Why so few in the Park?

Dave Mc said in another thread:

Great to see so many people still coming out even such a miserable day, but there were two issues that came up after yesterday's spins;
First off, howcome so few people are doing the Park spins nowadays? There are some lovely routes out there, and if everyone stays Southside every week they'll end up bored witless with Wicklow by the time spring rolls around.
Maybe this is an issue for a thread of it's own, but I'd say at least 50% of the people who went from Dundrum yesterday should be doing the Park spins every second Sunday.

My 2 cents: There are two reasons that I don't go to the Park on the alternate Sundays. The first is that it's just that little bit further for me than Dundrum, but I think this is just one of those excuses I use in my head to justify a decision I've already made. However, there are probably significant numbers of people for whom the Park is quite a bit further away, and requires that they leave their warm bed 20 minutes earlier.

The second is probably the real reason for me. There aren't enough people turning up there to have more than one group and give me a choice of pace for the morning. This is probably a kind of self fulfilling prophecy - if people don't go 'cos there aren't enough people then there won't be enough people. So if I go to the Park I end up either hanging on at a pace that's too fast for me (and/or the group has to wait for me at the top of each hill, which is demoralising and guilt-making), or I end up going out with a very small group.

On the other hand, going to Dundrum is a lot more social and always gives me a wide choice of groups to go with depending on how I feel. I don't have any solutions, other than just trying to persuade people to go to the Park on alternate Sundays. Actually how about having everyone (from beginners up) meet there occasionally, to break the habit of just going to Dundrum every Sunday?

Barry

I would agree with your views fully. I have never gone to the park either and I know from talking to other people that there is a feeling that the park spin is a full on race pace spin and people are afraid to go for the reasons you have outlined.

It might be a suggestion to alternatiate the step up group between Dundrum and The Park each week so that there are 2 definite groups there each time a run goes from the park - Step Up and a Fast group. The other issue that probabaly needs to be reviewed is making sure that people are in the right groups as there may be some in the beginners group that whilst they are new to Orwell have cycled a lot before and need a nudge to go up a group.

What does anyone else think.

Agree. John. There's a need to push people up into the other groups as the winter goes on. I believe that one of the lads in the beginner spins over the weekend had tackled the Marmotte in the past but was a bit nervous about going into the step up group.
Going along with Barrys suggestion : maybe we could bring the Sunday spin Northside once a moth for a change and give people a flavor as to what they can expect?

Barry Redmond wrote:

Actually how about having everyone (from beginners up) meet there occasionally, to break the habit of just going to Dundrum every Sunday?

John Lanigan:

It might be a suggestion to alternatiate the step up group between Dundrum and The Park each week so that there are 2 definite groups there each time a run goes from the park - Step Up and a Fast group.

John Twomey:

Going along with Barrys suggestion : maybe we could bring the Sunday spin Northside once a moth for a change and give people a flavor as to what they can expect?

Originally the Park spins were for everyone, and then it was changed so there would just be a beginner spin from Dundrum. It seems that encouraging people to take the plunge isn't working, so I kinda feel that we will need to do an all or nothing job here, either move all of the groups Northside every second Sunday or else scrap the Park spins altogether.

If we leave it as is the Park spins will stop soon all by themselves, as no-one is going to keep going out for a group spin with maybe three or four others.

I would love to hear as many other peoples thoughts on this as possible.

Can I give a reason as to why only 4 members turned up last saturday in the Park. The consensus that day was that the dates on the spin roster didn't make sense, it appeared like it was last years calender, so people maybe headed for Dundrum knowing there would be spins of some sort. Plus the fact the two previous weekends consisted of other activities(the Brannigan spin and weekend away) which had probably turned people off that particular weekend.

The first Park spin I did there was a healthy enough number though not enough for two groups (fast and medium) as advertised. I would certaintly like to see the Park spins remain as it is easier for me to meet up at the start rather than trying to catch the faster group from Dundrum out on the roads heading south. Current location for me means difficulty in getting over to Dundrum for 9;30. Of course I can try to get out that way and have meet up with the faster group 3 weeks back. However the likely presence of ice (hate ice due to ice related injuries) at the earlier start time for me means limited appearances on the Dundrum spins this winter.

