newbie intro and more....

hello there ladies-

i am doing my first century ride in tahoe june 3rd. it is with team in training. there are days i wonder can i really do it? i am training in chicago, certainly no hills to train on and the elevation is like 600ft above sea level. all i know is that i want to cross the finish line. i am pretty competive with myself but i am focusing on that i will do the best i can with what i have to work with. it is exciting and scary!

there are so many types of clothing out there and i am still looking for a good short. i have a pair by perfomance but they hurt. i just bought some chafing lotion from a bike store. i don't know if that is my solution or if i could use a better short. can i get some feedback on what shorts you like.

letting off some steam: i was asked to do this century ride with a woman i know from the gym. we are aquaintances and not really friends. i am also doing the ride with this woman's husband and her very close friend. her close friend's son died about 2 years ago from leukemia. he was 8 1/2. the ride is for raising money leukemia/lymphoma. i said yes to do the ride because i have always wanted to do distance rides and it is for a good cause. i thought when i was asked to join them there would be a team attitude into training. i did not expect a friendship to blossom.

i have been excluded from almost every aspect of what the other three are doing to prepair for the ride. i am doing what i need to do for myself but i feel there should have been some sort of team attitude and etiquette since i was asked to join them. my attitude is that, aside from their exclusionary actions, i will enjoy this to my best ability. it is just not the way i would have envisioned doing my first ride.

Tigerrose, welcome to TE. I am sorry that your riding buddies aren't being inclusive. the good news is; you know about this before the ride so you have no false illusions about what it will be when you ride the ride.
find some other riding buddies!

good luck. why don't you find our "introduce yourself" thread and join in the fun?

Mimi

Welcome to TE. That's unfortunate that your team is excluding you. Is there any chance that there's been a misunderstanding on their part that you'd like to train with them? Would you feel comfortable talking to them about it? In any event, you CAN do it. Just keep with your training plan. Is there are a local cycling club or group rides in your area? Notwithstanding your team's standoffishness, perhaps you could ride with other people in your area and, if you're interested, make some friends in the process.

As for shorts, I'm not a big fan of Performance brand anything. I would suggest looking at the selection that Team Estrogen offers. No one short is going to work for everybody, but I think you're better off investing in a more expensive short, preferably one with 8 panels. I personally use PI Ultrasensor shorts. They're kind of long, which I like, the material is more substantial than some (I feel like of locked and loaded wearing them), they have a higher rise in the back, and the chamois doesn't chafe me. They're not cheap, but well worth the money.

Good luck and let us know how the ride goes.

If you're training by yourself, you may be more comfortable doing the ride by yourself. I ride by myself most of the time and sometimes have issues riding with a group. I'm facing the opposite problem with a group I've been loosely training with. We are doing an organized ride next weekend and, because I ride at my own pace and do my own thing I'm hoping I will not be expected to stay with the group for the whole ride. Sounds kinda of selfish, but this is a hilly ride that I can only do at my own pace. :eek: If I need to stop, I need to stop. If I'm feeling good, and want to ride, I want to ride! I still enjoy myself, pick up conversations with other riders along the way, and generally have a great time. Except for all the hills. :rolleyes:

I guess what I'm getting at, while it sounds like the rest of the "team" is rather rude, don't let it stop you from having a great ride. Riding by yourself can be great fun and a lot less stressful. bikerHen

Tigerrose - one thing to look forward to is how beautiful it should be at Tahoe in June! Even if you end up riding by yourself, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery. That's early enough in the season that the tourist crowds and traffic shouldn't be too bad. Have you ever been to Tahoe before? There is quite a bit of flat riding around the lake but also some pretty impressive climbs. I'm sure you'll do fine. I am hoping to be ready to ride around Tahoe by the end of summer. :)

thank you all for your word of encouragement and support.

to answer indysteel first, yes i have talked to them about working as a team. my words had little impact. i was not accusatory, i used the "i" approach instead of "you". i said my peace and need to say no more. i am close to 39 and junior high was a long time ago. life is busy enough for me already. playing games takes too much time and energy.

so i will be just fine and i will make it. there are other clubs to ride with but i still want to do the saturday rides with the whole illnois team in training crew. life lived, lessons learned and yes a beautiful ride to boot!!!

thanks again!!!!

:D

Welcome!

There are a lot of good threads in the Apparel section about shorts. Read up! I would also recommend finding a good LBS and trying on a few things. It's nice to be able to feel the fabric.

Enjoy your ride! I am hoping to do a century at the end of the summer. Let us know how yours goes!

tigerrose, welcome :D

Maybe these people are oblivious? Even though you said what you needed to say, some people aren't sensitive to those things. You're better off where you are then and congrats for continuing on with your training!

There is nothing wrong with riding by yourself but maybe there are some group rides around where you are? Check cycling clubs. I often get locked into riding by myself and the downsides are: a) I always go my own pace, b) I always go my own routes so I'm limited by my own concept of where I want to ride, and c) I forget group riding etiquette. I think a mix of both types of training are good.

I second and third what other people have said about Performance shorts. OUCH! I use mine for spinning class or the gym and that's it. Check out the reviews here and also talk to the TE people. I have yet to shop here (soon, next month's budget!) but I've heard wonderful reviews of the customer service. I also like the fact that when you look at things like shorts (yes, I look around because I have an ongoing "wish list"!) you can look at the chamois and there is a detailed description.

Good luck!!! I think you'll do great -

Just ignore those other gals on your supposed team. You can always thank them for getting you motivated to do something you have always wanted and go on and have fun on a bike for the rest of your life!

If you are training, you will do just fine in Tahoe. It is at altitude, so drink plenty of water once you get there and while you ride. It is really important to be hydrated at altitude and also be careful of the sun it is hotter and will burn easier at altitude.

The ride around the Lake is stupendous. It is one of the most beautiful rides I have ever done so enjoy the views! There are equally good climbs and downhills. I rode a ride around the lake years ago - it was my first 100 miler. It was not an organized ride, but I started with my husband, and a couple of friends of his (men) and I planned and rode it by myself cause hubby thought I could not keep up. I left before them - they never caught up! LOL! (I know my husband would have, but not his friends) Boys will be boys! The hills are fairly long, but just go at your own pace, don't push too hard since you are altitude and you will not be used to it and MOST OF ALL ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE!