Last Place in Bike Tour

I just went on a 2 week bike tour of Virginia and DC with my local CA group. My husband and I are the newest riders (about 1 1/2 years). On the previous tour, there were a lot of different levels of cyclists. This time the group consisted of very experienced riders or people about 20 years younger than I. We averaged around 40 miles a day. It is a distance that I can ride, although I start to get tired after about 30 miles. But everyone was riding so fast! And they barely stopped. I wasn't getting enough food and water. When I would try to keep up, I would end up wearing myself out. The ride was all rolling hills, and no matter how fast you went downhill, you could not make it up to the top of the next hill without getting into the lowest gear.

It was even more frustrating when my DH who only rides about once a week to my 3 or 4 times, was going faster than me and could last longer. He ended up being the only one to ride with me and I felt like I was holding him back. There were a few days when we were joined by some people closer to my speed and I had much more fun. I found that on the one organized ride we went on which had rest stops and lunch, I wasn't even particularly tired after 39 miles.

I had a really hard time not feeling like a slug, even though I know that I am so much stronger than when I began. I rode about 300 miles on this trip. There were good parts, too - meeting new people, going to historical sites. I just wonder how people can go so fast and far, and why, despite all my efforts, I don't seem to be able to do it.

For now, the other option is that you and DH design your own bike touring rides. Carry your own pannier weight. It's good that DH is a stronger rider, it challenges you to keep up with him.

Like us. I've only gone on group rides....at most, once a yr. Rest of the year I ride solo or with someone else, usually my partner on trips. Which I will be this weekend.

It just sounds like group riding right now is not your style until you become stronger /have more stamina. Keep on enjoying cycling and just keep going farther and farther with a few more challenging segments at times.. you will become stronger. But it will mean riding nearly daily (in my opinion) during cycling season.

Becoming more cycling adept and becoming stronger, does mean building cycling into your lifestyle, not just weekend riding.

You could also track your cycling distance each time in a diary/spreadsheet and cumulate the mileage over time. It's a great motivator....and reminder to yourself that you can achieve something in cycling, regardless of how slow you perceive yourself to be.

Two or three years ago, Indysteel and I rode day two of the Horsey Hundred very fast. We felt superhuman as we passed EVERYONE on the rode on this 70 mile trek (the day after a century...)

Then, we remembered it was a TOUR, not a RACE:o

If it's a tour, have fun and compare yourself to your needs/goals and don't worry about the others...

Frankly, I want to congratulate you for what sounds like a great ride:cool:

I do not just ride on the weekends. I ride 3 or 4 times a week between 20-35 miles and it is part of my lifestyle. My odometer just topped 2700 miles on my road bike (the tour was on my Bike Friday) and I wore out my first set of tires. I am fortunate to live in CA where there is no 'cycling season'. I can ride all year except when it's raining. On the other hand, my tall, long-legged husband only rides once a week sometimes. Is it those man muscles that makes it so much easier for him?

Anyway, the dilemma is that I really like the rides planned by this group, but while I was on it, at times I was wondering what I was doing there. I think it is the psychological part that makes it difficult. I know that I need to ride more, and I know I should not compare myself to other people. When the slower people showed up those 2 days, I was actually in the front of the slow group.

Even with regular club rides, there seems to be no 'middle' group. Regulars are too fast and beginners are too slow for me. I do have a few friends here who ride like me and those rides feel great. I am just not that crazy about riding alone. And if I was to ride every day, I would have to ride alone.

I agree with Mr. Bloom. It is a TOUR, not a RACE. The fact that your fellow riders can't understand that is not your fault.

Were you given cue sheets so that you could go at your own pace? If not, you should arrange to have those in future rides. That way, the faster people can go at their pace, and you can go at yours, and no one has to wait or feel like they can't keep up.

I assume that this trip was organized to be a fun tour. It sounds like it has not been for you. I see that as a problem with the tour organizers, given that you ride with them regularly and they presumably invited you on the tour.

What parts of Virginia did you ride through?

BTW, this is a perfect example of how YOU can control your responses to the people around you. You cannot make the other riders slow down, but you can choose to talk to them about it, or let it go. Why add to your unhappiness by beating yourself up?

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Even with regular club rides, there seems to be no 'middle' group. Regulars are too fast and beginners are too slow for me. I do have a few friends here who ride like me and those rides feel great. I am just not that crazy about riding alone. And if I was to ride every day, I would have to ride alone.

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Didn't mean to offend featuretile that you didn't ride often per week.

Great that you have some friends to ride often. Sounds like having supportive person in sight is motivating for you.

I'm not sure what to recommend since you don't want to ride alone.

Part of being slower than a faster pack is learning to be comfortable with oneself on the bike either solo or at least with your DH or friend around if you are unfamiliar with the route.

My dearie has been away in the U.S. for nearly a month now. All the riding I've done daily....has been solo.

But I'll be joining him just north of Seattle this weekend and we'll ride home together to Vancouver.

