The Cogals
Cogals (pronounce it correctly: kog-al) are meetings of like-minded misfits brought together by the promise of beer, preceded by a bike ride. Cogals are free, open to all, organized by our fellow Velominati and are always followed by consumption of post-ride recovery ales and merriment. These are gatherings of unbridled observance of Rule #4.
Cogals differ themselves from other group rides by the meeting the following criteria:
- First, Cogals are free, organized and supported through Velominati, though not necessarily a Keeper. Anyone is welcome to join a Cogal. Legally speaking, however, we have no involvement, so if you crash or die, it’s your own problem. Please be careful to study the route previously and take precautionary measures to stay safe.
- Second, a Cogal is a day-long undertaking that focuses 100% on the bike. The rides are categorized (Casually Deliberate, Rule #5, Rule #10, for example) but are long. This is what you’re doing today, nothing else; see Rule #4. Rides can be any length, but a minimum distance of 130km should be expected.
- Third, Cogals always include a session of Malted Recovery Beverage Consumption after the ride. Whenever possible, it should also include a pre-ride espresso.
Not all the events in The Cogals are actual Cogals. We also post rides and events that are of interest to the community, as well as Keepers Tours, which are Velominati-hosted, paid cycling Tours tailored to the tastes of a velominatus.
Any member of the community is welcomed to organize a Cogal. If interested, either post your interest below or email us with the following information:
- Date of Cogal
- Starting Address (ideally somewhere neutral, like a café or park)
- Route (MapMyRide, Bikely, or Strava)
- Ride Classification (Casually Deliberate, Rule V, Rule VV, or suggest another)
- A paragraph describing the Cogal
Upcoming Cogals
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Submit Your Own Cogal:
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@ChrisO
Makes sense to go with your first suggestion in that case Chris.
@PedallingTom The worst one is the one I live on the top of. So I always have that to look forward to at the end of every ride.
@Teocalli
I understand that pain. Hopefully compensated by good views the rest of the time.
@ChrisO
Yes. It is at times similar to The North Beyond the Wall in GOT. A world where Rule #9 nearly always applies.
Where does this North start? Probably north of the river for you chaps.
A mini cogal sounds like fun, I know I’ve got one post Christmas day free to ride – the kids are going to the panto with the womenfolk and the rest of the men are golfing. I’ll check when it is.
I might be seriously struggling for form though. Been to busy making snot.
@Chris
“Been too busy making snot” – charmingly put! You have my sympathies.
As a midlander I’d say the North starts at around Nottingham but most southerners normally say that the North starts at Watford Gap services on the M1 (or the river as you suggest!).
@PedallingTom Sneaky little correction there. You’ll get so well with the @ChrisO.
Close to Huntingdon so nothern for the those south of the river but I probably live too close to the fens to ever be properly classed as a northerner.
@Chris
:-) Couldn’t help myself! Not possible to rewrite it without correcting.
I recall your location from the chat about Flat Out in the Fens 2014. I think you’re a Fenlander.
@PedallingTom Not quite a fenlnader. Clear and distinct bloodlines.
I’m close enough to the edge of the fens that I’d be very close to the beach if the ice caps melted but I rarely head out that way. At this time of year you’d have to be Freddy Maertens to train out there. Also, the average fenlander has no concept of speed or distance let alone road laws which manifests itself in their tendency to drive end most journeys upside down in a drainage ditch.
@Chris
Hahahaha. Most amusing. In that case I retract my Fenlander comment and join the ranks of those who can’t quite place you.
As for training out there – it’s flat isn’t it? In the absence of hills I find the wind a good training tool and with good planning it’s at your back for the last third of a ride providing the pleasure of speed with little output.
@PedallingTom It’s never on your back out there. I tend to head west to enjoy what hills we have round here.
If I can escape the clutches of this vicious manflu, this is what I had in mind for an alternative to the family festive golf day.
@PedallingTom Where abouts are you?