My suggestion would be if a one 'senior' club member at least could be advertised as leading the Park spins to lend credibility and encourage others to come out. Graham and Stephen (?surnames)were out with myself and Patrick O'brien last weekend. They are fairly senior in the club and had folks known they were there I sure more would have arrived. Plus the weather is likely to be better on the Northside!

I would happily go to the Park, from where I live it's the same distance either way. I also would really like to go out with the step up group to see how I get on but when it get's merged with the fast group I'm not so sure I would be able to keep up, In saying that I haven't tried so I should.

I actually thought the Park was only for the fast group ? I'm not sure why that's in my head but that's what I thought the arrangement was.

I would still want to mix it up a bit as per Barry's mail and really enjoy the social aspect, If my experience can help out in a beginners ride I want to give that back aswell.

I also bought a set of wheels from Gary and want to show them how good they look on my bike : - )

Gary Fleming wrote:

My suggestion would be if a one 'senior' club member at least could be advertised as leading the Park spins to lend credibility and encourage others to come out. Graham and Stephen (?surnames)were out with myself and Patrick O'brien last weekend. They are fairly senior in the club and had folks known they were there I sure more would have arrived. Plus the weather is likely to be better on the Northside!

You don't know who you were out with yet, but most of the club would have been well scared off if they heard that Stephen MacNally and Graham Thomas were both leading the same spin!

Responding to Gary's point slightly more seriously, that's a suggestion that has cropped up a few times already, and the main reason we haven't gone for it is that we just can't be sure of having enough experienced heads to look after groups North and Southside on the same day.

Using the guys as an example, both Graham and Stephen have volunteered to share in leading the Step-up group this Winter, so already have half a dozen Sundays each when they're "on". They probably wouldn't have any problem looking after a group any Sunday that they're out, but if you advertise in advance that they will be leading a spin you take away their choice to, for example, have a lie-in some morning, spend the day with the kids, do an easy spin, or whatever else might take their fancy on a Sunday morning.

We could just roster in one more Sunday for each of the experienced riders in the club to lead a group, and at the moment most people are happy to do their share, but the worry is that if we abuse people's goodwill and they get fed up looking after groups they may just stop helping out.

Obviously if a few volunteers popped up and took it upon themselves to run the Park spins that would solve all of our problems, but at the moment it seems to me that the most likely solution is to move all of the spins from beginner up to the Northside every second Sunday (possibly starting on the 5th of December?)

Gets my vote. The park isn't on another planet. It's nice to have a bit of variety to the spins. I already go to them whenever I can and as far as I'm concerned it's a long standing club tradition that we let go of at our peril.

I don't know how many members keep an eye on the website or twitter for information on Sunday morning spins, but I suspect that there are a number who just turn up in Dundrum every Sunday and wait to be told where they're going (I do that myself sometimes). I think that if we're going to decamp en masse to the Park every few weeks we might have to make extra efforts to communicate that. For example, a list of future Sunday arrangements taped inside the shop window (doesn't have to be prominent, as long as it's pointed out to people so they get in the habit of glancing at it).

On the same theme, maybe the same simple list should be on the website front page (I know, I know, admin will complain argue that there isn't enough room for everything that everybody wants on the front page). But at the moment it's just a bit too complicated to click through to the winter calendar and scroll down through all the route & group leader details when all you want to know is whether this weekend has a Park group or not.

Another small suggestion: How about a southside pre-Park meeting point for the Sundays with a Park start? For example, meet at the KCR, leaving promptly at 9:10 to ride to the Park. I'd be prepared to get that rolling if there was any interest.

The reason I chose Orwell was because they meet up in Dundrum....Not interested in going to The Park at all.
Don't like the 'move every spin up the park every Second Sunday/one Sunday a month'!!!
It's often covered in ice as it's exposed.
I'm a Southside gal, sorry!

The reason I chose Orwell was because they meet up in Dundrum....Not interested in going to The Park at all.
Don't like the 'move every spin up the park every Second Sunday/one Sunday a month'!!!
It's often covered in ice as it's exposed.
I'm a Southside gal, sorry!

I'm injured at the moment so I haven't spins at all yet, but I had been planning on joining the Park spins whenever I'm able to. I'm a ways away from holding onto McNally's wheel yet though. Whatever the calendar says the park spins do have a reputation for being fast and hard and that has to be putting some off.

Believe it or not, there are a few northsiders in the club now - I'm one of them. For a few of us meeting at the pope's cross actually means more time in bed. I'd be sad to see it go.

I'm a bit surprised some folks worry about the supposed faster pace of the Park spins. Not sure how much faster they are! Things are a little low-key at this time of year anyway, perhaps its the perfect time to tag along!

I didn't do any club spin last year. I joined the club a bit late and was fearful of re-injury as well as other matters. When I did some of the races it was fairly apparent that I needed to brush up on confidence and handling skills. The length and average speed of the 'faster spins' isn't too much of a problem for me, it was just getting over that initial fear of joining up and not taking people out. Now I feel more comfortable and am glad I have got out to do them.

Saying that there are plenty of people, surely, who have those handling skills from the step-up groups and could manage the Park spins.

I was down to look after the step-up group so I went to Dundrum last Sunday. I would otherwise have gone to the park. As previously mentioned there were enough senior guys there that there was no real need for me to be there.
I’m not sure it’s a great idea to force everybody over to the park every 2nd Sunday. Remember the club has grown exponentially over the last few years and the location of spins would be a big reason for that so it must suit people (like Ruth, like Ruth, like Ruth). I wouldn’t like to be leading a group of inexperienced riders across the city either having to stop at lights and weave through traffic etc.

In saying that, I think park spins are a better place to start spins from during the off season. In particular before Christmas when people are just trying to get fit. I say that because the terrain is flatter it's much easier for a group to maintain a steady rhythm. I often find the Dundrum spins are straight into the hills and groups become disjointed to quickly and you’ve hardly started before you’re having to re-group so a group lacks continuity.

I don’t think there’s any need to panic over the fact that only 4 guys showed up at the park last week. I actually think that 6 is a perfect number for a training group. No long spells of hiding down the back!
As a north-sider, the park option every 2nd week works grand for me. It would become an issue if 10 guys showed up and there were 1 or 2 of them were step-up or “weaker” riders and they didn’t have a group big enough to do their own spin and ended up slowing the faster group down. Bad for the fast group because they’re having to wait and don’t want to abandon a few bodies and bad for the weaker riders because it’s bad for their morale…..

As a northsider, I am all for a start in the park too. I was thinking about joining the group there for a try. But I am very conscient that I will get dropped from the fast group if there is no medium or step up starting there as well. I know the roads quite well at this stage that if i was to get dropped I could just do my own spin. If there's one thing i hate is making people wait for me.
At the end of the day, cycling and even training needs to remain enjoyable. When time comes to start the race drills again, hopefully everyone will find a group they can be confortable with.

Folks, I can only agree with Dave and Brian on this. The spins from the park go though terrain that is much less taxing than the usual terrain encountered from Dundrum as it is flatter and the roads are generally better.
I can assure you that the pace and distance of these spins is no different to the spins from Dundrum and from experience this year so far the abilities of participants from the park was nicely mixed.
I think last Sunday was an exception as the weather was generally foul. I was late to the park myself and went out on my own where I froze my fingers solid due to a wrong choice of gloves!
Keep the park alive and help Brian Ahern stay in bed for an extra 20 mins I say! :)

Park is just as handy for me. I was under the impression that it was only the fast group that met there too. I reckon Dave is right and it's all or nothing. I think every other week or once a month for all groups in the park would be great.