group rides seem intimidating (Washington DC/Silver Spring, MD)

Here's my story:
I've been riding for several - maybe 7 - 8 years in the Washington DC metro area. I'm a slow learner, ride somewhere between 12 - 16 mph, but I've come a long way given my set of challenges and I think I've got a lot more in me, certainly if nothing else, I'd like to ride til I'm 80. I can ride further but I don't trust my skills so I've stuck to ~30 mile rides on Beach Drive (Washington DC) because it's a known bike route and if something happened a helpful (probably male) cyclist would stop. Plus it would be easy to call a cab.

But the prospect of doing that for another year has me ready to quit (I'm being dramatic but I'm frustrated.) It's just too short of a ride and I'm not learning new skills. Yet, I have no idea how to go about joining a group.

The one group ride I did was a D ride. It was fun, there were not enough people and I learned nothing. And logistically it was hard to get to.

I would really appreciate your tips and suggestions. I ride slowly but I'm not a casual rider, and that's where I'm not sure what to do. I also (another source of frustration) don't have any friends that ride so I'll be joining this group on my own so I'm looking to start slow.

Fearful :eek: but ready to plunge!:)

Hi, Rain.
Welcome to TE!
First, be sure to check out the Mid-Atlantic forum here. There are several of us in the MD/VA/DC area, and occasionally we organize (informally) group/casual rides. That's a great way for you to meet new folks and try some new rides.
If you're in the Silver Spring area (there are several here on the boards who are), the Bicycle Place, on Grubb Road hosts a ride every Sunday a.m. 12-16 mph is a bit on the slow side for our C-ride - do you ride a road bike? - (well, today my C-ride average was 15.4, so this may be a great time for you to jump in!). Bear in mind that riding with a group is often (usually) easier than riding by yourself. So if you can do a 16 mph ride solo, you can probably hang with the C-ride. The C-route is roughly 30 miles and goes out to Potomac and back. Let me know if you'll join us...as we have an informal "If you brought the new guy, ride with 'em" policy. Your best way to learn the ride is to go with someone who's been on it before. And, the best way to improve your skills as a rider - both in terms of speed and technique, is to ride with a group. Pfunk on these boards is a new-ish rider to the shop ride. She may give you her perspective on the group riding thing.
Hope to see you around....

Thanks 7rider!
I looked into the ride at Bicycle Place and it seemed daunting - I'd be too slow at this point. Yes, I ride a road bike.

...this is such a puzzle. I'll be sure to check out the Mid-Atlantic forum.
Thanks!

Rain - do you know how to change tires/flats/etc? If you take a maintenance course of some sort, you might be more confident in your ability to ride by yourself... I ride by myself most of the time on sort of random routes - but I do carry spare innertubes and tools with me, enough that I'm pretty sure I could get myself home if I had to... otherwise, I have my cell phone and can phone for help.. even if I might have to wait a couple hours before someone could get to me.

Otherwise you could maybe plot out some routes that go around metro stations... so you know that if something went wrong, you could just take the metro and get out of there.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 7rider

Hi, Rain.
Welcome to TE!
First, be sure to check out the Mid-Atlantic forum here. There are several of us in the MD/VA/DC area, and occasionally we organize (informally) group/casual rides. That's a great way for you to meet new folks and try some new rides.
If you're in the Silver Spring area (there are several here on the boards who are), the Bicycle Place, on Grubb Road hosts a ride every Sunday a.m. 12-16 mph is a bit on the slow side for our C-ride - do you ride a road bike? - (well, today my C-ride average was 15.4, so this may be a great time for you to jump in!). Bear in mind that riding with a group is often (usually) easier than riding by yourself. So if you can do a 16 mph ride solo, you can probably hang with the C-ride. The C-route is roughly 30 miles and goes out to Potomac and back. Let me know if you'll join us...as we have an informal "If you brought the new guy, ride with 'em" policy. Your best way to learn the ride is to go with someone who's been on it before. And, the best way to improve your skills as a rider - both in terms of speed and technique, is to ride with a group. Pfunk on these boards is a new-ish rider to the shop ride. She may give you her perspective on the group riding thing.
Hope to see you around....

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Hi Rain and welcome.

7, I ride 15-20mph, with decent bike handling skills, and I've never been able to hang with that C group! I would not recommend it for her.

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Originally Posted by MDHillSlug

Hi Rain and welcome.

7, I ride 15-20mph, with decent bike handling skills, and I've never been able to hang with that C group! I would not recommend it for her.

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Yeah, but you joined us in July, when everyone was in as good of shape as they're going to be. You COULD have hung with us today, fer sure. And I wouldn't drop you and leave you for the dogs. ;)
Rain....Keep your eyes posted on the Mid-Atlantic forum. I'm sure we'll get something together soon (or...offer to organize something!).

