My first group ride...

I am a bit nervous...I am going on my first group ride tomorrow.

We live in a rural area- little hamlets, houses, farms and rolling hills and fields and woods everywhere...highways and back dirt roads.
Last Thursday DH and I were riding and I started getting an upset stomach. Not nausea, just pain like sharp gas pains under my lower rib area in the stomach. I *think* it was from the badly timed HUGE bowl of granola I ate just before DH asked me to go for a ride. Anyway, we kept stopping to rest and that would help temporarily but it got worse each time I started riding again (anyone get this? I'd love to know if so). Finally it got so bad I felt I had to lie down! There was a sunny field of dry grass right next to the road...nowhere else to sit...so I lay my bike down and just lay on my back on the grass in the sun, and DH sat next to me so hopefully it would look like we were just resting. Happily, my stomach began to feel MUCH better as soon as I stretched out on my back and relaxed.
After a couple of minutes, an RV stopped on the road and a guy hollered out asking if we were ok. We got up and went over to reassure him (I was feeling way better). Turns out he had moved to our county recently from NYC and was a cyclist, a small tour arranger, and a "personal cycling trainer" and he had just started a cycling club for our county. I'm not sure if there were any "official" groups already in our area or not, but we didn't know of any. I'm thinking he does this bike stuff as a side line or else he's retired early or something.
He gave us a card and it just so happened that his first arranged club ride was going to be this Sunday starting out from the town right next to ours. He said he had gotten together a little group of various riders for this. He said many of them were "C+" riders, which kind of put me off in its way of competitively rating people, but I try to not judge people too hastily.

DH and I love our little rides with just us two on back country farm roads, and occasionally with another friend or couple. We like the quietness, and the non-competitiveness of it. It's like eating food slowly and really enjoying it. So DH was not much wanting to go to this club ride tomorrow. But I asked him to go with me just once, and then after that we could both make our own decisions whether to continue or not. He agreed tentatively. So after breakfast in town, we'll ride the 4 or so miles to the next town to arrive at their starting place at 10:30. (They start late to give the temperature a chance of hitting 40 degrees first)

One of my fears is that there will be mostly two kinds of riders there that I won't enjoy riding with- ....people who don't have common sense and might do dangerous things that put me in serious traffic jeopardy....and people who are show-off speed roadies who simply want to go as fast as possible.
I also have a fear that *I* might do something stupid because I've never ridden in a group of more than 6 people before! :rolleyes: :cool:

I'm hoping to maybe meet one or more like-minded local people that DH and I might really enjoy riding with on our own at another time.
The other good thing is that the 20 mile route is familiar to me and I know it is not beyond my ability. I guess that's a big thing! ;) The guy hinted that there were options afterwards for those who wanted more of a challenge.

Despite my doubts, I still am looking forward to this strange and new experience! I figure at the very least I will learn a thing or two. :o

Good luck!

I've found that a group ride is only as good as its' leader. So hopefully your leader is good!

Some rides I've been on have suffered from: poor leadership, no one to really step up and lay down the rules, too large of a group b/c too few group leaders so Bs and Cs are riding together which results in a splitting of the group and getting lost, people that don't know the 'rules' of road riding, can't keep an even pace, don't understand the idea of calling out road obstacles and hazards, unwillingness to ride singlefile on a road and thereby pissing off drivers.

I have, on the other hand, been involved in rides where: leaders were clear and rules were stated at the start of the ride, start times were prompt, cue sheets were handed out, speed classes were correctly seperated, people who participated in the ride were aware of the rules and courtesies of the road.

So basically, if this group ride isn't a good experience, dont' write off the idea of a group ride in general. There's good and bad ones.

But have fun! I like riding by myself and with friends, but I also do enjoy the occasional group ride. Plus it allows for riding on roads and areas I'm not as familiar with, which is always fun.

Also, as to the 'classism' thing... it's really not for any type of elitism or anything, it's more to ensure that no one is left behind in a possibly unsafe situation. I wouldn't ride with an A group because I'd be left in the dust. It's a good way of making sure people ride in the correct group, so it's more enjoyable for them and for everyone else!

