What do you think...should I give this group ride a try?

[Jolt]

The LBS I go to has a Monday night "show and go" ride that is about 12 miles and supposedly pretty low-key, and I'm thinking about showing up for one to try it out. However, I have never done a group ride before, am a pretty new cyclist (got into it a couple months ago for utility and recreational purposes) and ride a hybrid with 38c tires, not the fastest setup. And I'm not exactly a speed demon myself. I also am not sure how many people go on this ride and whether I'd be the only female (which would make me nervous given that I wouldn't really know any of the guys other than the shop owner). So...what do you think? Does it sound like a good idea to try it, or does it sound like a recipe for a fiasco? I don't want to be that person who slows down the group, or get dropped (since I don't know the roads where they go, getting dropped would be a problem!).

Edit: I know I can do 12 miles; I did about a 16 or 17 mile ride this past Sunday that included a couple of wicked hills, but averaged probably 11 or 12 mph (estimate).

[spokewench]

Is there a ride leader you can contact? Call them, ask them the questions that you are worried about. A 12 mile ride will probably not have a bunch of hammerheads on it so I think this would be a great start for you for a group ride even knowing nothing more than the fact that it is 12 miles.

Challenges are to be met head on. If you are worried about getting lost, get a map and ask the roads you will be riding on. You can do this!

[Jolt]

Spokewench,

I could probably call the shop for more info, or even stop in the next time I'm in that neighborhood. You're right about challenges should be met head-on; I just get more nervous when they involve the possibility of making a fool of myself in front of a bunch of people that I don't know and trust. BTW, I like the username--very clever!

[spokewench]

Jolt: Everyone is a newbie at some time. Most remember this and understand this when another newbie comes along. Most cyclist are very supportive. If they aren't, their loss, certainly nothing to be embarrassed about on your part!
Now, the person that might be negative to a newbie, that might be something to be worried about on their part!:D

[indysteel]

I say go. You'll likely have a great time.

One of our local shops has a similar ride and my guess is that your ride is geared to beginners. That said, ask the people at the shop how fast you're expected to be able to go and whether there's a "no drop" policy. Again, my guess is that don't leave anyone behind. Once you're there, don't be afraid to ask questions about group riding etiquette. Most cyclists are more than happy to help. Once the ride begins, just be cautious and observant and you'll do just fine.

Have fun!

[7rider]

Some questions to ask the shop:
Is there a waiver you need to sign to join (danged lawyers!)?
Do they have a cue-sheet or map you can look at?
How many folks take part in the ride?
Is the ride broken into groups based on speed?
Is it a "no drop" ride that someone on a hybrid is welcome to join?
Is there someone riding sweep to be sure no one gets left behind?
Do they encourage newbies and work on group riding and skill building?
I agree - a 12 mile ride doesn't sound like it would be a race training ride, so I would imagine you'd do fine on it.
Good luck and let us know how it goes!

[KSH]

Call and ask all the wonderful questions the ladies posted above.

Otherwise... since it's only 12 miles... I would bet that it's a beginners ride. Most rides for people who cycle on a regular basis start at 20 miles and go up from there.

[Zen]

I went to my LBS last night for a fix a flat clinic and was asked to join their Thursday night ride. I asked if they had a class D ride :p . Everyone is welcome, you'll be fine. GO!

[Jolt]

Well, I called the shop and asked for more info. They said the speed is about 14 mph and they "wait up for everyone", and that I should be fine as long as I do these kinds of distances "regularly". I wouldn't say "regularly", but I did do 16 or 17 miles this past Sunday and was fine, and have had days where I've done about 12 miles total while running errands, and I think my usual average speed is about 12 mph but it's hard to say because there are a lot of stoplights/intersections holding me up sometimes and that throws off the average. So it sounds do-able (I hope--my concern is with the speed) and if the weather looks good this Monday night I may show up. If so, I'll be sure to post a ride report!

[Geonz]

Oh, and editing again after reading your post about being passed: that guy may be doing a "low-key" ride (but wiht a little sprint because they ... ahem, we :) ...*do* that to pass people... bet you dollars to donuts he slowed down right after be blew by you). YES, the bike and especially the underinflated 38 tires make a HUGE difference.

When I switched from 35 to 28 tires, it was an instant 2 mph.