@Chris
Nice loop. Which day are you planning to do that ride? My folks are in Quorn near Loughborough and I’ll be there briefly from the 26th. It would be a neat ride out from Quorn taking in Uppinham and Rutland water and combining for a coffee with you.
Home for now is in Barnes barely a couple of kms from the cycling mecca that is Richmond Park
@PedallingTom That would make you a northerner.
I’m not sure when, but as mentioned above I have one free day when I know I’ve pretty much got the whole day to myself when the extended family are either at the panto or golfing. It’s somewhere around about the 28th, I think. I let you know later when the Mrs Chris gets in.
@Chris Happy w’that lad.
I was about to say the 28th will be too late. I’ll be staying at a friend’s place near Bedford which isn’t very far from you. I will of course have to see if my host would like to join in etc.
@PedallingTom It is the 28th. Do you know that area? I haven’t been up that way on my bike but it shouldn’t be too hard to put together a nice loop round there.
@Chris
Hi Chris,
apologies, I didn’t see your comment above until today. The guest article was indeed written, some half decent photos attached, and sent of to Frank for his consideration. However, having heard nothing back I guess it didn’t make the grade for whatever reason.
However, if you’d like to see it I can either send you a link or email it to you?
Cheers,
David
PS technically I wouldn’t have described it as ‘fear’, more a question of balance. A 4 day trip to Tuscany is balanced by family the following weekend. Now, had it been a fortnight later then I’d have been back in business!
For all of you that are Cogaling this weekend, may you have good guns and good weather. Although I think those on the Meikleour may need good luck. Have a great one.
A fair bit of luck I would say! May be dry but is going to be windy, probably not frosty though.
@Chris
I don’t know it well but it’s good country. Rolling roads with not enough up to really damage you but enough to disrupt a nice rhythm. Unfortunately I’m going to have to leave you to it this time. Enjoy the ride.
@ChrisO
Confirmed that I will be heading back South on the Sun 29th so Mon and/or Tues are good for me.
@Teocalli and @ChrisO
Mon and/or Tues are good for me too. Just let me know a meeting place and time and I’ll see you there.
OK then let’s pin it down to Monday Dec 30 for the London demi-cogal.
Richmond Park start, 10am.
Distance 60-70km so we have the option of lunch at the end.
Route TBC but Box Hill and back to RP or Bushy Park is on the table.
There’s lots of good pubs along the river but does anyone have a particular recommendation?
Oh and just to add a caveat – as most people seem to be easy with Monday or Tuesday we’ll check the weather forecast over the weekend. If Monday looks biblical and Tuesday better then it might make sense to swap.
@ChrisO
….and take the biblical one just for consistency?
@Teocalli Well said. That said, another biblical day would mean further exposure to the granny tights.
Family duties rule me out of this one but I’ll be looking out for the mini report although I’m not sure it counts as a mini London cogal with out some mention of cake.
@PedallingTom Shame, always to meet fellow Velominatus. Next time maybe.
@Chris Good point re the granny tights – that defo means we have to take the other option, I don’t think I could take more of those. Phew! Cakes stops do need to be planned and taken this time.
@Teocalli Alternatively, if you each brought some Christmas cake along, it could double up as the Great Velominati Bake Off or V-Bake for short.
It’s OK chaps. I have remembered to bring my Rapha legwarmers with me.
Although I am also obliged to point out the difference between wearing tights like granny’s and riding bikes like grannies…
@ChrisO
I do believe that the original date chosen should be adhered to, regardless of weather forecast, in the Spirit of Rule Nine, unless The Rules are different dahn sarf ?
@strathlubnaig Apparently desert boy thinks he has an exemption coz he’s a bit quick…
@strathlubnaig
Having done that Cogal in October NOBODY can throw Rule #9 at me… nesh southerners or not, we have nothing to prove.
I just think that if the purpose is to have a social and pleasant get together then a miserable day isn’t conducive to that and it would make sense to take an alternative if it looks better.