HAVE FUN MOST IMPORTANTLY!

K.:D

C+ ? how do you know what your grade is?
I agree about a good leader. All he has to do is go over some basic rules in the beginning and most folks will do their best to follow them.

I look forward to your ride report.

Lisa, I want to read your ride report too.

I don't participate in group rides, other than event rides, for the same reasons you stated. I am so happy biking out on the rural farm roads, going wherever I want, and at my own pace, stopping when I want, that I fail to see how a club ride can improve my situation and add to my contentment and satisfaction level. Actually the only club there is in my area is a group of males who ride out of the LBS in the small town outside of which I live. The LBS asked me to join their rides and I said no thanks. The LBS has already acknowledged that I have put more than triple the miles on my bike this year than anyone that participates in their group rides, so I just can't see why I would want to waste riding time going along with any of them.

I will interested in reading your review.

I think you and your husband should try the event rides like I do. They are fun.

Darcy

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Originally Posted by mimitabby

C+ ? how do you know what your grade is?

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I'm an "F", for "fabulous".:D

Lisa S.H., it sounds beautiful where you are!!! I don't know if I'd give up all that tranquility for a group ride but I applaud your bravery.

I'd say what everyone else is saying. There will be wonderful people and there is a chance you'll ride with people you can't wait to get away from. I think it's a chance to meet people (always a good thing!), learn things and move outside your comfort level a bit. I ride by myself a LOT and consequently I got locked into my own way of thinking. Same goes for pace...I ride where I'm comfortable and that isn't always good. Oh and routes, I don't learn new ones and there are times people have discovered really great places to ride that I never thought of. There are times for solitude but riding can also be so social!!

I've been in group situations (even in spinning class!) where someone just grates on me. Hang with the people you like, ignore those who bother you, and you might make some great friends. If worse comes to worse, it's temporary!!!

Good luck --- and I'm jealous! I long for rural roads and rolling hills.

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Originally Posted by teigyr

Good luck --- and I'm jealous! I long for rural roads and rolling hills.

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Thanks all you gals, it's encouraging to read your comments. :)
Will report back afterwards. Going to bed now....
and teigyr- I just wish I could roll UP our rolling hills as smoothly as I roll DOWN them! ;)

what I like about group rides is that they can take me places I've never been
and as long as it is a good group (ie good leader again) they don't lose you.

If I tried to do THESE kinds of rides, I would get lost, or end up at the bottom of a huge hill on either side clueless as to which hill i need to grind up... Those kinds of perils don't happen when someone who is leading knows the way.

Don't worry about the C+ thing, its just a way of letting you know the expected pace of the group. Racers would only show up for an A ride, and even B pace can be quite brisk (paceline, etc), so C is really consistent with the way you say you like to ride. Have fun and give us a report!

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Originally Posted by mimitabby

what I like about group rides is that they can take me places I've never been
and as long as it is a good group (ie good leader again) they don't lose you.

If I tried to do THESE kinds of rides, I would get lost, or end up at the bottom of a huge hill on either side clueless as to which hill i need to grind up... Those kinds of perils don't happen when someone who is leading knows the way.

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+1...when I ride solo I have the same few routes and do not expand on my horizens unless I am with my dh or friend (or both) :)

I was nervous before my first club ride last year, but ended up having a wonderful time. I plan on making more time this year to do more. My friend thinks I will do just fine on a A ride, but I know I will feel more comfortable with the B's.

I hope the ride goes well for you tomorrow and I look forward to reading your report.

~ JoAnn

Hey there Lisa
Looking forward to hearing how it went.

The thing that blew me away on my first group ride was how fast i was going, and half the time I was coasting.

