Our annual reliability ride in memory of the late Anthony Maynard
In March we hold our annual Anthony Maynard Spring Reliability Trial. The event starts in Thames Valley Park and finishes at Mapledurham Club.
Date for 2023 – Sunday March 5th
We have run the same two routes since 2019 with target times for the different ‘speed’ groups.
Please note this event is not a race, you should ride with normal consideration for your fellow riders and other road users, adhering to the rules of the road. It’s also wise to come equipped to repair your own mechanical problems, as it’s less likely that others might wait for you, compared with a normal club run!
All the fun of a sportive for a fraction of the outlay – we’d just like £6, or £3 for Under 18s and Students, to support our charities and you will also get a free tea/coffee at the finish.
Departures are from the Thames Valley Park & Ride bus stop which is off the first roundabout coming into Thames Valley Park from the A329 (M) and taking the first exit left. The start point is illustrated below.
If you are travelling to the event by car, there’s parking on the left-hand side of the dual carriageway which is the second exit (straight on) off the same roundabout.
Sign on is from 08:30, and the first group will depart at 09:00. President Rides from 09:45
There are two routes. The increasingly popular President’s ride (suitable for juniors) with a 51km (453m) route via Henley and the more challenging 92km (885m) route via Marlow. Given numbers last year we will be offering six groups in total, each with their average speed target. The aim of our Reliability Trial is to finish within (and as close to) your target time (Arrival ETA) for the fixed route. And on this basis the winner is chosen i.e. a ‘0’ Reliability ride – so it is not a race! Times will be recorded to the next complete minute. As a guide, most riders finish within +/- 30 minutes of their target.
If you intend to participate, please join the relevant ride group set up in Strava soon. This is so we can judge the catering we are providing at the finish, and maybe adjust the groups if necessary.
About 7-10 days before the event, we will issue an update covering how to pay for your entry in advance. We intend to use the online payments system we currently use for Club TTs, but for technical reasons we can only open this up closer to the event. Please use this method for payment, so it’s one less thing the organisers have to worry about on the day. We will also confirm and issue .gpx files for the routes.
The start is at the Thames Valley Park & Ride bus stop, RG6 1PQ, with sign-on in the immediate vicinity. Please be at the Thames Valley Park start well in advance of your chosen start time to sign on.
The finish is somewhere warm and comfortable – The Mapledurham Club just North of Caversham (RG4 7UD). The finish will be 200metres inside the club gates, at the top of the rise in the distance in the photo below.
Roll on a further 100 metres through the car park, and there will be a place to put your bike round the back of the clubhouse, with immediate access into the Terrace Room, where tea or coffee and maybe a few biscuits will be available. You may also order food and drinks at your own expense from their bar and restaurant if you wish!
Any riders under 16 must be accompanied by an adult on the ride, whilst 16-17 year olds (U18s) can ride solo. All need to provide a signed parental consent form which can be found on the Junior & Juvenile Members Page of the RCC website here.
The ride is named after Anthony Maynard (pictured below), a young man who’d grown up in the RCC family, and who was tragically killed in 2008. You can find out more about Anthony here.
We are supporting Anthony’s favourite charity; World Society for the Protection of Animals (www.wspa.org.uk) and the local Air Ambulance service, (https://www.tvairambulance.org.uk/www.tvacaa.org) hence the entry fees.