Average MPH

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Originally Posted by Catrin

I've been avoiding club rides this year because of my experiences last year. There were some nice rides, but in the end I got dropped so fast by everyone that I rode solo anyway...It is a good way to meet other cyclists, but for me I have to meet them at the start of the ride or chances I won't see anyone after the first SAG stop.

This is not about the people I rode with last year, but about my slowness. I've been encouraged to not give up on group rides just yet, and they do allow me to ride places I probably wouldn't otherwise which is nice. There was also the ride I went on last June where I wound up about 45 minutes behind everyone else, so the very kind volunteers at the SAG stops waited for me. I know they didn't mind, but it did bother me they had to wait so long for me - but I didn't let bother me too much - it was a very nice ride!

I did go on one ride last year that was SO huge (2k+ cyclists) that meant I never rolled up to a SAG to find myself the only rider there, and that was nice (the Hope ride).

Of course this year I've a lighter bike, a little more experience and am a little faster, so perhaps I can keep up a little better or find a couple of other people who ride at my speed. I will never know if I don't try it out! There is a club ride I'm considering this weekend, so we will see ;)

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Which one are you thinking about?

If it makes you feel any better, I've done a lot CIBA rides where I rode alone and it had nothing to do with my pace. It just happens. Sometimes you end up in a group and sometimes you don't. Sometimes you find a group at the first stop. But thanks to CIBA, I've met a lot of nice people and have done rides in places I likely never would have on my own.

I should mention that our local club's group rides are not like some. There's a mass start and a marked course, so there's no expectation that you ride at any given pace or with other people. The SAG stops are manned long enough to account for riders riding 10 mph, which is doably for most people, and offer food and water. There are typcially sweep vehicles that make sure nobody's stranded on the course.

If you don't want to do club rides, Catrin, don't do them, but I'd hate for you to avoid them just because of pace. It seems to me that you'd enjoy meeting some more cyclists and/or riding in new areas, and you have gotten stronger since last year. Having done it myself, riding mostly on the NW side does get dull after a while. I've gone through phases where I wanted to ride along more often than not or with a small group of friends, but it's always nice to know CIBA is out there helping cyclists in Indiana have a fun time on the road.

You all are making me really appreciate my club! They break rides down into several groups from casual which is usually under 10mph average all the way up to 20+ mph and those are almost all hilly rides because that is all we have around here except on the eastern shore.

I have been riding with the 10-12mph group the past few weeks and they have been wonderful. Their is always a sweeper that stays back with the slowest rider and so far there has always been 1 main ride leader and then some others that are ride leaders of other rides but they help keep track of everyone in the group. W don't ride in pace lines in this group it is a more social type ride but some people go faster, more 13-14mph and some slower but we all regroup along the way.

I have been averaging 12+ mph on these rides and feel pretty good about that. I will never be a speed demon but I am hoping that my 12+ mph on all of these hills will translate into a much higher average when I do some longer rides I am planning for in the fall, hopefully a century that is fairly flat compared to where i ride now.

I must say that these aren't training or shop rides. CIBA is quite good about scheduling rides across the region most weekends that head out across the countryside with nice long loops :) They do a lot of nice things for cyclists in the region - and the non-repeating weekend/holiday rides are just a small part of what they do.

Thanks for the encouragement Indy, there are certainly good points about the CIBA rides, and I really enjoyed the one you helped organize last year. There is one in NW Indy I will ride Saturday - basically because I can "ride to the ride" I do appreciate the chance to meet other cyclists, and it is true that I am stronger than last year - yippeee!

Frankly, I think a part of me is more nervous about meeting another war dog or two in areas I am unfamiliar with than I've recognized, and I just need to get over that. The odds of a similar situation happening is quite slim - and my invisible purple chainmail leggings will help prevent a repeat :D I just need to get out there and do a club ride outside of my usual riding grounds once, I think that is what is really going on here. hmmmmm My pace hasn't bothered me before...

Your fear of dogs is completely understandable. I've not even been attacked, and they scare me. Remember that more often then not, you will just be chased. Remember to yell at them to go home or get back. Stop your bike if you must until they retreat. You can do this!!! Just keep your eyes peeled. Have fun on Saturday. I haven't done that one before. Sadly, I haven't done a CIBA ride since last July. :(

Here's another tip: keep the maps from the rides and note what color/shape Dan Henry's it used. Then you can go back and do the route on your own if you like it.

Great to read this thread - I'm a super slow-poke but I don't ride as often as I would like thanks to a bum ankle. Today was only my second ride of this year and boy did those first 6 or 7 miles kill me. In the end I did 21 miles in about 1 hour 39 minutes - and I typically average 11 or 12 mph.

I have trained with a team for a century with Team in Training. I was 50 pounds overweight on a hybrid and had never ridden in my life - I upgraded to a great Trek road bike but in the 17 weeks of training for that century I think I finished last of a team of 25 each week. That helped me to not worry about being dropped and not really care how slow I was. I would get so excited just to finish, speed never seemed to be a thing for me. On the actual century I averaged 14 mph for the first 50 and literally like 10 for the last 50. It took me 9:47 (with stops) but I was so happy I finished I didn't care.

Riding with a group is very tough - I enjoy riding alone now except I get very nervous about mileage getting too high (being in remote areas) and riding roads I don't know. But I do find when I have riders around me and when I was on the team it did push me at times when I wouldn't have. And my coach HAMMERED into me to put myself in my biggest gear and push push down the hills - sure does push your average up - but I don't think it counts as much.

gabriellesca, thanks very much for your post! I, too, am a slow rider, and am working on getting faster so I can do a century. You give me hope!