Group rides gave me a real appreciation and understanding of what a difference drafting can make. :p

Ok, so....I survived! :eek: :) :cool:

Actually, it was a positive experience for me. The leader "Ed", moved here last summer, and he only led a couple of rides last fall and then today's was the first of the new season. There were only 5 of us- Ed, me, my DH, and two other middle aged guys. (I think many people still aren't riding yet this spring because it's just barely 40 degrees by 10:30am).
Anyway, all 3 fellow riders were very nice friendly guys, not the least bit snobby or competitive or unsafe, etc. Nothing I had feared came about.
I kept a bit of space in front of me while riding for my own peace of mind. I wouldn't even know how to go about "drafting" and I'm new to riding as a group. I still feel only comfortable riding close behind DH because we know each other so well.

I learned I am supposed to point out every little road hazard. This was pretty funny because DH & I have steel bikes with a sort of touring geometry that permits wider tougher tires, and we typically ride brutally rocky gravel roads and over tractor ruts and holes and mud and such, and we never get flats. These guys were on THIN THIN tires and were pointing out every teensy wimpy imperfection in the road, almost every pebble! DH and I had to refrain from laughing about it, and I felt pretty silly pointing at little bitty rocks or road dimples all over the place that I normally just ride right over. But hey, I was a good girl and did it dutifully and with a straight face! :D There were a couple things like glass, big holes, and fallen branches that definitely needed to be pointed out.
The other thing I found amusing was that they called out "car back" like every 30 seconds as we rode down the highway. Of COURSE there are "car back"'s....it's a HIGHWAY fer gosh sakes!!! Am I nuts, or shouldn't we just EXPECT there to be cars behind us at any given moment on a busy highway? Maybe I'm clueless here... but DH and I only call out "CAR!" when we're on remote backroads where it's infrequent, poor visibility, or sometimes unexpected for a car to come along behind you.
In general though I was glad that these guys seemed to err way on the cautious side. Sure better than the opposite extreme, right? :rolleyes:

We rode a fairly easy 20 mile route (25 for DH and me, cause we rode to the starting point in the next town from us, rather than driving there). The route was on roads we ride all the time (except it eliminated some of the very prettiest roads we love that are gravel and dirt). But I felt good that I knew the roads and didn't need to feel nervous at all about what might lie ahead.
The leader Ed quickly discovered that DH knew the local roads and cycling routes better than he did, and started asking DH to lead rides in the future! That was rather unexpected, and even if it doesn't happen, I think it was a compliment and nice of him to do that. I like men who don't feel threatened by little ego stuff.

All 4 men were able to leave me in the dust on every hill, but I had expected that- first of all they are men, and also they've all been biking and skiiing for years, unlike me. DH stayed in back of me so I wouldn't feel left out when I was crawling up the hills in my granny gear (he's always that thoughtful). Everyone waited at the top for us to catch up. On the levels and downhills, I was able to keep up with them. I do suspect they purposely rode a little bit slower than normal for my benefit, but it seemed to me that everyone was having a good time, and they did a lot of pleasant social chatting while riding. That also put me at ease, because it meant it was not a serious competitive kind of thing. We passed other lone bikers, one of whom wanted to join up next week. Of the 20 or so other bikers I saw today, only one was another woman.

I don't think DH had a "bad" time, but neither do I know whether he actually would want to do it again. I know enough to let him be about it, and I'll decide later in the week if I want to do it regularly. I do think I would enjoy it occasionally. These are very nice and considerate men. :)
At the end I asked ED if he felt I was holding things back with my hill crawling, and he said the main idea was to have a group ride where everyone enjoyed themselves. So he made me feel welcome. :)

Yay, I did it! :) :)

Thank YOU, TE sisters, for your words of encouragement...they actually made me less nervous this morning going in. :p

You could have done a lot worse!

riders with manners and caution, gee.. After some of the idiots I had to share the road with yesterday, I can appreciate your good fortune.

Congrats, Lisa SH! I'm glad it worked out so well for you.

It looks like I'm (finally) going on my first even ride on Saturday, and I'm a tad nervous about that. I'm wondering how wacked out it will be, since I'm only accustomed to riding alone or with my husband, just like you.

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Originally Posted by pooks

Congrats, Lisa SH! I'm glad it worked out so well for you.

It looks like I'm (finally) going on my first even ride on Saturday, and I'm a tad nervous about that. I'm wondering how wacked out it will be, since I'm only accustomed to riding alone or with my husband, just like you.