Hey, come ride with me! This year, I'm signed up for one metric century, and plan to do a fundraising ride in Columbia that is as much riding as you can manage in 24 hours. I'm thinking of riding the GAP this year, too.

I ride mostly trails, and there are lots of good ones, many paved, that would get you off Beach Drive.

Also, check out the Potomac Pedalers; they have frequent group rides that might appeal to you. I've been on one (a D ride, which is just about right for me), and enjoyed it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 7rider

Yeah, but you joined us in July, when everyone was in as good of shape as they're going to be. You COULD have hung with us today, fer sure. And I wouldn't drop you and leave you for the dogs. ;)
Rain....Keep your eyes posted on the Mid-Atlantic forum. I'm sure we'll get something together soon (or...offer to organize something!).

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Welcome, Rain! 7 - I was thinking that, based on what Rain said about her cycling, she could probably handle what you did today (based on your description of the ride) and especially since you didn't start at the shop with the A and B group. In my opinion, the start of that ride is insane and I have a feeling it would intimidate her. It still intimidates me :D. There is absolutely no warm-up. And before you know it, you're doing 25 mph on Beach Drive - 1/2 mile into the ride. :eek: So if you and the others plan on doing that again in the near future, it might be good for Rain to give it a try.

And Rain, when I first started cycling, I was doing the same thing as you. I would ride on Beach Drive and do 30-35 miles every single time. It got old and stale. Then I met 7 on TE and decided to join her for the shop ride. The thought of doing it scared the heck out of me because I didn't have any confidence and I was totally intimidated by doing a group ride. But a year later, I'm still doing it and I love it.

I need to think about this some more, but off the top of my head:

In addition to the Potomac Pedalers, there's also the Oxon Hill bike club: www.ohbike.org. I've never actually been on their club rides but I know at least one person here used to ride with them (Tulip, maybe?).

Also, it sounds like it might be good to have a goal for you to work towards. The OH club sponsors the Patuxent River Rural Legacy ride every year in early June. This year's ride is on Sunday, June 12. It's one of my favorite rides every year. You can choose between 24, 46 or 62 miles. You might want to aim for the 46 miler, and you could gradually increase your miles from 30 up to 45 or so between now and June.

The same club is co-sponsoring a ride on April 24 to raise money to fight hunger in Calvert County, MD. (The fundraising is just your registration fee; there's no need to ask friends for donations or anything like that.) I did the 36 mile version last year and this year I will either do that again or do the 48-miler, depending on how much training I'm able to do in the next month or so. It's a nice ride that goes along the western shore of the Chesapeake.

Both of these rides are in eastern MD, but on this side of the Bay so the drive to the start isn't too far.

The good thing about these kinds of rides is that there are other riders around, reststops with food, drink and bathrooms or porta-johns, and SAG support if you have a problem. And they get you off your regular weekend route and onto some new roads, which is always nice.

There are other organized rides like this in Maryland and NoVa. Here's a partial list which includes the Patuxent River ride and the Ride to End Hunger in Calvert County:

http://ohbike.org/events/index.htm

Wow -- this is great. Thanks so much for all your replies.

Catriona, I do know how to change my tires, but I don't keep the supplies with me. I need to do that. I also haven't had enough exposure to hands on tasks with my bike to feel really confident. But I really like your suggestion - esp riding from metro stations. Though, I'm not entirely comfortable riding on the road by myself....ahh!

MDHillSlug - that's what I feared!

owlice - for sure :) I aspire to ride the Seagull Century this fall - that's the goal, now to find the path to get there.

pfunk12 - gosh, that warms my heart to hear. I have no idea if I can do it, but the thought of giving up my bike out of boredom makes me very sad. It's a JOY to ride.
After reading ny rider's post, is there some sort of baseline that I should train towards before trying that ride? It's ideal because that group rides every week.

nybiker - thanks! I will act on your suggestion. I'll aim for the April ride (family in town so we'll see). But it's a good way for me to get an idea of what a group ride is like and have goals to work toward.

Gosh - I'm so glad that I found this forum!

BTW, I'm about the same speed as you, and I consider myself average, not slow. I would be a B rider according to the Oxon Hill club classification, and I'm CC according to Potomac Pedalers.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 7rider

If you're in the Silver Spring area (there are several here on the boards who are), the Bicycle Place, on Grubb Road hosts a ride every Sunday a.m. 12-16 mph is a bit on the slow side for our C-ride - do you ride a road bike? - (well, today my C-ride average was 15.4, so this may be a great time for you to jump in!). Bear in mind that riding with a group is often (usually) easier than riding by yourself. So if you can do a 16 mph ride solo, you can probably hang with the C-ride. The C-route is roughly 30 miles and goes out to Potomac and back. Let me know if you'll join us...as we have an informal "If you brought the new guy, ride with 'em" policy. Your best way to learn the ride is to go with someone who's been on it before. And, the best way to improve your skills as a rider - both in terms of speed and technique, is to ride with a group.

