Red Spins Winter 2022/2023

Along with the rest of the club winter spins, the Red Spin will resume from Sunday onwards. This week's route will be:
www.strava.com/routes/3010920964141608812

Meet at 9am, Old Dundrum Shopping Centre Car Park

We'll follow a similar enough progression as we did last year:

• October: Target distance 80km with coffee stop
• November/December: Target distance 100km with optional coffee stop
• January/February: Target distance 100km with drills in second half of spin.

For Northside routes, we'll meet at the Pope's Cross in the Phoenix Park at 9am

The goal of of these spins is steady, Z2, pre-season miles in a well-drilled group. No half-wheeling and no blowing the group up on the hills. 

If you're looking for more miles or faster speeds, tack on some extra work before or after the spin. That's what everyone else who's doing more will be doing.

If you're off the pace, take short turns on the front. If you're feeling good, by all means take a longer pull but don't hog the front either lest the people behind you freeze to death!

9am every week. Old Dundrum shopping centre car park

Sunday's route. Meet 9am Dundrum.
www.strava.com/routes/3013413940815769172

Coffee in Roundwood probably.

Route for Sunday. 9am, in Dundrum
www.strava.com/routes/3015932242260399974

First Park spin of the year this week. Start will be at the Pope's Cross in the Phoenix Park, at 9am.

Proposed route: www.strava.com/routes/3018491815217921504

Proposed route for Sunday. 9am, Dundrum.
www.strava.com/routes/3021034134513633554

I'm not around this weekend, so someone should stick it in their Garmin. Enjoy!

Proposed route for Sunday. 9am, Dundrum.
www.strava.com/routes/3023646278976517340

Route for Sunday, 9am in Dundrum
www.strava.com/routes/2914525539389063876

I think it was closed a few weeks back and our resident Celbridge expert Michael Monahan took us around it.

www.strava.com/activities/7899243807

Route for Sunday's Red Spin, 9am Dundrum
www.strava.com/routes/3027184362629163682

I won't be able to make it this morning, but sure ye know where you're going.

I'm sick, so won't be out this week but here's a suggested route for Sunday's Detox Red Spin. 
9am, Dundrum start:

www.strava.com/routes/3031193484597429340

This week's spin will start at 9am from the Pope's Cross in the Phoenix Park. 

Route: www.strava.com/routes/3033801247041488112

If you thought last week was bad, the forecast for Sunday is less than stellar. Right now, it's looking like snow before dawn followed by freezing temperatures around 9am, which sounds very like what we had last night and this morning. 

On the chance that conditions do improve, here's a suggested route that sticks near enough the coast and won't have you out half the day:
www.strava.com/routes/3036273026973910284

I probably won't venture out myself unless conditions improve significantly and will have to settle for some masochism on the turbo instead.

Going back to last week, it was the first time this winter we were riding up and overs. Here's a few tips for those who are relatively new to it.

1. The group will function best, i.e. move quickest, if we maintain a steady, even pace. The line moving up (usually the outside line) will naturally have to move slightly quicker than the line moving back (which is your opportunity to recover). 
2. The biggest cause of the rotation breaking down is people surging and upping the pace. That forces everyone coming up behind them to do the same and eventually someone won't be able to keep with it and will let a gap open. In most cases, people surging are doing so unintentionally and may not even be aware of it. 
3. When you pull through at the front, which usually means moving from the outside line to the inside line, don't keep hammering at the same pace you were going at. You need to ease it off a little in order to let the next person ride through. You should be able to see them immediately on your shoulder. If you don't do this, the person riding through is forced to increase their pace to get past you and this then forces the pace for everyone behind them too.
4. One of the main places where people let gaps open is at the back, when its their turn to move across to line moving up. It's good practice for the last man in that line to call the fact that they are "last man", but also for the person nearing the end of the line moving back to keep an eye out for the last man and be already moving across as they come by so you can slot right in on their wheel. 
5. Don't let gaps open up between you and the rider in front of you. Even if you do feel comfortable enough pushing it a bit to close that gap, the person behind will also have to accelerate and may not be as strong as you.
6. If a gap does open up and it looks like the rider is struggling to close it, it's always a good idea for a stronger rider from the inside line to move across and slot in. You're providing a bit of shelter for the rider trying to close the gap and giving them less work to do.
7. Don't hammer it on the drags. It may be tempting to try keep the same speed as the group was moving on the flat but you're going to risk breaking the group up and slowing it down. A steady level of effort rather than a steady level of speed is what you should aim for. 
8. Communication is key. People can't see what's happening behind them, so it's up to other members of the group to call out if there's gaps opening up.
9. If you're one of the stronger riders in the group, you should still put some effort into trying to keep the gaps tight and riding through smoothly. What may feel easy at 30kph will be a lot harder at 40kph+ and you may appreciate the time you spend getting it right.