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I'll be right here rootin' for you, girl!!! :) :)

another nice thing about group rides, creepy drivers tend to leave large groups alone.

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Originally Posted by mimitabby

another nice thing about group rides, creepy drivers tend to leave large groups alone.

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Interestingly, the only sour note for the day was when we 5 were cycling down the two way main street going through a small town (main street being about 3 blocks long). We were going down our lane single file, parked cars on our right, double yellow line on our left, and no shoulder, just the sidewalks. A car came the other way down main street, towards us, and passed by in his own lane, and we were nowhere near him or or his lane of course. As he passed, the driver, in his 50's with a really red angry face yelled out his open window at us "GET OFF THE F___ING ROAD!!!!". We were pretty amazed. I suspect he may have spontaneously exploded further down the road, and if so, he won't be bothering anyone anymore.

Lisa, I am :D VERY HAPPY:D your group ride went well for you and DH!! I agree, group rides can be intimidating when you don't know what to expect - so glad yours was a good experience! Once you find the "right group", group rides can be really fun because you get to know more people and may even help someone or learn a thing or two to help you with your own cycling ... all good! :cool:

As for the "pointing things out and yelling car back", that is pretty standard in road group rides. Personally, I ride on skinny tires but don't point out everything -- just those things that could really damage someone such as road kill, tree limbs, large rocks, and potholes/road dips. As for "Car Back", I get tired of always saying it and there is many a time where I will yell "lots of cars back and they still keep coming!" ... then I quit yelling. Most of the time, everyone else stops calling too unless there is a long lull in traffic and a car pops-up or a large truck, boat, etc. is coming. Also, I have noticed we use the "car back" alot when the group tends to get wider than single file or starts to wander into the lane a little more than we should ... just to try and keep everyone aware of surroundings and safe. Of course there are those who will constantly point and yell throughout the ride and it is nice to have them along because without them we may all run into something and hit a car!! :p :D :eek:

Welcome to group riding!!! ;)

I think the main thing about calling objects and cars is because if you're in a true paceline then you won't be able to see, well, anything other than the hips and bum of the one in front of you. So if there is something to see, they need to alert you, likewise, the last person on the line will be the first to know about a car and can oftentimes be the only way the people up front can be prepared for one coming up.

Calling out every car, though, on a busy road... well it does get old. Unless it's something large and shoulder-hogging like a trash truck or schoolbus...

Anyway glad your ride went well!

K.

Lisa, it is great your adventure turned out to be so pleasant. It is a good attribute to possess, and that is to always try something new, then make a decision about it after having had the experience.

For those of you who said you bike the same roads, just go onto Mapquest, input your starting point, and from there zoom in on the map and hit the NSWE buttons to follow different roads. This way you can map out all sorts of new routes to bike on. Try the new roads, and if the roads are not feasible, then try other roads. Cycling should always be fun and an adventure.

Lisa, if you don't have this link, review the event rides at this site. New events are added all the time, so you need to review the site once a week or so. Input the name of your state, and the site will tell you all of the event rides for your state. Go on one ride and see how you like it.

http://www.bikeride.com/calendar/events.asp

Darcy

Lisa,

I enjoyed reading your report of your first group ride. It surprised me also yelling out "car back" and pointing out problems in the road the when I rode with the club last year. Needless to say when I followed suit and felt like quite the cyclist.

I am happy it turned out to be an enjoyable experience for you and your dh.

~ JoAnn

Lisa, glad you had a safe and enjoyable ride. Another comment about the "car back" thing...let's say I'm riding up front and all of a sudden see a pothole I'm about to ride into. I will likely instinctively swerve to miss it, if it won't jeopardize other riders. If, however, someone had just called "car back" I would just hold my line and take the pothole. So that's another reason to call it out. If it's a long string of traffic then everyone should know that cars are back. If it's been awhile since a car came up then I'd be sure to call it out.

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Originally Posted by Lisa S.H.

He said many of them were "C+" riders, which kind of put me off in its way of competitively rating people, but I try to not judge people too hastily.

