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Kapiti Belgie and Dutchie Ride. ***POSTPONED TILL THURS 11th MARCH***

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***Sorry folks - this is postponed for a couple of weeks as something has come up and I am unable to be there to lead it***

*** You will all be quivering with antici......  pation by then ;) ***

I was watching GCN the other day and they put up some challenges that they were extolling people to try in 2021. 

One of them was to do a Belgie Ride.

What's a Belgie Ride I hear you ask?   Well, it involves the 'spirit' of hard Belgian riding and racing.  Belgians have a reputation for being tough bike riders and Belgium for having tough conditions with events that take in cobbles and dirt tracks and rough terrain.  So it's a fast ride on a road bike but over mixed surfaces that involves alleyways, cobbles, grass, as well as road.  

The idea is to do this with two grades, as a fast group ride, that's really pushing the pace when it's safe to do so (we'd be riding on pedestrian routes some of the time - so would have to be sensible and call things off for the group when other people are around).
 
The people at Curve bikes in Melbourne are the leaders of this and they do a weekly 6:30 am Belgie that is 50km.  It's really popular and they have unbelievably good riders taking part in it (multiple world champs and pros in different disciplines)   They also run at the same time - a slower-paced 'Dutchie' ride that goes over the same route but takes in a few shortcuts where possible.  I imagine the Dutchie ride will pick up some of those spat out by the Belgie :)   
 
What a cool idea I thought...  This ticks lots of boxes - great fitness, it's playing on bikes, and amazing for your bike handling skills.  It's everything that encompasses the sheer joy of riding a bike, isn't it?
 
The thought is to fit it in on a weekend at some stage with an early start.   The route I have come up with, starts and finishes at Weka Park so it would make sense to reconvene at No 6 cafe afterward for a debrief.

But to gauge interest and also to learn the circuit.  What we have on offer now is a Belgie Recce Ride - where we will ride the circuit and learn the ins and outs.  

  • Start time:  6:30pm
  • Date:  Thursday 11th March
  • Location: Weka Park, Raumati Beach
  • Distance: 48km
  • Fun: Unlimited
  • What to bring: Lights and a sense of adventure.

Check out the Curve Cycling Belgie ride below.  And below that - have a good study of the route I've come up with.  There are potentially lots of sections on there that you haven't ridden before. 

A few of us have ridden it to test it out and loved it.  Lots of fun and smiles...  (I would suggest 25mm tyres at a minimum.  Though Glynis rides it on her racing bike with no issues whatsoever)

Here's the link to the GCN bit that sparked the idea...   https://youtu.be/p21Mz7kOr9k?t=249

 

 

 

 

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