We provide road and offroad trainings all year round. The summer season usually starts on the first monday of the daylight saving time (end of March) and lasts until the beginning of standard time (end of October). See below for the details on our training schedule.
I’d love to join a training, but I have no racing bike!
Not a problem at all, Hellingproof owns multiple racing bikes and mountainbikes which you can borrow for free during training hours! Feel free to join a training once or twice to see whether you like this social sport! Send us an email at wswvhellingproof@wur.nl if you’d like to join us.
Because wearing a helmet during our trainings is obligatory, it is also possible to borrow a helmet via SCB de Bongerd in case you have no helmet yourself yet. You can arrange this at the reception of the SCB!
Summer
In summer, our Hellingprofs experience a variety of training sessions for each level. Whenever you’ve just bought your first bike and would like to improve basic cycling skills or whether you are riding amongst the elites: Our trainings are for everyone. A basic rule of thumb is: “We start together and we finish together”. Nobody will be left behind and thus no need to be afraid for riding alone when you’ve a flat tire or can’t keep up the pace. At the end of each training we gather again and wait for the last ones on a location we agreed upon on beforehand.
What do you bring during a training?
- Wearing a helmet is obligatory
- Bottle with water of sirup
- Something to eat, a banana or a fruit bar
- An extra tire and a small pump
- Read on beforehand these tips: ”Safety rules”
Monday: Technical training
18:00 – 19:30
Each Monday we ride a different route of approximately 35K in the beautiful AND challenging environment of Wageningen, led by our experienced trainer Casper Helling (after whom we named our association). The emphasis is on technical bike skills meaning that the most important aspects of cycling are the focus of these trainings. For example how to ride in a groups, and how do you ride in a group efficiently? But also things like how to take corners, shifting the right gears and take proper position on the bike.
Subscription is via SCB de Bongerd and this training is an open training. Meaning that all students and employees of WUR can participate, even if you are not a member of Hellingproof (yet). For safety reasons we apply a maximum of 40 participants, so do not hesitate too long!
Tuesday: Track training
17:00 – 18:30
Newly introduced in March 2021: A training on a cycling track! Something many of us have longed for and now thanks to are new collaboration with WV Ede our dreams came true. Why organising a training on a track while we have such a beautiful environment you might wonder. There are real advantages by having such a training. For example for extensive interval trainings which aren’t safe on public road, but also technical skills such as riding in a peloton, taking corners and position yourself within a peloton are ideal to train on a closed cycling track. We will practice how to race as well, so you will learn all the essentials to participate in a student cup. And everything on your own level.
We gather at the Bongerd and leave half and hour before the training starts at the cycling track of WV Ede (Horsterweg 5, Ede). Or you can come immediately to the track in Ede of course.
Subscription is via our association’s agenda and is for Hellingprofs only. For safety reasons we apply a maximum of 40 participants, so do not hesitate too long!
Wednesday: Push your limits!
18:00 – 20:00
On Wednesday evenings Casper Helling has prepared a more challenging program. We ride more kilometres and we also speed up a bit compared to the Monday training. We are riding in groups of 8-10 Hellingprofs according to their cycling level. Endurance and endurance power is the main focus of this training, in combination with a variety of exercises to push your limits. When you’re not such an experienced cyclist yet, we advise you first to participate a few trainings on the Monday evening before participating the Wednesday training.
Subscription is via our association’s agenda and is for Hellingprofs only. For safety reasons we apply a maximum of 40 participants, so do not hesitate too long!
Thursday: Go off-road
17:30 – 19:30
After spending some hours on the asphalt it’s time for some off-road cycling. For those having a ATB, but also experienced cyclocross cyclists and gravel fanatics can join. You’ll learn technical skills such as bunny hopping, climbing and shouldering. Moreover, Wageningen is an ideal base of operations when you want to cycle in nature: Get into the forest at Wageningen-Hoog, conquer the sandy Ginkelse Heide or try some hills in Rhenen which is the tail of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug. When you and your bike are satisfied and covered in mud, you can clean your bike (and yourself) at the Bongerd. You have no MTB (yet)? Hellingproof has two MTB’s for rent which you can always try once!
Subscription is via SCB de Bongerd and this training is an open training. Meaning that all students and employees of WUR can participate, even if you are not a member of Hellingproof (yet). For safety reasons we apply a maximum amount of participants, so do not hesitate too long!
Winter
During winter everyone has their own way of hibernation. Some hide their bike when temperatures drop below 10 degrees while others continue cycling determinedly. Therefore we provide different possibilities to keep in shape.
Pay some extra attention to the following things when cycling in winter:
- Make sure you have proper and warm clothing. Wind- and/or waterproof jackets, overshoes and a race pet do make your ride much more pleasant.
- Buy proper lights for on the bike! Those tiny lights you can buy in the supermarket are fine to be visible for others however, you won’t see a thing on the road yourself. Make sure you have a beacon of light on your handlebar so you can see the road in front of you.
Monday: Off-season ride
18:00 – 19:30
Even though no real trainings are organised during winter, on Monday evenings we make some kilometres on the bike to stay familiar with our alu or carbon friend. We provide routes of approximately 40K consisting of roads which are well accessible in the dark with few leaves on the asphalt and which are properly enlightened. Just like in summer, we gather at 18:00 at the parking lot of the Bongerd and the rule of thumb is still: “Go out together, finish together”.
Subscription is via our association’s agenda and is for Hellingprofs only.
Wednesday: Spinning
17:15 – 18:15
For those whose major goal is to avoid the cold but who’d like to keep in shape we provide spinning trainings each Wednesday! Led by our indoor trainer Henri Veroude we can push those pedals for an hour. With the BODY BIKE® Indoor Cycling app (for both Android and IOS) you can monitor your power. If you have your own heart rate belt connected to Bluetooth you can couple this to the app as well. You’ll get the best results when you subscribe for an FTP test first. This is for free as long you have sports rights bought at the Bongerd! The results of your FTP test are translated into a table with 5 training zones based on power and heart rate. Would you like to do an FTP test? Go to the reception of the Bongerd and ask for the available time slots.
During a spinning training and during the FTP test it is obligatory to bring a bottle with water and a towel! If you have cycling shoes suitable for SPD pedals you can bring those too as the pedals on the spinning bikes have click pedals on the one side and normal pedals on the other. There are two hours available for spinning, subscribe here. As there is a limited amount of spinning bikes available: Full = full.
Thursday: Offroad training
14:15 – 16:15
In winter the offroad trainings are earlier in the afternoon due to the early sunset. Winter is of course the best season for riding offroad as the more mud the better! For those having a ATB, but also experienced cyclocross cyclists and gravel fanatics can join. You’ll learn technical skills such as bunny hopping, climbing and shouldering. Moreover, Wageningen is an ideal base of operations when you want to cycle in nature: Get into the forest at Wageningen-Hoog, conquer the sandy Ginkelse Heide or try some hills in Rhenen which is the tail of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug. When you and your bike are satisfied and covered in mud, you can clean your bike (and yourself) at the Bongerd. You have no MTB (yet)? Hellingproof has two MTB’s for rent which you can always try once!
Subscription is via SCB de Bongerd and this training is an open training. Meaning that all students and employees of WUR can participate, even if you are not a member of Hellingproof (yet). For safety reasons we apply a maximum amount of participants, so do not hesitate too long!