One of my fears is that there will be mostly two kinds of riders there that I won't enjoy riding with- ....people who don't have common sense and might do dangerous things that put me in serious traffic jeopardy....and people who are show-off speed roadies who simply want to go as fast as possible.

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By giving a c+ rating he was trying to avoid what you didn't want...people who go too fast. So I don't see why you should be upset with that.

Now I'm not fast, but I did take exception to your comment about people who want to show off and go as fast as possible. What's wrong with that? Why do you think they are "showing off?" I want to go as fast as possible, but I'm not "showing off." For one thing, my fast as possible isn't very fast. I'm trying to build my speed and endurance - what's wrong with that? And I would suggest that I am enjoying my ride just as much as you are enjoying yours. Sure there are times that people in the group get competitive and the speed jumps up...but I don't think they are "showing off." Seems more to me like they are playing and enjoying their ride.

Let's ride our own ride. Fast or slow doesn't matter. One isn't better than the other. Let's not assume the reasons behind other people's actions.

Lit10up,
I do see your good points. You may be interpreting some of what i wrote in a different way than how I intended it:

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Originally Posted by li10up

Lisa, glad you had a safe and enjoyable ride. Another comment about the "car back" thing...let's say I'm riding up front and all of a sudden see a pothole I'm about to ride into. I will likely instinctively swerve to miss it, if it won't jeopardize other riders. If, however, someone had just called "car back" I would just hold my line and take the pothole. So that's another reason to call it out. If it's a long string of traffic then everyone should know that cars are back. If it's been awhile since a car came up then I'd be sure to call it out.

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Yes, DH and I certainly do call out "car!" on roads where cars are often irregular. I mentioned that this group was on a pretty busy highway and were calling out car back every 30 seconds- I thought that was a bit excessive for the situation. But yes I see your point. :)

I do see how it is different when riding in a group line. Up to now, I have been used to riding alone or with DH and/or a couple friends- I have a helmet mirror that I sweep my eyes past automatically every 15 seconds or so while riding, without even thinking, the same way I automatically glance at my rear view mirror while driving. Usually on my bike I always know if there are any cars approaching at any given time. But like you say riding in a long line does partially block your vision and I can see how it necessitates more communication. I also understand that they need to be more wary of road irregularities.

As I said, I had hoped to learn new things about group riding and I hoped to not make any mistakes due to my ignorance of group riding. I was glad to learn what the routine is. I was glad to learn new things and new riding etiquette! This was a casual ride with good natured patient people and that made it a good learning ride for me to ride as a group for the first time. I was lucky!

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By giving a c+ rating he was trying to avoid what you didn't want...people who go too fast. So I don't see why you should be upset with that.

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Again, I had never encountered this way of rating people or cyclists (only movies, etc), and to me it was odd and different. I purposely reserved judgement about it despite it being vaguely disturbing to me on a gut level, until I learned more about it. Now I realize there is a good reason for it.

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Now I'm not fast, but I did take exception to your comment about people who want to show off and go as fast as possible. What's wrong with that? Why do you think they are "showing off?" I want to go as fast as possible, but I'm not "showing off." For one thing, my fast as possible isn't very fast. I'm trying to build my speed and endurance - what's wrong with that? And I would suggest that I am enjoying my ride just as much as you are enjoying yours. Sure there are times that people in the group get competitive and the speed jumps up...but I don't think they are "showing off." Seems more to me like they are playing and enjoying their ride.

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What I said was:
"One of my fears is that there will be mostly two kinds of riders there that I won't enjoy riding with- ....people who don't have common sense and might do dangerous things that put me in serious traffic jeopardy....and people who are show-off speed roadies who simply want to go as fast as possible."