And anyone who disagrees should feel perfectly free to settle the matter with a race up Box Hill.
@strathlubnaig
True – but and original date has not yet been set!
@Teocalli
You’re not a lawyer are you ?
@strathlubnaig ha ha! No but I deal with a lot of technical project delivery contracts. Kinda gets you used to finding the get out of goal free clauses…….
Hi All. I’m still up for a ride on one of those days. Looking at the long range forecast either day is going to provide weather suitable for a proper Rule #9 ride so for the sake of planning I’d rather just get Monday in the diary.
@PedallingTom
Yes by all means put Monday in the diary – I would only suggest changing if it was a day like today with official severe weather warnings and 60 km/h winds.
@ChrisO
Great. It’s a plan then. There is poor weather with wind and rain forecast for both days but in the time between now and then, everything could change.
One last question – what is the meeting point at Richmond Park? The cafe near the Roehampton gate seems appropriate and I’ll ask you and Teocalli to look out for me – fair hair, red face, TI framed steed.
Yes the Roehampton gate cafe would be fine. I don’t have my V kit with me, it’s in Dubai but I’ll almost certainly have a Rapha softshell, and be riding a black carbon Giant TCR sans helmet.
ping me an email and we can swap phone numbers. Ohearnc at g mail.
I hope this photo posts, but really hope it dries out in the next few days. Box Hill start well and truly flooded today.
Blimey and I worry about a few drips of water coming in through the window!
@ChrisO
Anyone know of any car parking around there?
Yes there’s a car park right at the cafe – plenty of space and it’s free.
@ChrisO Excellent , thanks,
@PedallingTom You won’t miss @ChrisO – just look for a 7 foot, shivering bean pole! (I’m pretty much the opposite so for me look for a vertically challenged old git – nice bike (Pinarello) shame about the old fart riding it!)
All did I miss a meeting time?
@Teocali
10am meet at the cafe / car park for a V-past departure.
the aim being to finish around lunchtime so as to allow the possibility of a pub lunch if desired, or at least a beer – venue still TBA though.
For a possible malted-beverage recovery point after the London winter Demi-cogal I was thinking of this place.
http://www.boaterskingston.com/#home
its not far from Richmond Park for those needing to return to cars – or we can just go straight back to RP and have some lunch and hot chocolate at the cafe.
I can’t make Monday as I’ve got to take a family member for an outpatients appt. Next time for me. Keep a close eye on the environment agency website as you plan the route. Much of Surrey is flooded at the moment and there’s more rain on the way.
So, demi-cogal call… the weather looks shit. Not biblical like before Christmas but cold, and very wet in the morning, clearing a little in the afternoon.
The only advantage is that while today has been a glorious winter’s day the roads outside London were very icy and a couple of our guys came down on the club ride, even though we stuck to A roads.
To be perfectly honest I’m not fussed. It would be nice to see people but if there are only two or three planning on coming then I vote to give it a miss or reschedule.
At last count it was Teocalli, Tom and me… anyone else ? And what are your thoughts ?
@ChrisO , @Teocali,
Today’s ride must have been beautiful. Managed a ride yesterday that was special. In the spirit of Rule #9 I’m going to be there at 10 and may just do a few laps of the park. Maybe see you there.
@PedallingTom
Chapeau to you Tom. If I wake up and it doesn’t look awful then I might head over to RP and do some laps too, but that doesn’t seem likely. Last time I was at RP just before Christmas I had 10 minutes of hail so I feel I’m up to date with Rule #9.
Today was indeed glorious, and it was a lovely clear morning, if a little icy. It was noticeable how the temperature dropped as we got outside London. About halfway through the ride I made the mistake of changing down on the front ring up a hill between Sevenoaks and Tonbridge and as we got to the top I was literally unable to muster the finger control to change back up.
Serves me right for using the small ring I suppose.