14 mph is pretty fast to do on a hybrid with 38 tires. THe other little piece of reality is that usually (not always) if somebody says they go 14... well, they do. Except whenthey're going 15 or 17. And ... the stark reality is they tend to say "you'll be fine," because it's really hard to tell somebody "oh, I don't think you'll be able to keep up with us."
- and did the person you were talking to know the bike you are riding?
"Low Key" is a totally, totally relative term.
I have years of experience being an I-can-go-the-distance hybrid rider, but could not keep up speed wise with the guys on the road bikes - and that was with 32's and 28, not 38s. I ended up forming my own group... and getting a lot stronger on my own, and then getting a much lighter, faster hybrid (which is wonderful because it still looks like a hybrid but I *can* average 17 or 18 on it).
I would try to find a way to inconspicuously size up their group before making an appearance. If they look like those guys in the Hot Mail thread, especially with the fancy gear, then the odds are it'll be an uneven match. THey'll prob'ly wait up for you (but not necessarily). And... sometimes the "12 mile" trip part is bogus too - especially a show & go because by definition there are no rules.
On the third hand, though... if they're like my buddies in Richmond... not only will they ride with you at your speed, they will do it so smoothly- you won't ever be at the end - that you will not even realize they usually go faster until later. It really all depends who's out there.

[Jolt]

Oh, and editing again after reading your post about being passed: that guy may be doing a "low-key" ride (but wiht a little sprint because they ... ahem, we :) ...*do* that to pass people... bet you dollars to donuts he slowed down right after be blew by you). YES, the bike and especially the underinflated 38 tires make a HUGE difference.

When I switched from 35 to 28 tires, it was an instant 2 mph.

14 mph is pretty fast to do on a hybrid with 38 tires. THe other little piece of reality is that usually (not always) if somebody says they go 14... well, they do. Except whenthey're going 15 or 17. And ... the stark reality is they tend to say "you'll be fine," because it's really hard to tell somebody "oh, I don't think you'll be able to keep up with us."
- and did the person you were talking to know the bike you are riding?
"Low Key" is a totally, totally relative term.
I have years of experience being an I-can-go-the-distance hybrid rider, but could not keep up speed wise with the guys on the road bikes - and that was with 32's and 28, not 38s. I ended up forming my own group... and getting a lot stronger on my own, and then getting a much lighter, faster hybrid (which is wonderful because it still looks like a hybrid but I *can* average 17 or 18 on it).
I would try to find a way to inconspicuously size up their group before making an appearance. If they look like those guys in the Hot Mail thread, especially with the fancy gear, then the odds are it'll be an uneven match. THey'll prob'ly wait up for you (but not necessarily). And... sometimes the "12 mile" trip part is bogus too - especially a show & go because by definition there are no rules.
On the third hand, though... if they're like my buddies in Richmond... not only will they ride with you at your speed, they will do it so smoothly- you won't ever be at the end - that you will not even realize they usually go faster until later. It really all depends who's out there.

Sounds like maybe this is a bad idea. Maybe I should find out their route and try to "accidentally" meet up with them and see what the group looks like. They do say that all skill levels and all types of bikes are welcome, and that most riders will be on road bikes or hybrids, but maybe the other hybrids are lighter and don't have such big tires. I've thought about looking into switching to 32's or whatever I can still put on the rims I have, but I'm not sure how smart that is with the crap roads I often ride on.

EDIT: Geonz, I noticed you have a Giant Nutra. That's the bike I have (but mine's a small WSD version). Is that the one you always had trouble keeping up on? As for the person I talked to knowing the bike I am riding, I am not sure. I have been in that shop with it before so some of the guys have seen me with it, but I doubt they knew who I was from the phone conversation to know what bike I was talking about.

[AliceB.Toeclips]

There's no harm in 'being the one to slow them down' because...you won't.
All you have to do is show up, full water bottle, pump that works, spare tube, sunscreen, windbreaker, hitchhiking sign with your town's name drawn on in bold black 3 inch letters tucked under the back of your shirt (or jersey), some food and you're ready to rip.
Chances are you'll have something to report here if you go.
And if someone asked you to come, chances are they'll look after you if you say "hey, can you hang with me if I need help?".
If you don't go, we won't know if you were the Only Woman.
How can you be a credit to your gender if you don't stick yr neck out?
This is a partially tongue-in-chic response from someone who had to endure a summer's worth of "if she's coming on this ride, I'm outta here", until I took up mtn biking, and stopped caring what the Wednesday Moron Riders thought about someone who could keep up with them, and challenge their expectations of the weaker sex.

