Join Jaguar Ride LIke a Pro events for chance to win a trip to Team Sky training camp

@ dafyddp - you may well be right. Although for middle-managers you could substitute the other M-word used a lot nowadays when referring to cyclists. Maybe almost interchangeable.

I can see the appeal for men who love an excuse to go on a group ride all Strava'd up. If you add in the Team Sky link AND being able to gawp at expensive "old men's cars" then it's a bit of a treat.

However, the prize of a winter trip to Majorca is very desirable.

Missed out on the HA Fox Guildford one, which is my local, so I've signed up for the Harwoods Chichester event based at Cowdray Park. Trying to get eldest daughter's boyfriend to sign up too.

Just realised that it's the day after a friend's wedding

I have ridden 2 of these. It seems to depend on who is behind the organising (local bike shop/club) as to the format but it certainly isn't a race from which the winner is chosen ! Expect a steady ride and some grub at the end if you're lucky.

Damn, you need 5+ year on your licence. That'll teach me for having driven on a provisional in Ireland for years and years.

I did the Oxford ride with ridgeway Jaguar last weekend. All the staff were really nice.

We had a group of about 18 people and we averaged about 30kph on a 25 mile route. The route had no hills to speak of and was on really nice quiet roads. we stuck together for the most part and had a really nice social ride. If your happy to wheelsuck then you don't need to be that fit. There was a stop half way round to get drinks. Everyone was pointing out pot holes of which there weren't that many.

The winner from each ride is chosen at random so there is no need to race.

The need for a driving licence is because if you get chosen from your ride you get to drive a Jag as well and will be tested on both driving and riding skills with the eventual winner then going on to ride in Mallorca with team sky. You probably need to be 28 for insurance purposes on the car. No point letting people take part if they have no chance of winning the complete prize.

Its all a bit cynical isn't it? I appreciate that environmentally, the carbon footprint of a new bike is pretty shocking but there's something especially repugnant about non-racing cyclists being followed around by one of these gas-guzzling monsters. I'm sure we're all guilty of driving somewhere or other with our bikes just for the pleasure of the ride, but ffs this is just massaging the ego of middle-managers that want to feel special.

My car's due for an upgrade, I'd definitely consider a Jag and am probably their target demographic. I signed up for the ride in Newcastle a couple of weeks ago before it hits here and gets booked up. I did it last year and the weather was a bit on the damp side but it was a fun ride.

Anyone who did it last year able to comment on level of skill/fitness to be able to enjoy the day?

Randomly chosen based on nothing but demographic, and perception of wealth/likeliness to buy a Jaguar in the short-mid term.

Quick note of a restriction which may hit many of us here:

T&Cs specify a minimum age of 28, plus driving licence for 5years+.

Plenty of talk of people riding like idiots on this last year. I had a place on the Wilmslow one but couldn't make it, and afterwards there was a strava discussion about someone not pointing out potholes and the guy behind breaking his collarbone. If you go, be wary! It seems some treat it like a race and think that the fastest people will get picked to go through to the final, when in reality it's probably either random or those with a reasonable level of fitness and who ride courteously (so as not to wipe out any pros if they win!)

Bah, already full to capacity @ Guildford