Finally, an introduction!

I've been lurking on the forum and finally I'm inspired to write.

I'm new to riding and I just bought a road bike a week ago and I went on my second "real" ride (rather than just up and down the street) today.

I have been riding on a hybrid (Trek) for about a year, with SPD clips, but it wasn't cutting anymore even though it had road bike tires on it. The Specialized I'm riding now is much better (faster!) and today I had my ride with a real "pelaton".

Except... it wasn't a good ride. The guys ended up going 20 mph, rather than the 15-16 mph average they told me the "beginner" "no-drop" ride was supposed to be!

I, thankfully, had gotten a couple of other friends to ride with me, so we ended up just riding on our own. We met the group back where we started. So much for the leader's assertion that we wouldn't be dropped. :rolleyes:

But I'm excited to really get into this sport more seriously and one of the older gentlemen of the group wants to help us get to speed, so we'll ride again with him next week.

Anyway, I'm glad I found this forum! I'm looking forward to getting to learn more and share.

Welcome, and congratulations on your new bike! Any more details?

I'm sorry that the ride wasn't as good as it could have been, but hopefully that will improve.

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Originally Posted by Gypsy

Except... it wasn't a good ride. The guys ended up going 20 mph, rather than the 15-16 mph average they told me the "beginner" "no-drop" ride was supposed to be!

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Ahem...in the bike club I used to be a member of, beginner rides were in the 10-12 mph range, and only "A" paced rides had speeds > 17 mph average. 20 mph average is simply ridiculous to be billed as any kind of a beginner ride! If you're already doing 15-16 mph, you're considered "B" paced by most clubs and way past a beginner pace, so don't feel bad at all. Those guys are deluded... :mad:

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Welcome, and congratulations on your new bike! Any more details?

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It's a red and white Specialized Dolce Sport Comp, if I am not mistaken. Lovely red handlebars! It's actually a bike that fits. I was riding on a Trek 7.3, with road tires, but it wasn't the same and it probably fit as well as possible, but it wasn't perfect.

I was scared to get a road bike because I thought it would be harder and more dangerous to be on and I used fall off the Trek plenty! Now I realize it's because the Trek isn't "right" for me. When I got on the Specialized, it felt like it was an extension of my body. So nice!

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Originally Posted by emily_in_nc

Ahem...in the bike club I used to be a member of, beginner rides were in the 10-12 mph range, and only "A" paced rides had speeds > 17 mph average. 20 mph average is simply ridiculous to be billed as any kind of a beginner ride! If you're already doing 15-16 mph, you're considered "B" paced by most clubs and way past a beginner pace, so don't feel bad at all. Those guys are deluded... :mad:

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Agreed. Sadly. And they didn't even apologize for it... when they arrived, the first thing they said was "Where did you guys go?" Uh, well, nowhere, and you would have known that had you not taken off at 20 mph.

This morning, the group rode past our little girl group. That's right. We do ride. :D

Hey ladies! This is just so inspiring to read the personal experiences here..I'm quite new to biking..But full of enthusiasmus ;)

Ditto Emily. I have just recently gotten to the 15-17 mph range in a paceline. 20 is definitely NOT a beginner pace. Sounds to me like you're doing great. Oh and welcome to TE.........enjoy the ride.

All these rides are still in outer space to me. I am lucky to average 12 to 13mph. But that is 4mph fast than I was last spring when I started really riding. Before the weather ended my riding a few weeks ago I started riding with a heart rate monitor to make sure that I was in the right zone and pushing appropriately. I was.

Hard to get fit after 56 years of *** sitting. :)

The one thing I dislike about being so slow is finding people to ride with me. I'll be in southeast Texas by next week. Maybe I can find some old people from the rv parks who ride.

I hear this a lot. a newby goes on a "beginner" ride and the guys make it into a race. That is REALLY not very nice. I hope you said something to them!!!
keep looking you will find better people to ride with.
and welcome to TE!

Welcome Lizz and Gypsy to the forum. Love the color of your new road bike. I also avg. between 12-14 mph on a ride. Maybe its because I spend time looking at the scenery too much. You see many more things on you bike than driving. Sounds to me like the guys were just acting macho, you don't need them. Enjoy your rides.

Welcome Gypsy & Liz!

Gypsy - I really cannot fathom a beginner riding group that rides at 20 mph. I average about 10 mph on my folder, and would have cried if that happened to me. To be honest, it's the reason I don't go on group rides. I don't have enough confidence that I can keep up....at least not yet, but hopefully I'll get there.

Glad to have you on board!

So, a 20 mph ride is considered "beginner"? That indeed is just plain delusion. It does sound like you found someone to ride with though, so kudos to you, and welcome!

#1 rule of enjoying riding.........find some other woman to ride with!!!!!!!! I started mt biking with my sons (sweet bought me a bike for mothers day cuz we have always backpacked together) BUT they demoralized and killed me riding,............ until I connected with the Luna Chix training team and found out "50 yr old women DO NOT go off 6 ft ramps!!!!!) lol now I ride with my sons too,.but do the go a rounds or say...meet ya.........