My first group ride...

Cheers on starting the group ride thing! I jsut started riding with a group myself and have found it fun, challenging, frustrating and helpful all at once. Your decription illustrates how that is possible. I'm finding that I'm improving a lot faster with groups than I would in my own little hubby bubble. Not that hubby bubble is a bad thing, but mixing things up is even better:) It is funny how few women show up to the rides in my club too. I think back on my own hesitation to join and I know why that is. It is a good thing you are considering, to encourage other women to ride:cool:

An interesting development today along the group riding theme....

That fellow Ed with the local new club that I did my very first group ride with last sunday cancelled tomorrow's ride due to temps in the 30's. But DH and I don't mind the 30's at all, so we are riding anyway this weekend...

So we went to town for our usual breakfast before our ride, leaving our two bikes outside the cafe. After a while I saw a guy in bike garb sitting outside with his coffee (at 28 degreesF) and saw that he had a recumbant bike there. Cool! He came in for a refill and I was going to ask him about his bike when he came up to us and said "I just had to stop here and see who belonged to the two Rivendells out there." :)
Turns out this guy is the president of a large cycling group that covers a big area (NY Mohawk/Hudson region) including ours. A lot of their rides are quite a ways from us, but there a few nearer us as well. They are large enough so that they have different level rides always plainly described. He lives in a town not far from us. He asked if he could join us on our little ride today, and so the 3 of us went for a very lovely 18 mile ride through the country before we parted ways and he headed another direction towards his home. We had a great time.
His recumbant was really cool. But weird how from the back he looks like he's only a torso with no legs! :eek: :eek: He says people say that all the time, but that people also ask him if he can walk- they think the recumbant is like a special wheelchair bike or something. :cool:
We all chatted while we rode and found out we had music in common as well- I never felt like he wanted to go faster than our usual pace (though I know he easily could have)- it was very enjoyable and no pressure. He told me there was a 70 year old lady in a town near us who last year led a wednesday evening ride every week of 10-13mph level- just about my speed! I am now waiting to hear from her via email. I could really feel at ease in a ride like that I think. I hope she is still planning to do it this year.

This was an exciting and very fun day for me! :p :p

Sounds like a good day. I would love to try out a 'bent.

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Originally Posted by Lisa S.H.

DH and I don't mind the 30's at all, so we are riding anyway this weekend...

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Wow! What hardy folks you are!!!:D :D

Lisa, it sounds like you are disocovering the social side of cycling, which I think it great. As an adult, I find its much harder to make friends than when we were students. However, group riding gives you an instant connection with people. I have found that I have a lot in common with people that ride, and its not just the riding we have in commin, its the kind of people that like to ride. While most of our socializing takes place on the bike, we do have holiday parties, baby showers, wedding showers, etc. As we are nearly empty nesters, I have enjoyed expanding my social circle.