What makes you think that "showing off" necessarily means something bad?
If I lose weight and am proudly "showing off" my new body in smaller clothes I don't think that a bad thing. If I "show off" a pair of socks I knit carefully. If a little kid on a mtn bike rides wheelies around me and then zooms past me while I'm sweating up a hill I see it as "showing off" but it's mostly funny too.
I was describing my FEARS that I would be in a situation where I didn't fit in with the skill level or couldn't keep up at all. If those other guys had simply wanted to show off their abilities they could have easily left me in the dust (and they did, on the hills!) and I would never have seen them again. But they chose to wait for me to catch up several times, they chose to keep their average speed donw for that ride to help encoourage me, and for that I was very grateful. I also asked the leader at the end whether he felt I was holding everyone back too much- I don't WANT to keep others from riding at their fastest level. I was riding as hard as I could, and I wouldn't want to prevent others from doing the same.
I have NO doubts that people who ride fast and hard are totally enjoying themselves and their ride- not sure why you think I think otherwise? I was revealing my own fears for my own as yet unknown experience.

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Let's ride our own ride. Fast or slow doesn't matter. One isn't better than the other. Let's not assume the reasons behind other people's actions.

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Absolutely right, fast is not better than slow, and vice versa. But if skill and speed levels are too extremly diverse in a particular group of people, then perhaps it's better indeed to "ride our own ride" and not try to ride in a group.

I was VERY pleased with having had such a considerate small group of people show me the ropes of group riding, so I won't be as clueless or afraid next time! :)

You are absolutely right...I assumed you meant "showing off" in a negative connotation. Reading it in context that's how it appeared to me but, as we all know, things online don't always come out as intended or aren't interpreted by others as intended.

I lead a beginners group ride and so I do know where you are coming from. Just last year I felt the same way. I was afraid I was holding everyone back, etc. It's nice to find those who kind of take you under their wing and look out for you and make you feel that all is well and welcomed in the group. That's what I try to do when I'm leading a ride. I'm always hoping that I can influence one more person to take up cycling.

I guess the reason I thought you were saying that those going fast weren't enjoying their ride was because you talked about how at your pace with DH how much you enjoyed the ride. I inferred, incorrectly, that you were insinuating that those who rode fast didn't have time to enjoy their rides.

So, I thank you for considering my views and I apologize for my misconceptions. Now let's raise a frosty one and then go for a ride!!!!

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Originally Posted by li10up

I want to go as fast as possible, but I'm not "showing off." For one thing, my fast as possible isn't very fast. I'm trying to build my speed and endurance . .

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I agree with this, I like to ride fast, especially down hills. Although I just wanted to say thanks Lisa, for describing your ride, and your rides in general. They sound peaceful, relaxing and lovely, and I could really go for a ride like that right now. Yesterday's ride was a sufferfest and I'm going to need some motivation to get back out there. I'll keep you in mind on my next ride and just try to enjoy being out there in the beautiful place I live. Unfortunately I forget to do that sometimes.
(But I'm waiting for a wind-less day to go back out!!)

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Originally Posted by li10up

So, I thank you for considering my views and I apologize for my misconceptions. Now let's raise a frosty one and then go for a ride!!!!

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I can see how my words could easily have been read with several different shadings.
Thank you for being so gracious!
I would LOVE to go for a ride! :p

I keep having women in town come up to me when I'm on my bike and say stuff to me like "Oh I wish I could get my old bike out of the garage and get riding again, but I'd never be good at it or fast enough." I always tell them to just haul it out, take it to the local sport store for a tune-up, and then call me. I tell them I'd be thrilled to ride around the school parking lots for a while with them until they feel safe and then we could go on some short really easy rides. They then always object that they'd be "too slow" for me, and I have to reiterate again how I would absolutely LOVE to ride some beginner rides with them, that I am not so fast as they might think, and how I was in exactly the same place last summer as they are now, and what are they waiting for? So far no takers, but I WON'T give up. Someday I hope to be able to spread around some of the joy that biking has given to me. :)

Lisa, in response to your last post about the ladies--why not join the bike club and volunteer to lead some "D" rides? In our club we call these "social rides." They are short and slow. If it's really slow, the leaders will ride out ahead and then circle back. Also, it's a great confidence builder to the beginners to learn about "car back" and pointing out potholes, etc. It also is a wonderful opportunity to instill in them the importance of wearing a helmet and using hand signals. They will soon find that they can ride with the "big girls and boys."

