There’s a particular feeling that hits every cyclist around this time of year and if you’ve been out on the bike this week you’ll know exactly what I mean. The mornings have got that first hint of chill in them. The light’s started slipping away that little bit earlier. And somewhere between the last of the summer sportives and the first mutterings about winter tyres, you realise the season’s turning whether you’re ready for it or not.
For us at Stamford Cycling, the August bank holiday has always felt like the unofficial full stop on summer. It’s the last long weekend before autumn properly sets in, the last chance for a big group ride in shorts and short sleeves before the arm warmers come out of the drawer for good. So this year we wanted to mark it properly – and we’re doing it in partnership with SHFT Training, Stamford’s own coach-led group training.
Why we’ve teamed up with SHFT Training
If you’ve not come across SHFT yet, they’re a Stamford based training outfit built around exactly the kind of thing we bang on about at the club: community, consistency and not taking yourself too seriously while you get fitter. We got chatting with them earlier in the summer and realised we were both solving the same problem from different directions – they’ve had more and more of their members asking about group rides and we’re always looking for ways to get new faces onto two wheels who might otherwise never have plucked up the courage to turn up to a club ride on their own.
So the Bank Holiday Breakaway felt like an obvious first step. It’s not about times or wattage or who can hang on up the drag out of Ketton. It’s about building a bit of a bridge between the gym floor and the road whilst giving people who train hard indoors a reason to get outside and do it on a bike instead.
The SHFT Bank Holiday Breakaway, 44km
- Date: Monday 31 August 2026 (August Bank Holiday)
- Meet: SHFT Training, on Ryhall Road, Stamford
- Time: 7:00am start
- Distance: 44km
We’ve deliberately kept the pace social and the distance manageable – this is meant to be a “come and see what it’s like” ride, not a time trial. Expect the usual mix of Stamford’s quieter lanes and the rolling countryside we’re lucky enough to have on our doorstep between Lincolnshire and Rutland. Bring lights front and back even for a morning start (the sunrise is later than it was in June, and it’s always darker under the trees than you expect), a spare tube, and a bit of patience if it’s your first time riding in a group — we all had a first ride once, and nobody remembers anyone’s first puncture but them.
A quick change to our Thursday evening ride
Now for the less exciting but very necessary bit of housekeeping: as of now, we’re pausing the regular Thursday evening ride from The Cecil until the clocks go forward again in spring.
It’s never a move anyone’s thrilled about, but anyone who’s tried to do a proper evening ride in late September knows the reality – you’re either setting off in daylight and finishing in the dark, or not getting far enough to make it worthwhile before you have to turn back. Riding on unlit country lanes around Stamford and Rutland after dark isn’t something we want to encourage as a club ride, however good everyone’s lights are. Cycling UK’s guide for riding in the dark is worth a read if you’ve not looked at it before – good lights are essential, but they’re not a substitute for daylight when you’re riding two and three abreast on lanes without pavements.
So rather than just cancelling it outright, we’re swapping the Thursday evening ride for a Thursday evening catch-up off the bike instead – same time, same crowd, just minus the pedalling. Think of it as semi hibernation with company. We’ll be back on two wheels on a Thursday once British Summer Time returns.
But Sunday’s not going anywhere
If there’s one thing we want to be crystal clear about, it’s this: the Sunday Social is not changing. Same time, same meeting point, every Sunday, straight through autumn and into winter. If anything, autumn Sundays are some of our favourite rides of the year – crisp air, quiet roads and that particular kind of light you only get once the leaves start turning. Layer up, bring a decent set of lights just in case, and we’ll see you there.
Autumn isn’t the end of the riding season around here. It’s just a different one. New routines, same club, same roads – just a bit more merino wool involved.