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Hey 7Rider and Pfunk, some Sunday I'd like to join you and the group on your morning ride. I've not ridden out that way and would like to take part. I'll send an email the night before just to touch base and make sure you plan on doing the Sunday ride.

Rain, the worst thing that has ever happened to me riding alone was that a chain broke and I walked my bike 7 miles home. But then I tend to ride out in farm land. Now I keep a chain tool & a spare chain connector thing (the sram powerlinks) on my bikes. But if I'd been farther, I'd have just headed for a coffee shop or mcdonald's or whatever, called a friend and sat there twiddling my thumbs or posting facebook status updates on my cell phone till I got a rescue.

A few of us on here are riding in the terry wild goose chase in October if you need another group ride to do. I think Kalidurga posted something about a Baltimore park group ride that's in June. I might be doing that with her and she & I probably ride about your speed.

7rider & Pfunk's group sounds a bit fast for me, but that can be a goal - in a couple of years, I'll be fast enough to hang with them.

Hi Rain,
Please sign up for a basic maintenance class. REI and many local bike shops have such classes.

Please also look into cycling classes offered by the League of American Bicyclists.

When I lived in DC, I rode with Potomac Pedalers and with Oxen Hill. Both were great. Start out with slower rides and work your way up. There's so much more to see than Beach Drive!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tulip

Please also look into cycling classes offered by the League of American Bicyclists.

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Yes, I thought of that last night. They have Confident City Cycling classes. I've met the guy who teaches them here in NoVa. I think they would help a lot.

So many good rides!
I wish I had seen this two days ago - I was up in Bethesda this past weekend and that gorgeous weather was inspiring to ride :D
Next time I come up I will join you ladies! :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rain

pfunk12 - gosh, that warms my heart to hear. I have no idea if I can do it, but the thought of giving up my bike out of boredom makes me very sad. It's a JOY to ride.
After reading ny rider's post, is there some sort of baseline that I should train towards before trying that ride? It's ideal because that group rides every week.

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Rain - I think I'm an oddity so I don't have the best advice. Because I was a long-distance competitive runner, a lot of my strength and endurance came from my running. I had only been riding seriously for a few months before I started doing the group rides and I think one of the main reasons that I could hang was due to the miles I put in from running. I'm wondering if someone else who has much more riding experience (7?) can answer your question about baseline.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TxDoc

So many good rides!
I wish I had seen this two days ago - I was up in Bethesda this past weekend and that gorgeous weather was inspiring to ride :D
Next time I come up I will join you ladies! :)

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You should have let us know you were going to be here!! So yes, next time get in touch. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kmehrzad

Hey 7Rider and Pfunk, some Sunday I'd like to join you and the group on your morning ride. I've not ridden out that way and would like to take part. I'll send an email the night before just to touch base and make sure you plan on doing the Sunday ride.

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Hey K - Sounds great. Just let us know.

Tulip, REI is exactly where I took the maintenance class - it was good. A refresher couldn't hurt though. Plus it was good to talk to people.

Catriona, thanks for your story. I'm scared of that happening to me but I think I over exaggerate in my head how bad that would be.

I like the suggestion to try the Potomac Peddler/Oxon Hill rides. I had hoped for something more convenient. The ride out of the bike shop is enviable because it's regular and the timing and location are perfect. But I've gotta get in the mix, so I'll start with the other groups.

I'll post on the mid atlantic forum -- I'd like suggestions for local solo rides ranging 40 - 60 miles.

[QUOTE=Catriona;495836]Rain, the worst thing that has ever happened to me riding alone was that a chain broke and I walked my bike 7 miles home. But then I tend to ride out in farm land. Now I keep a chain tool & a spare chain connector thing (the sram powerlinks) on my bikes. But if I'd been farther, I'd have just headed for a coffee shop or mcdonald's or whatever, called a friend and sat there twiddling my thumbs or posting facebook status updates on my cell phone till I got a rescue.
:D I have to remind myself that there's internet everywhere!


A few of us on here are riding in the terry wild goose chase in October if you need another group ride to do. I think Kalidurga posted something about a Baltimore park group ride that's in June. I might be doing that with her and she & I probably ride about your speed.

Thanks for letting me know about these rides. I would be interested in both. though first I'm gonna ride this weekend and see where I'm at.

Also, would you be willing to tell me some of the routes you go? It might help me with ideas for ride routes to either build off of Beach Drive or just go elsewhere.

