Ride Description Monday Sport Training Sessions and Rides NDP The Ride: This group leaves from Chase Bank, downtown Stevens Point, 601 Main Street, at 5:30 PM each Monday. Depending on those who show up, we ride local routes of 25-35 miles. After a short 3-8 mile warm up, we usually settle into cruise speeds of 17-19 mph (no wind, flat terrain), and usually average overall 16-18 mph for the ride. Our ride is continueous, except for traffic stops. We ride to stay together, staying away from paces or accelerations that drop fellow riders. If rider(s) fall back, we lower the tempo and someone goes back to pace the rider(s) back to the main group. This Monday Sport Ride is similar to the Thursday Sport Ride but at a slower pace. The goal is NOT to go fast, but to learn to ride together. These are training rides with training goals and objectives, to work on skills people wish to improve in their own riding and to spice things up a bit. For instance, one week we concentrate on climbs and finding the best effort the group can maintain on a long (1/2 mile around here) climb. Another week we might buddy up and practice drafting in pairs. Another thing we concentrate on is riding with more precision, so we might practice riding no handed, maintaining a straight line by riding on the white bikelane line, or how to efficently remove and return your water bottle. On a particularly windy day, we might ride crosswind and practice riding in an echelon formation: wind =>                 |                  |                   |                    | Whatever we do, we are not only out for a bike ride, but are continuely striving to better our bike riding skills. The Riders: None of us are experts or professional bike riders. We are a mixed group of men and women all with differing levels of training, experience, and physical fitness. We share a passion for bike riding on the road, enjoy riding in a group, and seek to become better riders. Most of us ride 2-5 times a week or more and average 75-200 miles per week during the riding season; Tuesday is just one of other solo and group rides each week we participate in during the riding season. Some of us are triathletes, and swim and run too. Mostly, we see ourselves as sport riders, as opposed to social riders or racers. Our competitive spirit is always restrained by our cooperative spirit. We share our knowledge and skills with each other so we all can be better group riders. Will You Fit In? If you can average 16 mph on an out-and-back or circuit solo ride of about 25 miles in which your cruise speeds vary from 14-19 mph as a result of wind, hills, etc., then you should be able to handle riding with this group. Because much of the time is spent on this ride drafting off other riders, you should be able to maintain at least 2 mph above what you can maintain solo. You will find the hills are going to be the greatest challenge to stick with the group. If This Isn't For You: If you think the speeds of this ride may not give you the kind of challenge or workout you are looking for, you might try the Tuesday evening sport club ride, or the Thursday evening sport ride. Or if you think the pace of this ride may be too difficult, you might try the Wednesday evening ride or Heartland's weekend social/recreational rides (see calendar). If you are from the Iola area, you might want to try the group rides that leave from the Fitness & Aquatic Center on Monday and Wednesday evenings. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me. Ride Leader: Jack Friess   715-340-3132   Jack@heartlandclub.org