Please do use the new cycle lanes provided unless it's really not safe or appropriate to do so. A lot of effort and expense has gone into installing this new cycling infrastructure known as Mini Holland in Walthamstow. This development has been built to make cycling safer along what has been a notoriously complex and hazardous stretch of high way claiming many victims. The routes have been achieved despite much moaning and wailing from local and irate car owners. Let's not give these people a rod to beat us with OK; the lanes are good, they work, use them and appreciate the protection provided here.
Finally on this bit of road the training chases have not started or are over; there's no need to hurry any more. Let's all get home safely and not hurt or offend anyone on the way.
Chase & wait.
Please club run riders - let's not get involved in competitive sporting chases that includes passing through junctions at high speeds, taking risks here and raising the chances of causing or being involved in traffic collisions. This behavior is not safe and actually unnecessary because there are plenty of adequate length and appropriate roads to max out on during a chase, but the chase must finish at the next road junction. The 'wait' rarely lasts for more than a minute for riders to come in. BTW this is very good training during a club run and it will get you fit. This method did no harm to Tao or Alex when I was coaching them through their early road beginnings. It's not about the average speed but all about the top speeds and holding them. Chase and wait; the equivalent of a series of short track races stitched together with the added bonus of keeping the whole group together until the end.
Happy cycling!
Keir Apperley (CCH lead coach & manager)