[SadieKate]

Jacquie? Welcome!

[michelem]

Hi Jolt!

I can sure relate to you. I was riding my big, heavy (30+ pound steel) mountain bike with the big knobby tires and platform pedals for the group rides I was going on. They were termed "EZ Rides" and were swept at about 12mph. I was always dead last, but the coordinator guy (a retired, overweight guy who rode a clunker bike kind of like mine) was really patient with me and never made fun of me. Well, the coordinator of these EZ Rides has since moved out of state and the EZ Rides are no longer. I called about joining in on some of the other rides that were described as "leisurely" and was told that unless I could do a minimum 14mph I was not welcome. I was told that by one leader that she would feel bad for the sweep person if he had to go as slow as me. Harumph! So, I've been taking a hiatus from group rides until I get a lightweight, skinny-tire road bike. I just heard of another local group that is starting some EZ Ride-like rides tomorrow, so I plan to go - 8am tomorrow! It'll be a good warm-up for some road bike test-riding later in the day. :p

I can tell you that riding this heavy, wide-tired bike has been a workout! I have to work SOOO much harder than the people on their lightweight, skinny-tired road bikes. It's really gotten me in good aerobic shape though. I haven't jogged in over a month and went out Wednesday evening and did 7 miles with some slight hills thrown in for fun (ha!) no problem. I can't wait to get a road bike - I think I'll be flying up hills with one! :D

Anyway, I encourage you to go out and at least try the group at least once. You never know, it may be so much fun you'll wonder why you put it off this long! ;)

[Jolt]

One more thing--how close together do people usually ride on these group rides? That's another thing I'm a bit concerned about, especially if we're climbing hills that require me to get out of the saddle (this tends to result in some swerving). I definitely don't want to cause a pile-up if I swerve!

[Jolt]

Hi Jolt!

I can sure relate to you. I was riding my big, heavy (30+ pound steel) mountain bike with the big knobby tires and platform pedals for the group rides I was going on. They were termed "EZ Rides" and were swept at about 12mph. I was always dead last, but the coordinator guy (a retired, overweight guy who rode a clunker bike kind of like mine) was really patient with me and never made fun of me. Well, the coordinator of these EZ Rides has since moved out of state and the EZ Rides are no longer. I called about joining in on some of the other rides that were described as "leisurely" and was told that unless I could do a minimum 14mph I was not welcome. I was told that by one leader that she would feel bad for the sweep person if he had to go as slow as me. Harumph! So, I've been taking a hiatus from group rides until I get a lightweight, skinny-tire road bike. I just heard of another local group that is starting some EZ Ride-like rides tomorrow, so I plan to go - 8am tomorrow! It'll be a good warm-up for some road bike test-riding later in the day. :p

I can tell you that riding this heavy, wide-tired bike has been a workout! I have to work SOOO much harder than the people on their lightweight, skinny-tired road bikes. It's really gotten me in good aerobic shape though. I haven't jogged in over a month and went out Wednesday evening and did 7 miles with some slight hills thrown in for fun (ha!) no problem. I can't wait to get a road bike - I think I'll be flying up hills with one! :D

Anyway, I encourage you to go out and at least try the group at least once. You never know, it may be so much fun you'll wonder why you put it off this long! ;)

Well, your bike sounds a lot like mine (just replace "mountain bike" with "hybrid", and the tires are fairly wide but have a light tread rather than your knobbies). It is a good workout, that's for sure, especially since pretty much anywhere I go has its share of hills! It does seem like the "easy" label for a lot of group rides is a joke--the local club here certainly doesn't have much that I would consider reasonable. Sounds like a common problem. It's sort of the opposite of the issue I run into in my hiking club--a lot of the trips are TOO easy or (usually) the pace is significantly slower than I would like to go, with more stops than I would prefer to make. So I can relate to the people who get irritated with the slow person on a group ride, and I want to make sure I don't inflict that on anyone ;) . It's just that it would be nice if there were some rides that weren't intimidating for us slower people and where the whole idea is to have an easier ride where people wouldn't be getting PO'd about the speed or lack thereof.

