My first group ride!

[trigurl]

I finally did it! the LBS has a group ride that goes out 3 times a week here and I have been avoiding joining them, afraid I couldn't keep up. I have been thinking about slacking off of my training I guess I am burning out :mad:

Anyway, I talked myself into going last night, I called the LBs they said it was a relaxed ride about 30 miles, not hilly :D just rolling. I stopped and got a red bull and gatorade then went to join them. I got there and asked a man about the ride, said I heard it was relaxed, he laughed and said don't believe everything you hear :eek: so I figured I could turn around if it got too bad.

We headed out and I kept up pretty good, at the back of the pack, then when we hit a long stretch of flat, everyone dropped me! I could just see someone ahead of me, and all the others were way ahead of him, thank goodness for redlights, I finally caught up with everyone, one lady ended up in the back with me and we stayed together the rest of the ride, she could drop me on the flats but I would pass her on the hills :D made me feel a tiny bit better.


It was a great ride and helped me learn what I need work on, AND I found a route that is fairly flat that I can train on!

I wasn't prepared for that ride tho, I had my tri shorts in my bag for a short hill climb, not the ones I would have worn for a 30 miler :o

I will be there again next Thur. it really helped me push myself to keep up. On the way back we either caught up with about 4 men or they slowed to let us catch them!

I am still pumped from the ride!

[fixedgeargirl]

Congratulations on stepping outside your comfort zone, trigurl!!! Sounds like you had fun, learned something AND got a great workout!!! That learning something, seeing where you could improve is a great motivator to get out there and do better and keeps things interesting. I've been stretching my comfort zone each time I go out with the club I've been riding with, improving my riding all the time.

Thanks for the reminder to keep trying!!!

[trigurl]

Thanks!!! getting out of your comfort zone is a big step! and each time I have done it I was so glad, I just have to remember that now :D

I plan on meeting them again next week, hopefully I can keep up a little better, I am putting my bike on the trainer and using it in the mornings to get a little more bike time in. ;)

[fixedgeargirl]

Heh, at least they didn't need to push you ! My first ride with these guys, I got several helpful pushes over the course of the 50 miles. So I went home thinking "Okay, I should not be bothering these people if they have to phsyically push me so I can keep up :rolleyes:." DH talked with his friend who was also on the ride, friend said, "She just needs to learn to draft better." When my next opportunity to ride with them came, I needed some convincing from DH (and myself) to go out and do it again. But I did it :D ! I still have to talk myself into riding with them, but it gets easier each time!

[trigurl]

no I didn't need pushing - thank goodness b/c most of them were so far away they couldn't seee me let alone push me :o

I am glad I talked myself into it! I tried hard to talk myself out of it but I couldn't :D

I think some of my problem with pushing is I have either VCD or asthma - 2 doctors 2 diagnosis :mad: and when I get to breathing hard I have a little problem getting air in (which is a VCD symptom) so I haven't been pushing hard :rolleyes: now I know I can I just have to relax and slow down a little to get my breath and keep going.

[annerol]

great job!!! i'm experienceing a vicarious thrill....
(i'm too scared to try a serious group ride yet- i go on traing rides that are totally non-competitive).
get out there, girl, and kick a**!!!
anne

[trigurl]

Thanks, I will try :)

I can feel some soreness setting in! I sure wish I had worn my full chamois shorts!

Most of the bikers were men so it was highly competitive :rolleyes:

[CorsairMac]

I think some of my problem with pushing is I have either VCD or asthma - 2 doctors 2 diagnosis :mad: and when I get to breathing hard I have a little problem getting air in (which is a VCD symptom) so I haven't been pushing hard :rolleyes: now I know I can I just have to relax and slow down a little to get my breath and keep going.

do you use an inhaler?........if yes, do you carry it with you or use it before you ride?......if no, have you thought about using one? There is an OTC one called Primetene Mist that is supposed to be good for exercise induced asthma.

Good on you for joining them tho, I keep meaning to try one of them here, but their rides and my time just hasn't meshed yet. They ARE doing a Ride of Silence next Wed which I WILL make time for, so that could be my first exposure to club riding. The Wed night ride is supposedly a "no-drop" ride but I just keep thinking of that hilarious thread someone posted here once about what "no-drop" really means! LOL

[fixedgeargirl]

The rides I go on are truly no-drop rides. I should know, I'm usually DFL :rolleyes: . It may have something to do with most of the members being *mature* guys in their 40's and 50's. My husband went with them one time when a bunch of mid-20's new racers showed up and I was darn glad it wasn't my turn to ride that week (we alternate staying home with the kiddo). They pushed the pace so much that the ride avg. mph was about 3 mph above what they ususally do :eek: ! These hotshots had no respect for the no drop concept, shattering the pack immediately, and little respect for ride leader Dave, who was finally able to reel them in.

So, it depends on the group. You're probably more likely to find a true no drop ride with a more mature group of folks.

