The TAM Ride

Tuesday All Members Ride

From the serious racer to the recreational rider, this is a terrific addition to your week – something for everyone!   

The Bare Essentials

What is it? A group ride using the same route each week for six weeks at a time. There are up to seven speed groups to choose from (depending on attendance).

What’s it about? It is another evening in the week for everyone in the club to ride – improving skills for some and improving fitness for others. Groups will ride in a paceline gaining saddle time, skills, improved fitness and experience on familiar roads. The more Advanced speed groups will focus on High Intensity Training.

Meet: Calvary Baptist Church, 454 Arkell Road, parking lot.

Time: Be ready to pedal at 6:30 PM May-Aug (6:00 PM April & Sept). Meet 10 minutes before the start to get organized into the speed groups.

Parking: At the Church

Route: The route will be the same each week for approximately six weeks consecutively, and then changed. This allows riders to measure their progress. There will be three different routes in the riding season. Each route will have a shortcut to allow more moderate Speed Groups to finish and be home before sunset.

How it will work: Club members will gather at the Church parking lot as they would for most club rides. Refer to the map to see where the Speed Group you signed up for is gathering. Speed Group Leaders will give a quick introduction and lead groups out about a minute apart. 

Who: You MUST be an GCC member to ride. You must pre-register for the ride on the signup form on the website.

More Detail

The Tuesday All Members (TAM) Ride is a fun evening of riding for ALL levels of GCC Club Members. Riders will be organized into appropriate Speed Groups. Relaxed and Moderate groups will ride in Social Paceline rotation while more Advanced Speed Groups will focus on High Intensity Training.  It is possible to choose from up to seven Speed Groups. The ride route is comprised of quiet rural roads. The purpose is different depending on the Speed Group you choose.  There is everything from the R8 Relaxed Ride 24-26kph all the way up to R1 Hammerfest +40kph and lots in between. The Speed Groups get more race oriented the higher they progress. Below are the Speed Groups and their speed averages. Click to enlarge on mobile.

• Speed Groups will ride no faster than their maximum posted speed average
• If you want to go faster than the average of your Speed Group, move up a group
• If you are not able to ‘pull’ at the front of your Speed Group you must drop down a Speed Group
• All Speed Groups on the TAM Ride are ‘drop’ rides except R8
• Good riding practices and all rules of the road apply
• Stop at stop signs – this bears repeating

Improving Speed

If your goal is to get faster, try starting in a faster Speed Group than you are used to and hang on as long as you can. If you are struggling and can’t keep up, drop off the back of that group and join in with the next Speed Group when it comes along. This is an excellent way to test yourself and improve fitness.

The WEEKLY RIDE POSTS page is where the Ride Leaders post all the details for the upcoming rides including the route map, speed groups, length and any other relevant notes and reminders. The ride details will be posted no later than 24hrs before the ride. Ride cancellations will also be up-dated on the postings no later than 1 hour before the start of the ride.

Click this button to see the current ride postings

FAQs

How do I know if I am ready to try this?

You are riding in any of our regular group rides. You are looking for another evening in the week to ride. You have a desire to improve your skills and fitness. You want variation with your ride experience. You want to experience the full diversity of the GCC membership.

Will there be Eight Speed Groups every Tuesday?

That is the goal, however, as the club is growing, it may not always be possible. But there will always be a Speed Group you can ride in. Depending on turn out, there may not be enough riders meeting the minimum for a Speed Group that you desire. If this happens, ride leaders will request that you join either the next fastest, or slower group.

Is there a minimum number of riders per Speed Group?

Yes, three. And yes, three riders can work together well. It’s a great exercise.

Is there a maximum number of riders per Speed Group?

Yes, Speed Groups will be limited to no more than 16 riders for traffic safety.

What happens if there is lots of demand for one speed Speed Group?

Multiple versions of that Speed Group may run.

What happens if I choose a Speed Group that’s too fast for me? 

Drop off the back of the group and join in with the next Speed Group when it catches you.

What happens if I choose a Speed Group that’s too slow for me? 

You can try and catch the next Speed Group if you like or just ride with your current group for the entire route and start with a faster Speed Group next week. 

How long are the routes?

Route length will be posted on the web site. The route changes three times during the season and lengths will change with them as per the changing daylight hours.

What must I do when I get to a Stop Sign?

Stop (does this really need to be said?). Seriously, just stop. 

Anyone going through a stop sign will get a serious dressing down with consequences from GCC officials or possibly killed by a motorist. So… just stop.

Fast Speed Groups and Stop Signs

If you are in a fast Speed Group that is breaking apart, see the above rule. Stop. Proceed when it’s safe to do so. Pretty simple.

For those being left behind, it is strongly recommended that you wait at stop signs for the following Speed Group. If you can’t catch and stay with your Speed Group, then you are in the wrong group and will be riding alone trying to catch them – and that’s no fun. Just wait for the next group.

Relaxed and Moderate Speed Groups and Stop Signs

Stop. Proceed when it’s safe to do so. Not so hard. Sound familiar?

What to do if someone is breaking away or surging ahead?

Don’t chase them, let them go. Maintain your Speed Group’s speed average.

What to do if someone is lagging or struggling to keep up?

Ask them if they are ok. If they are ok but can’t maintain your Speed Group’s average, and you’re not in Speed Group R8, then maintain your average and let them fall behind. This is what it means to ‘Drop’ a rider.

What to do if someone is behaving dangerously?

Report it to a Ride Leader or GCC Club Board Member

What to do if someone has crashed?

The entire ride Speed Group must stop and address the situation as best as possible in accordance with Club Guidelines.

What to do if someone has had a flat or a ‘mechanical’ problem?

The entire Speed Group must stop and address the situation to make sure the rider is able to get going again safely or other transport has been arranged.

Will there be alterations throughout the season?

As the season progresses, the route will be changed for a total of three routes per riding season on Tuesdays only. 

Why don’t the TAM Rides run longer into the fall?

Start times would have to get earlier and earlier and lengths would have to get shorter and shorter due to sunset times vs speed groups, finish times, distance and duration. See a screenshot of the Late Season portion our TAM Ride Calculator here.