What Level Rider Am I?

[MauiRockHopper]

I just started road cycling a few months ago after MTB a little. I did a half century ride last month in 3 hours and 45 minutes, some hills and wind. On a weekly basis I ride about 75 miles. Right now I can go 40-50 miles on one ride and not feel fatigued or in pain, and I am able to ride the next day. The one thing is I think I am still kind of slow, probably 13mph average.

It seems to me a Level 1 rider is a true beginner who can barely balance, shift, or ride up hills without stopping.

I like to think I am a Level 2 rider (after all, I use clip on shoes LOL), but I can't find any definitions out there, and whether it's based more on endurance or speed. Anybody know?

[SadieKate]

Why are you asking? Are you thinking about joining a club or a team?

[Eden]

by what scale?

[smilingcat]

I don't think you should worry too much about "level" but instead try to enjoy what you are doing. If you want to be competitive, join a racing club. If you are more into just fun rides who do hundred mile events join a touring club. Lot of times clubs, will have a touring group and hard core racing group and they will allow you to ride with either group (provided you are competent enough for the pace line riding of the race group).

Worry about levels when you get to be a racer with a rating. You will start at cat 4. It's a fun place to be. It can also be quite agonizing...

First thing and the last thing is having fun on your bike.

smilingcat

[MauiRockHopper]

I'm asking because I'm thinking of participating in some week long tours in Spain and some tours are called Level 2 or 3.

[Zen]

If it's not in the FAQ's on their website ask the tour company.

[indysteel]

I'm asking because I'm thinking of participating in some week long tours in Spain and some tours are called Level 2 or 3.

The company should be able to provide more guidance as to what experience/fitness level you'll "need" to do the tour. How many miles will you be riding each day, and does the tour cover hilly terrain?

From my own experience with week long tours, depending on the mileage, they can be tiring. You might want to up your weekly mileage (gradually) to prepare for it. Do long, back-to-back rides. Worry more about endurance than speed and include some hill climbing in your training if the tour itself is hilly.

On my first tour, I was used to riding 150 to 200 miles a week. The tour was in Tennessee, was somewhat hilly and covered about 380 miles over 6 days. I was beat by the end of it. I loved it, though!

[OakLeaf]

On my first tour, I was used to riding 150 to 200 miles a week. The tour was in Tennessee, was somewhat hilly and covered about 380 miles over 6 days. I was beat by the end of it. I loved it, though!

That sounds like going to a fitness convention. After the first day, a few parts hurt as you expect... after the second day, some more parts hurt... after the third day, your eyelashes hurt... but then after the fourth day, you start to feel stronger and feel just WONDERFUL, and then the freakin' thing is OVER. :p

[Crankin]

I have been on tours with 2 different companies. I found that each had their own definition of easy/moderate/challenging. Trek Travel had climbs with 10-15% grades on tours labeled moderate. The people on the tour ranged from racer types who were 20 years younger than me, to people in their 60s riding hybrids. I was sort of in the middle. We didn't go for speed and sometimes didn't do all of the daily mileage (we had short, medium, long options). Mostly I did the medium options, because with all of the climbing, I didn't want to feel dead. Plus, it was rainy and 45 degrees at the beginning and 95 and boiling at the end.
We went to Canada with Classic Adventures and purposely chose a moderate trip that veered on the easy side, because we wanted a vacation, not just 250 miles of riding! I enjoyed myself much more, but the riding was very easy, because of the lack of climbing (there was vicious headwind on 2 of the days). So, you can sort of look and see what type of participants sign up for the company's tours and it might give you an idea.

[Eden]

Every tour company will have their own scale they rate their tours by.... you'll have to find out from them what they consider to be a "level 1" or "level 2".

That said, I would guess its fairly unlikely that they'd rate a level 1 ride as being for beginners who care barely ride a bike.... I would think they would expect anyone planning to do a tour to be more capable than that.... I just looked at one tour web site and their rating system used numbers and letters - numbers for distance and a "level 1" was averaging 30-40 miles/day. Terrain was by letters "A" being easiest.

[indysteel]

I think the other thing to emphasize when it comes to tours is that you can find just about any flavor. I've never taken a European tour, but I have researched enough of them to know that on one end of the spectrum are tours that mimic the professional grand racing tours. On the other end are tours in which cycling is almost an afterthought. They're low mileage, slow, sightseeing type rides. And there's a lot in between. These companies couldn't thrive if they didn't cater to anybody but the most experienced, hard core cyclists.

[MauiRockHopper]

I love you guys, it's so great to have this network of female cyclists. Yeah, I will definetly up my training prior to going, do some long rides for several days in a row.

I know on the tour the mornings are gonna be super tough to get up and ride especially because in Spain people stay up so late (and I'll probably have some of the local wine too). But being a fellow masochist I'm looking forward to the punishment and humiliation :p

[Eden]

Spain is great. My husband and I did a self planned and supported tour there in 2004. We did a big loop Sevilla - Palma del Rio - Cordoba - Zuheros - Alcala La Reale - Granada - Antequerra - Osuna - Carmona - Sevilla. We were there for about two weeks and rode most of them. We did one train transfer because we lost a day's riding (husband strained his back...). In the east it was flat, but very windy. West getting near Cordoba it was much more hilly, though our one day (out of Zuheros) was nearly 20 miles all down hill. We went on to the next town from where we thought we'd stay when it took less than 2 hours to get to the place we'd planned on.

The food is terrific, the wine superb (oh and if you sit at a table in a restaurant you can't just get a glass.... you've got to buy the bottle....) Vegetarians and people who eat Kosher beware though - almost *everything* made in the Andalucia region contains ham of some sort. You'll get sick of gazpacho sooner or later.

[OakLeaf]

If you're following a Spanish meal schedule, then you'll have siesta as well. A ride definitely doesn't seem as long when you have a 3 or 4 hour break in the middle! More like two rides with a decent recovery period in between.

[jobob]

But being a fellow masochist I'm looking forward to the punishment and humiliation :p

That's the spirit! :D

[indysteel]

The first miles each morning of a multi-day tour are tough, especially if there's climbing, but it's amazing how much better you feel once you warm up!

Have fun! It sounds like you've been bitten hard by the road cycling bug! You will find plenty of fellow "sufferers" on TE!

[eclectic]

MauirockHopper

I don't have anything to add because I have never researched or done a European tour but I wanted to say welcome and DARN I was just on Maui for a week in Oct. Having a local to connect w/ before i went would have been awesome.

how do you like riding on Maui? - we saw a lot of roadies out on Sat and the bike lanes were nice. How is it during high tourist season?

You definately have some hills to train on.

we did the Haleakala downhill (unguided) and it was great but next time I would like trying to ride UP (part way anyway) !

Anyway - welcome to the clan! :D

[Triskeliongirl]

I think you are thinking about this wrong, its not about what level rider you are, its the degree of difficulty of the tour, and therefore the prep. work required to enjoy it.

[MauiRockHopper]

Ok since this is now a discussion about where I'm headed in Sept, which
Andalusian tour do you think is better?

http://www.bikespain.info/en/t_andalucia_en.asp

or

http://www.iberocycle.com/sa7and1.htm

Also anybody have tips on Barcelona or Northern Spain?

[malkin]

Wow Maui! Those both look like grand rides!!

I do love cities, and had big fun in Granada (long enough ago that it might as well have been in a previous life) so I'd take that one. For someone who prefered villages though, the other one would be the way to go.

On second thought, I could be ready for a village trip in a matter of minutes too. Just depends on what you're in the mood for.

Can you get any idea of the personality of the organization and the other riders they are likely to attract? That will be a big part of your experience.