[bikerchick68]

sounds like you did really well...on my first group ride attempt I felt vaguely ill as we were getting ready to take off... :rolleyes:

I had way less confidence in my riding abilities than everyone else did...

every time you ride you will become stronger. I could definitely feel the advantage of continuing to ride with the group in my strength, ability and speed... keep us posted!

[trigurl]

Corsair, yes I do use an inhaler before I ride and I have a cell phone holder hooked on my seatpost for easy access that I keep my inhaler in.

I am actually looking forward to Thur to do it again :)

it rained yesterday so I went to the gym and rode for about 90min, I used the spin cycle for 45 then the lifecycle for 45, I kept my rpms above 90 and for a good part of the time I was at 100, that was a workout too! I kept the tension just high enuf that I didn't bounce while pedaling - that is spinning right?

I talked to a guy at the gym last night and we are going to do a hilly ride tomorrow - weather permitting - he has been biking for years and has agreed to ride w/me, I told him he couldn't drop me :D

[caligurl]

way to go! i wish we had a local club that i could ride with! i know i push harder with others.... (trying to keep up).. at least to a point... then they get so far ahead i can't keep up!

but around here it's pretty much hubby and his friends.. and they are mostly WAY too fast for me on the flats and downhills (i can hold my own with a couple of the guys on the hills!)

[LBTC]

oh! thank you for posting about your ride(s)! I'm living vicariously through you all at this point!

getting sick too much :( , getting tested to see why :confused: , then the rain came... :mad:
I'm having a seriously tough time getting motivated, and DH isn't helpful as he's even more of a fair-weather rider than I am! I rode once last week, that was the first time in 2 weeks. (oh and had a nasty little crash :eek: , too - see the trail goddess thread)

we've got a weekend away coming up and that means lots of errands in the next few days. unless I can get out and do something fun after work tonight, Wednesday is probably the only ride this week! that's with the guys, tho, so it is a good tough one!

not sure I'll be ready for a big race on June 18. want to know how sick I really am before I do it, anyway!

but reading about your experiences - isn't it cool to learn what you need to work on, to get a plan for how to improve, to see that you are good in some other areas, too? it's soo cool! I noticed it last year. when I ride with the guys I can keep pace with the mid to fast guys through most of the climbing and on some of the flat/rolling (this is MTB), but seems like I can't downhill to save my life! well, at least I'm usually near the back.

in the first race last year, against women, it was exactly the opposite. I got quite far behind on the climb, made some distance up on the level, and reeled her in on the downhills. You could have pushed me over with a feather when I realized that! completely the opposite of what I expected! :p

Keep riding! And please keep posting about it!! We wanna watch you improve, too!

Namaste,
~T~

[trigurl]

thanks LBTC! I am still stoked about that ride!

I hope to ride with a man from my gym who is an avid biker, this evening, it is a little cool today so I don't know if he will want to - I will tho, today is the mountain climb, 7 miles up, if it isn't too cold I plan on doing a loop after that hopefully get in close to 20 miles.

I didn't bring tights so if it doesn't warm up enough I may have do the mtn. then to go to the gym and finish riding :mad:

The bike club also does this mtn ride that I am doing but I can't push myself on the hills or my breathing gets out of control, so I do it at my pace.

I am keeping my fingers crossed you get some riding in this week!

[LBTC]

I am keeping my fingers crossed you get some riding in this week!

thanks, Trigurl!
I got to kickboxing last night (it was raining), and I rode my bike to work this morning. of course, that only takes 4 minutes. :p I have to ride home at lunch, though, as I forgot I need the car to get to another doctor appointment at the end of the day! :eek: oops

Tomorrow night I'll ride with the guys and that will hopefully go really well.

Let us know if your gym friend rides with you! sounds like it would be an excellent ride for you!!

namaste,
~T~

[KSH]

CONGRATS!

I know my first few group rides with my LBS were HARD! I could not keep up... and at the end of the 30 miles.... I would be riding alone... and very tired. The group was not *tight* or very friendly.

I then started searching for cycling clubs/groups... and I found two local ones that host "no drop rides". Meaning: If you are slow, they won't lose you.

That is what worked best for me.

I found people who were friendly, and at the start of the rides I always go around and shake hands.

Here is another good thing to do... tell the riders your experience... and that you are new! You will find one kind soul who will keep an eye on you, and make sure you don't get lost. That is how I finally stopped getting dropped by myself.

Best of luck! Group rides are fun... it is great being in a pack of cyclists!

[trigurl]

There was one kind lady that let me keep up with her :D , if not I would have had to turn around b/c I didn't know where they were going!

There was a group called GRITS (girls riding in the streets) and they had beginner rides but they don't have any planned, I think there just wasn't enough interest, of course last year they had several rides for "road" bikes only :mad: I had my hybrid then and I put road tires on it but NO, they wouldn't let me participate!

I will call around and see what I can find out!



Ride on!