N81 while taking shelter from the wind inbetween the hedge rows on the way out. The group worked well together with regular up and overs averaging 30kph. See you all next week.

thanks Ken for not giving me too bad of a beating on my first red!

Maybe next week I could go and either meet direct at Popes Cross or if someone is going by Joes, I could meet up with them there before heading over. I suffer the most at the start but hopefully I can adjust...

It seems on Strava there were 2 Red groups today. One with Ken and one with Diarmuid, is that correct?

@Eugene+Others: I'll leave from Joe's next Sunday.

Yeah there were 2 groups, 2nd group ride was a bit shorter as we took the turn before Dunlavin.

Just a question, what is the purpose of the Red group meeting up in the Park every few weeks?

Hi Eugene

Thanks for the company it was a most enjoyable spin. See you at the Dying Light on Satuday a nice 200km warm up for next Sundays Red Spin.

Non-existant user wrote:

Just a question, what is the purpose of the Red group meeting up in the Park every few weeks?

You could perhaps more reasonably ask why most of the groups don't venture North of the Liffey anymore, but that aside there are two reasons why spins alternate Northside/ Southside every second week.

The first is that our membership comes from both sides of the river, and always has done.

The second is that there are many more good Winter training routes available to us from the park than there are from Dundrum. The best answer to your question is go try a few of them and you will see.

Yeah, I know that, and have gone on a few of them. But why the need to split them from the main starting point, I think it only adds to the 'separate' nature of the red group. It gives the impression that it is a separate group and I think it may be a reason why less people are inclined to go.

I come over from the Northside, doesn't really make much difference if it's Dundrum or Park. If you're heading out on a red 100k another 10k or whatever is not going to make a difference, (easy to say that sitting at a keyboard of course!)

Nothing to stop the group from leaving Dundrum to head over to the Northside, or alternatively why not get everyone to meet up in the Park every few weeks. Not sure why only Red members get to benefit from the move to the park but any Orange/Yellow/White coming from the Northside just have to stick with Dundrum.

Have a look at next weeks spins.

White : JD-Park-Laraghcon-Kellystown-Park-JD
Yellow :JD-Park-Celbridge-Weston Airport-Park-JD
Orange : Park-Clonee-Ratoath-Skryne-Dunsany-Dorey'sForge-Summerhill-Mullagh-Dunboyne-Park
Red : Park-Clonee-Ratoath-Skryne-Dunsany-Dorey'sForge-Summerhill-Mullagh-Dunboyne-Park

See also
7 December
11 January

Hadn't spotted that. That seesm to be a change from previous years which is a good thing. But there are a number of weeks that the Reds only meet in the Park.

Talking to people on the spins yesterday there were a few, myself included, that only decided on Red when at Dundrum. That wouldn't have been possible if Red were off a their own in the Park. Also, if I head over to the Park and for some reason don't fancy it I'm kinda stuck as there is no other group.

If the point is to get people to move thourgh the groups, it seems counterintuitive to make the Red group seem not only faster but also somewhat different from the rest. It only adds to the sense that Reds is a racing group.