Intimidated!

[KMEichhorn]

Hello all,

This is my first post, although I've been reading for about a year now! :o

I've been riding for a little over a year - started on my mountain bike, and moved to a Specialized Dolce - which I love. I had been riding with one of my co-workers, but he retired in April, and is starting a cross country tour this week - so I'm without my riding buddy!

I like riding 25 -30 miles, and can average about 14.5 mph. I've ridden up to 55 miles at a time- I was tired at the end...but had a great time.

I'm intimidated by my local cycling club. I've been a lurker on their listserv for a year...just worried I won't be fast enough, won't have the right gear, etc. etc. I just purchased clipless shoes/pedals today - they will be installed when I have a fitting on July 1st. Any tips on joining a club ride for the first time?

Our club, in conjunction with a LBS has women on wheels rides weekly as well - I'm thinking that might be a good place to start?

I'd love to get some of my friends riding with me - but that hasn't happened yet! :rolleyes:

Thanks in advance for your responses - and for all the other bits of wisdom I've picked up here over the past year!

-Katherine

[marni]

talk to the guys and gals at the local LBS and see if they have any weekly rides for beginners, most do. I would also contact the leader of the women on wheels ride and explain where you are at speed wise and endurance wise and see if the ride is suitable. Most women's groups are fairly flexible, a lot more so than mens or men lead mixed groups, in my experience.

Learn to enjoy riding single. It is an ideal opportunity to build up steady hour speeds, challenge yourself to intervals and push your speed without having to apologize for slowing down, stopping to take a drink, breath etc.

I tend to organize my rides so that one is a long hours easy pace, the next is short, sharp and hard with lots of 1 minute sprints and longer sessions of 5-15minutes of maxing out speed. The third is for long mileage in a moderately brisk pace and anything after that is just easy spinning.

I do like riding in a group but there aren't many opportunities so I have learned to enjoy my solo rides.

Good luck and welcome to the adventure.

marni

[TsPoet]

I understand your reluctance! We have 2 clubs in town, a "roadie" club and a "relaxed" club. So, as suggested, check with your LBS and ask around.
From personal experience, though - you'll do great!
I first joined the relaxed club about 5 years ago, after only doing easy Mt. Biking for the 10 previous years and having never really ridden on the road... and when I showed up for a start I found I was the only one wearing shorts and a T-shirt, but it was easy for me to determine who at the bagel shop were part of the ride. I timidly walked up to the oldest guy in the group - he was in his 70s, I'd guessed and for some reason less intimidating to me. Turned out he was in his mid-80s and had just climbed Mt. Rainier, but that's another story.
(http://www.theentertainernewspaper.com/writers/brich/aug06.html )
anyway... I was more than welcomed, they were enthusiastic and happy to have a new rider. I'm not positive, but I think 1 of them was "assigned" to me - as a very nice gentleman road the whole loup with me and gave me pointers and just chatted.
I now belong to the serious club - the on that has time trials every Tuesday night and serious fast-paced road rides on the weekends. I am not like them, I'm a casual rider who can't keep up. But, I really enjoy them, they are friendly and encouraging and helpful and don't care that I'm not able to keep up. I often see them on the weekends when I am slowly riding around and they shout "hellos" at me and have invited me to join with them.
The Tuesday night time trials are the only "races" that they do that I participate in, and I'm about 45th place out of 50 people and I've shown up for all the races, whereas many haven't (so I have extra points for just showing up). I get shouted at a lot - way to go, see you at the finish line...
Sorry to be so long-winded, but I think my stories are typical of a lot of bike clubs - they are out to enjoy riding and are supportive and fun.
If yours isn't, then you never have to go again. Also, the rare stories I've heard about un-welcoming clubs often seem to be individuals, not the club and/or there always seems to be another club in town that you can switch to.
So, go for it, and have fun no matter what!

[KMEichhorn]

Thanks for your responses ladies.

I definitely do enjoy riding solo - I like being able to go where I want when I want. :D

[westtexas]

Don't be intimidated. I was at first because my first group ride was with two of the mechanics from the local bike shop right after I moved to the place I live now. They are much more advanced riders than me and I was kind of freaking out. But I am SO glad I did it. Now I am really good friends with all the mechanics in the shop and the shop owner and manager and I really enjoy hanging out and riding with them. They've also introduced me to lots of other people in the town that ride and I have found group rides I really enjoy that aren't posted at the shop. I can't make the big Wednesday night right we have for everyone anymore (I'm still at work when it starts), but through meeting them I have found many other rides that are happening all over the place all the time. I highly suggest getting to know the folks at the shop, they are invaluable, and if they are any good will really help you find a good group for those days you don't want to ride alone.

Another note on riding with groups is that you don't have to worry about talking all the time or necessarily keeping up. I am often very quiet during rides (the opposite of my normal personality) and just like to listen to everyone else's conversations around me. And there will always be people in the back of the pack - as well as way in the front!

I say go for it :)