[indysteel]

Jolt, I understand your concerns, really I do. I rode my road bike virtually by myself for several months before going to a club ride because I didn't know what to expect. Admittedly, those rides involve lots of people riding at any pace from 12 to 25 mph so I had to know something about bike handling to ride safely. However, in retrospect, I totally overthought the whole thing and was much more anxious than I needed to be. I'd suggest the same thing to you. Go, ride, be careful, have fun. This doesn't sound like a hard core group of cyclists and they're probably used to having new riders on all sorts of bikes at all sorts of skills levels.

As far as how close people ride together in a group. It depends on the group and the type of ride. On a 12-mile , 14 mph ride, however, I would assume that you won't be riding inches from one another's wheels. You'll probably be in a loose bunch if the street conditions allow it. On busier roads, you'll likely ride single file. Just keep the distance that you feel you need to ride safely and comfortably. Just don't get too close to anyone's wheel. If you get to a hill, just ride your pace and keep to the right side of the road so that faster riders can pass you on your left.

[Jolt]

I think I've found a better group ride to start off with. The local chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club, of which I am a member, has Tuesday night show-and-go rides that are specifically labeled as beginner rides that go at the pace of the slowest person (that likely being me). The distance is about the same as that shop ride. Sounds less likely to be a bad experience, and the one this week is in a town with which I am somewhat familiar. If the weather cooperates and I decide to do this one, I'll be sure to post a report!

[Geonz]

Great!! We'll look forward to hearing it ... it's an awful lot nicer if you're starting out when there's a *leader.*

[Jolt]

Great!! We'll look forward to hearing it ... it's an awful lot nicer if you're starting out when there's a *leader.*

I called and talked to the leader for Tuesday's ride, and she said nobody gets dropped, the speed is usually 10-12 mph and people aren't so close together that it's dangerous if somebody swerves. When I asked her if it was OK that I'll be riding a hybrid, she said she will be on one as well so that won't be any problem. The fact that I'm guaranteed not to be the only female also makes me feel better about this one. Now, let's just hope the weather is good on Tuesday night as the current forecast indicates and that I don't discover some unforeseen mechanical problem!

[Geonz]

As the weather goddess, I shall attempt to arrange the weather as forecast for you (tho' it's hard to do MA from here!). SOunds like a very good fit.

[Crankin]

Jolt, you will be perfect for the AMC "easy" ride. I am a leader for the Boston chapter, but I also ride/lead with the Worcester chapter at times. Some people come on the intermediate level rides I lead with hybrids, once in awhile on a mtb. I am always amazed at how some of them can drop me. The chair of the Boston bike committee rides a hybrid that must weigh 35 pounds, with a pannier on it, too. He rides about the same speed as me, so riding a hybrid definitely makes you strong.

Have fun tomorrow night. The weather will be perfect.

[Hammer]

One more thing--how close together do people usually ride on these group rides? That's another thing I'm a bit concerned about, especially if we're climbing hills that require me to get out of the saddle (this tends to result in some swerving). I definitely don't want to cause a pile-up if I swerve!

I don't know if this has been answered yet, I haven't gotten to the second page... People seem to know if you're not an experienced rider in groups. They can see if you can hold a line or not. What I would do is just ask, "Hey, I'm new at this... I don't want to cause any scuffles, how do you guys usually ride? Do you draft off each other? Give each other space?"

Though really, until you're comfortable with group riding... Make it your responsibility to leave room between you and the next rider. Don't overlap tires. Though once people get comfortable with you and you with them, drafting makes it MUCH easier to keep up with the big boys. Though yesterday I'm pretty sure that the boys I was riding with could've ridden a tad faster than they were when I was cruising with them. Half way through I stopped trying and just rode with my friend. I don't have enough in me to keep a 17mph pace for a whole ride, even with drafting.

GOOD LUCK!

[Jolt]

Jolt, you will be perfect for the AMC "easy" ride. I am a leader for the Boston chapter, but I also ride/lead with the Worcester chapter at times. Some people come on the intermediate level rides I lead with hybrids, once in awhile on a mtb. I am always amazed at how some of them can drop me. The chair of the Boston bike committee rides a hybrid that must weigh 35 pounds, with a pannier on it, too. He rides about the same speed as me, so riding a hybrid definitely makes you strong.

Have fun tomorrow night. The weather will be perfect.

Thank goodness for better weather--I don't know about you, but I was about to go stir-crazy with the four solid days of cold rain! Let's just say that there was something rotten in the state of Massachusetts this weekend, and it was the weather!