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Originally Posted by Lisa S.H.

I keep having women in town come up to me when I'm on my bike and say stuff to me like "Oh I wish I could get my old bike out of the garage and get riding again, but I'd never be good at it or fast enough." I always tell them to just haul it out, take it to the local sport store for a tune-up, and then call me. I tell them I'd be thrilled to ride around the school parking lots for a while with them until they feel safe and then we could go on some short really easy rides. They then always object that they'd be "too slow" for me, and I have to reiterate again how I would absolutely LOVE to ride some beginner rides with them, that I am not so fast as they might think, and how I was in exactly the same place last summer as they are now, and what are they waiting for? So far no takers, but I WON'T give up. Someday I hope to be able to spread around some of the joy that biking has given to me. :)

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Lisa - I'm so glad that you enjoyed your first group ride! I ride alone or just with DH a lot, so I actually still get nervous about every group ride where I don't know who's going to show up! Even now...3 summers after I started!

Anyway, I also wanted to comment on what you said above. I get a similar reaction from women at work. I'd love to get more women involved with athletics (biking in particular). I joined up with our company's MS150 team as the only woman 2 years ago in the hopes that it would inspire other women to come out. It seems to have had the opposite affect! They all think I'm some kind of super athlete (grouping me in the same circles as the marathoners at our office) and I keep trying to convince them that I'm nothing special and that anyone can ride. If you find a good way of encouraging those women, please share! I'd love to know what else I can do. Self-deprecation doesn't seem to work! :p

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Originally Posted by Aint Doody

Lisa, in response to your last post about the ladies--why not join the bike club and volunteer to lead some "D" rides? In our club we call these "social rides." They are short and slow. If it's really slow, the leaders will ride out ahead and then circle back. Also, it's a great confidence builder to the beginners to learn about "car back" and pointing out potholes, etc. It also is a wonderful opportunity to instill in them the importance of wearing a helmet and using hand signals. They will soon find that they can ride with the "big girls and boys."

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Yes well, the club leader did say to me that once there were enough participants they would then be able to split it into different level rides. The club is very new, and this is a rural area, so I really don't know how it is going to develop. I can't imagine myself leading rides yet until I have a bit more experience riding in groups, but it's not out of the question later on, I suppose.
There were only 5 of us last weekend- and that included me and my DH! :eek:
We'll see what the warm weather brings.
This morning I did give my email to a woman in town I saw who I happen to know got a new cross bike last Fall and hasn't ridden it much yet. She claims she's all out of shape now but she sure doesn't look it and besides she's in her 30's so she has the jump on me! Again, I offered to show her some easy rides around here, and she seemed semi-interested. Maybe I should put a note on some bulletin boards around town?
I think people see me in lycra and a helmet and gloves and they assume I'm some hot shot rider athlete or something...if only they knew the sordid truth!!:eek:

Just a couple more things about group rides...

Last year when I first started riding, I jumped right in and did a women's group ride about a month after I bought my bike. I was so nervous that someone had to tell me "okay, get on your bike." Everyone was very encouraging, and they all waited at the tops of the big hills until the last rider caught up and then waited longer so that last rider could catch her breath before starting up again. I find that this is pretty common in women's group rides around here, especially if it is aimed at beginner riders.

Try to learn about the etiquitte of the group you're riding with before the start of the ride. I remember one ride where the leader kept taking off at a pace that nobody else could keep up with. Once she explained that she was doing intervals, and that she would come back to the group in between her sets, everyone was okay with that and we knew she wasn't going to leave us on some unfamiliar route.

Group rides can definitely push you beyond your comfort zone, which is a great thing if you're trying to improve your cycling. Or they can just be social gatherings on wheels. This is where the A,B,C ratings come in handy!

One thing I don't think anyone has mentioned yet is that group rides are a great way to meet new friends who share your passion. I've met more interesting people in the past year through cycling than any other avenue.

Don't be afraid to try the group ride. There's nothing like cruising along in a peleton and thinking "this is so cool." And if it's a group of all women-- then all the better!

cheers,
kate ;)

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.

Quote:

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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.