Training

Castle Combe Circuit

Chippenham & District Wheelers have the use of the Castle Combe Race Circuit for training sessions every Tuesday night from April until September.

The track opens at 17.30, and the cost £1 per head. In order to keep this facility it is important that everyone pays.

Participation is at your own risk.

How to get there.
Access to the circuit is past the main entrance towards Castle Combe, turn left (no sign post) where the main road turns right. Take second entrance on the left about a quarter of a mile along the lane.

Turbo training sessions

The club runs periodic turbo training session at a local sports hall facility. The idea is to bring your own bike, turbo trainer or rollers and get training with other club members and a qualified and experienced cycling coach. Please check the calendar of events or the newsletter for this training programme typically run over the winter months.

Chaingang

The Chaingang meet every Saturday morning throughout the year at 9:30am for a fast paced group training ride about 40 miles. All members welcome!

Chaingang Explained

A Chain Gang is an efficient way to share time at the front. As its name suggests it is a dynamic ‘chain’ of riders made up of faster (left hand) and a slower (right hand) lines. As each rider moves up through to the front from the faster line, they spend a few minutes at the front before moving across to the "slower" (right hand) line.

Since a chaingang is made up of a faster and a slower line, you will change speed as you move from one to the other – you slow down as you change lines at the front and speed up as you change at the back. With this in mind, some Do’s and Don’ts about riding in a chain gang :

• Do ease off at the front when you change from the faster to the slower line – take the pressure off the pedals slightly, but don’t brake.

• Do avoid leaving a gap as you move across – a gap forces the rider behind to accelerate to regain your wheel – not appreciated!

• Do let riders nearby know if you are unable to go through and intend to sit at the back of the group to recover.

• Do warn riders if you intend to rejoin the chain after sitting out.

• Do stay alert, not just for the usual safety reasons, but to ensure that gaps don’t occur.

• Don’t switch lines unnecessarily.

• Don’t speed up when you reach the front.

• Don’t ride erratically, keep it steady –remember the only time you should be accelerating is when you change lines at the back.

Individuals take part in any group rides at their own risk. Chippenham & District Wheelers and its club members accept no responsibility for the safety of anyone participating in group rides, and no liability in the event of an accident.

For more information, Contact Us using the link below.