The Beacon Message Board

If you will permit me contribute my 2½ p to the focus group debate Worcs. The oft neglected bursts were designed mainly for people getting back early, (young families etc). However they also have another role that was not intended but which is apposite, they also suit those that are training. Not so much for the speed, but the benefit of not breaking the ride.
Sundays ride led by Nick was excellent for distance, pace and banter. (Not so much the terrain when you are a 65 yr old, past it trackie though!)
What impressed me was NOT calling it the B run, (it wasn’t) but maintaining a usual B run alongside it was impressive and gives people the choice. What remains to be seen is if the club has the reserves to maintain this number of rides. With many of the more “robust” B riders on the burst, I am also interested in what the remaining B run riders made of the pace of their run last Sunday.

Slightly off topic; the club now have a very impressive group of riders out. Not only numerically but physically strong as well. Many riders seem to have made impressive gains in fitness and may not have even realised it as this is subjective when you don’t measure by absolute methods (FTP, times In TT etc.) but by comparison to peers who have also improved. This may be contributing to the observations about the pace of club runs. (No one is moaning about their tardiness that’s for sure).
All in all, impressive. It also leads me onto my favourite topic. Get a number on boys, let’s see how fast you are. I’ looking at you Wrightson, Clegg, Johnson, Passmore, Regan and uncle Tom Cob…
(Don’t worry Andy, I wont mention any of the names of those you promised to give a good thrashing to next year).
Dayhouse Bank duels? Weekend warriors only! Racing? Bring it on! (But you can leave me out of those clashes of the Titans

Totally agree with you Dave, I thought Sundays Burst pace was spot on, and I'm all in favour of doing more rides like this.

In fact, I've just mapped a route out of 60 odd mile route (Black Horse to Black Horse) to be done at a steady similar pace to last Sundays run (with maybe a flying petrol station stop if required)

Its not about speed, especially this time of year, its about enjoying riding your bike and enjoying the banter.

I don't think I've managed more than 1 club run all year, that's not because I don't like you all (except for Matt Regan perhaps), but mainly because of the fury when I roll into my half finished house mid-afternoon on a Sunday.

I'd definitely be up to attending more outings (and even leading) if we're happy for a bit more of a regular/re-birth of the Burst.

Not sure if this discussion is worthy of a new thread...?

I'm probably not best placed to give feedback on my own club run but on Sunday we left together as a group and arrived back together as a group so for me that was mission accomplished. I try to pace on feel as I don't have a computer but Phil commented that the pace was around 15.8mph towards the end of the ride. It would have been slower if people struggled - I know I'm struggling at the moment.

I can understand people wanting to push on but as a leader this creates the obvious problems discussed a thousand times before. Old ground.

I welcome the burst, not because it takes more 'robust' riders off the standard B run (robust riders can and do respect the club run formula's as well as anyone else) but because it's a bloody good idea. Most of my riding is planned around getting back in good time so it would be nice to do that in company.

I guess there's a danger of the burst becoming a bash if the participants don't sign up to the leaders intentions - so again it's about respecting the formula the leader sets.

MODERATORS COMMENTS:

Just split this thread from Phil R's announcement about club runs on the 20th November, to avoid topic conflation.

Great idea and discussion but here comes the crux, in order for Bursts to happen then volunteer run leaders are required. Otherwise it is a pointless debate.

Every quarter Phil Richards posts a thread inviting volunteers to lead club runs. This is repeated weekly in advance of the actual run date. That is your opportunity to hold your hand-up, suggest a Burst or other club run and decide upon a destination. In doing so, you can also specify the typical topography for the route, likely speed and distance. It is quite a simple process and not difficult.

Absolutely Phil - it's an 'as and when' thing. Only 5 people in total turned up at the Black Horse the last time I took a club run. I sulked for a whole week.

Good to see people getting involved...as I said and Philip confirmed, people are encouraged to lead Beacon Bursts whenever they want...This can be early-warned on the message board (with some indication on proposed pace, i.e.typically A, B or C paced) or as an additional ride to a pre-listed club run.

Personally I like Bacon too much and enjoy a café stop, but plenty may prefer the Bursts...it may get us some new leaders.

Colin is right however, please ensure that they are fair, i.e. if people turn up to ride one, don't leave him/her alone by blasting away at the front without ever looking behind. It's still a Beacon ride, not a testosterone-display

Thank you for all the positive comments about Sunday's Beacon Burst revival.

I must admit I was a little worried about resurrecting the Beacon Burst on Sunday.

My worries were mainly focused around not wanting to disenfranchise the other runs on the day. From the positive comments ive read so far I'm pleased that people feel it was successful and worthwhile persuing.

My own reasons for doing a Beacon Burst were that I needed to get back home early for family reasons but still wanted a ride but not necessarily on my todd. The other reason was to see how such a ride would go down with other Beacon members.

Ordinarily I love regular club runs and the mid ride cafe stop but sometimes especially at this time of the year when it's a bitterly cold day it's nice to get out and get done.

I wouldn't expect there to be a Beacon Burst every single week as numbers who turn out will vary, however it is at least another option worth exploring especially for those who want a social ride but would prefer to get home earlier.

I shall certainly be doing some more Beacon Bursts over the winter but will continue to lead and support regular club runs aswell.

I'd be in favour of more of these. I'm not so sure on the pace of them but the none-stop idea particularly appeals.

This is particularly true when the weather is wet, as there are few things as grim in my mind as the leaving a cafe already soaking wet and having to endure 15 minutes of bitter cold.

With that in mind, we could run another such ride if it looks like poor weather this weekend? I'd be happy to provide a route; but I will happily admit that Iam not necessarily the best for pacing of the ride.

I too prefer non stop rides but mainly 'cos my rubbish spine doesn't like the cooling down/warming up bit around the cafe stops sadly

What could possibly go wrong with John Hunt leading. A 54 min 25 miler with the body weight of a fetus!

Yosser wrote:What could possibly go wrong with John Hunt leading. A 54 min 25 miler with the body weight of a fetus!

The important thing to note is that nobody got dropped. I suffered more than most, especially when the road pointed upwards.

Is there on planned for this w'end?

If anyone is willing to lead a Beacon Burst, please volunteer to lead one on the weekly post or the quarterly diary post - not here, please.

Ade, no one has posted yet, so unless you or someone else posts that they will lead a Beacon Burst this weekend at x sort of pace, there won't be