Winter training rides are the mainstay of developing a solid base for the summer, and there’s no better way to do so than by joining a Reliability Ride. To quote Wikipedia:

“A reliability trial is an organised bicycle ride which challenges a cyclist to complete a course, passing through designated control points, within a preset time limit. In the United Kingdom, such events are often held in the wintry opening months of the year and are used by club cyclists as training rides.”

A reliability ride is therefore an opportunity to test that you and your machine are equipped to handle long distance rides, that you have the correct nutrition, spares and equipment to carry out endurance rides – they are not races, but a chance to ride steadily and grow your engine that will be used later on in sport throughout the summer.