Here's what I got out of your post:

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Originally Posted by featuretile

I wasn't getting enough food and water.

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No wonder you couldn't keep up! Next time, bring larger/more bottles or wear a Camelbak. Mix HEED or your choice of sports drink into your water and keep pre-measured powder in your jersey pocket to mix when you refill your bottles; or carry gels or shot bloks or your choice of sports nutrition.

Tulip - this is right - what I need to work on!

"BTW, this is a perfect example of how YOU can control your responses to the people around you. You cannot make the other riders slow down, but you can choose to talk to them about it, or let it go."

I was invited on this trip. There was to be a slow group and a fast group. However, on arriving I was the only one in the slow group. There were cue sheets, but there were many turns and sometimes they were not correct. The roads we used in VA are very narrow country roads with no bike lanes. It would not have been a good place to ride by oneself.

We visited Jamestown, Williamsburg, Fredericksburg, Monticello (Jefferson's house), Mt. Vernon (Washington's House), did the RABA tour of Historic Homes in Richmond, and had a tour of the White House. We even had a dinner at the 'Gospel Chicken House'. We camped in backyards and camping grounds and some of us rented cabins in KOA's after too many nights on the ground (2 weeks). And no hurricanes!

The friends that you do enjoy riding with.... Get them to go on the tours with you.

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Originally Posted by featuretile

...We visited Jamestown, Williamsburg, Fredericksburg, Monticello (Jefferson's house), Mt. Vernon (Washington's House), did the RABA tour of Historic Homes in Richmond, and had a tour of the White House. We even had a dinner at the 'Gospel Chicken House'. We camped in backyards and camping grounds and some of us rented cabins in KOA's after too many nights on the ground (2 weeks). And no hurricanes!

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Had I known, I would have gladly ridden with you and offered you a warm shower and a comfortable bed!

Thanks Tulip! What a kind offer. I guess you must live in that area.

And thanks to all the others who replied. I tried a bunch of things on this trip. One day I started early with DH and we made it to the lunch stop at the same time as the others. But they wanted a lead car in the front and a support vehicle in the back so it didn't work all the time. After a few days, I did stop and eat something quickly (like pretzels and dried apricots). I have a waist pack Camelback which I did use, but it was so hot that the water tasted like luke warm bad tea, so I could not get enough down. I would have loved to bring my riding partners on this tour, but either they could not get away because of work, or just don't do camping. Another problem could have been that the Bike Friday is just not as fast as my road bike.

I think I will try to find out who exactly is coming on the next tour and not go on all of them. Unless by some miracle (or a lot of hard work and post-menopausal weight loss - is that possible????), I get faster.

I've gone on several week-long tours on my Bike Friday. I don't know what model yours is, but I have not had any problems with keeping up on mine. Of course, I have not worried about it, either. If people get all fidgety when they have to wait for me, that's their problem, not mine. Some people are always faster than me. It happens on my Luna and on my Bike Friday because I'm just not very fast. And I'm fine with that. I also don't expect the faster riders to wait; I rely on cue sheets and I always carry a map of the area with me. A PAPER map, since GPS is not always available.

Your nutrition is the likely culprit. You must eat and drink properly while riding, particularly on multi-day tours. I hope that you do talk to the people you rode with and let them know that you were not happy with their way of doing things. It might help them understand for future rides.

Yes, I live in Virginia (between the Blue Ridge and the Chesapeake Bay, which is a rather wide area). You were in my neck of the woods. I hope you had fun despite your company.

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Originally Posted by featuretile

Unless by some miracle (or a lot of hard work and post-menopausal weight loss - is that possible????), I get faster.

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Yes it is possible! In the last year, I've lost 60 lbs. It wasn't easy, but it can be done! Along with the weight loss, I now do weight training 5 days a week. Between the two I'm riding a LOT faster and hills are no longer the enemy. And my bike clothes fit so much better! :p bikerHen

I've been nearly the last on a bike tour or 2, but only a one day event. I've had some that felt real good and some I've struggled with and what it all boils down to is how correctly or incorrectly I've eaten in the week prior.

The tour company is really the one at fault here. It's a tour, not a race, and on a tour, the group does not have to stay together. When we went on our tour to the Czech Republic there was a very fast and young group of riders and some newer riders. DH rode with me most of the time, and with the fast group a couple of times. Mostly, they were into getting to the stops to drink...
Since then, we have chosen tours with a little bit less of a difficulty rating, because we are there to see stuff, not just ride. On our tour of Andalucia in May, the daily mileage was only 30, but it was incredibly hilly (we're talking Vuelta routes) and hotter than hell out. Most of the riders were about like me, but everyone is a better descender than me. The sweep stayed behind me, so I didn't end up feeling like a dweeb.
As far as regular rides go, I am the same. I am always in the middle... my average is between 14 and 16 and maybe less on super steep rides. I am happy with that, but I had to search to find a group that rides at my speed.