I tend to do group rides with a bunch of racers, so not quite what you're looking for... However, riding with people who can really kick my butt has made me a lot stronger and better at riding in groups.

I know a lot of good roads between Rock Creek and Poolesville if you want to hit me up for some route suggestions.

Hi there,
I'm new here---a bethesda native who just started riding again after 20 years! Hope to be up to speed for group rides somewhat soon---glad to see that there is so much happening in the area!

Welcome, coolcreek!

Rain - so glad you posted this. I'm a NOVA/DC rider and I'm petrified of riding with a group... I'm thinking about joining a local cycling group but I'm afraid that I'm not in good enough shape to keep up with a C group but that anything lower might be boring?

Side question: when people are in a group that goes (say) 16mph for a 30 mile ride, are you expected to stay at 16mph the whole time or is that for flat surfaces? TIA!

Well, my experience with PPTC is:

According to the description of their ride classifications, I am a CC rider. However, in practice, people who show up for the CC rides that I do are not necessarily in that category. Apparently many people choose rides based on start location, route and distance, regardless of their usual average speed. Add to that the fact that I'm slow going uphill, and I usually get dropped by most of the group early in the ride.

However this does not really bother me. So what if I'm slower than they are? It doesn't mean I'm any better or worse as a person. And I'm not so much slower that I never see anyone else on the ride. There tends to be someone just up ahead or not far behind me, and when I get to the rest stop there's still a crowd of people there.

I don't know about the C rides because I haven't tried any; they're generally shorter than I want or include a long lunch stop or otherwise do not meet my needs. I have heard from a friend that the C rides tend to be more friendly than the faster rides. And based on the ride descriptions for D rides, they seem to be much more social and laid back.

There are some combined C/D rides, so you might want to start with one of those to see if you like it. You can try one or two rides before you join to make sure you really want to spend the money on membership. So worst case scenario is that you conclude that it's just not the right group for you, but at least you tried.

Generally speaking--and I stress the generally--the posted speed for a group ride is the average speed. Meaning that you will likely be going both slower and faster than the posted speed at times. Keep in mind, though, that you are generally able to go faster in a group than you can by yourself thanks to the magic of drafting.

ny_biker - the start locations for PPTC under the website are only accessible by members, but I'm interested to know where rides start to know whether or not a membership would be worth it. Do they only start in DC or do they start in NOVA as well. Do they use the W&OD?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mariacycle

ny_biker - the start locations for PPTC under the website are only accessible by members, but I'm interested to know where rides start to know whether or not a membership would be worth it. Do they only start in DC or do they start in NOVA as well. Do they use the W&OD?

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Actually I think mores rides start in NOVA or Md than in DC. After a quick skim of the April rides it looks like only a few start within DC -- all the rest start outside the city. Some rides are on the WOD. Some are all on road and some are a combination of trails and roads. The ride descriptions usually say if any trails are involved.

Here are the C and D rides that are scheduled for this Saturday. (There's a ride leader's contact information provided for each ride in case you have questions -- I didn't include that here.)

D/C * 18/24 * MD * 10:30 AM * College Park - UMD Metro Station
Maryland Woodlands and Streams Circuit Ride. Pedal along the Anacostia River and Paint Branch. See tornado devastation at College Park and a caboose at the Bladensburg Waterfront Park. Have lunch near the University of Maryland. This ride is almost entirely flat and on paved trails (and briefly on the road). Meet at the College Park - UMD Metro Station

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C * 30ish * VA * 10 AM * Belle Haven Picnic Area (BEL)
Something Different. Depending on the weather we will either bike down to Fort Belvoir with a stop at the Starbucks or if the weather is nice enough to have lunch at an outdoor cafe we will do some neighborhood riding and then finish up at the National Harbor for lunch. If the weather is doubtful, call leader the morning of the ride or check club website ride forum for last minute updates.



Here are the rides for April 10:

D/C/CC * 20-30 * VA * 10:30 AM * Vienna Comm unity Center (VCC)
Potomac Overlook Park-Arlington. A Mini Biking Festival 2 and a lunch with intelligent conversation in the Rock Bear Restaurant (Lee Hwy and W&OD intersection) or after ride in Vienna, Maple Ave and TBD. "D" leader Steven Jones W&OD/ Custis Trails and Military Rd, "C" leader Eugene Grunby Falls Church/McLean/Arlington (Military Rd) return with "D"s, and "CC" leader Woody Lipinski Falls Church/McLean/Arlington plus Heavenly Hills of Arlington (two big hills) no biking on the Custis trail.


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C * 27 (MH) * VA * 10 AM * Gunston ES (GES)
Lorton Springfield Loop. Here's a challenging ride that's half rural, half Northern Virginia suburban. Follow up and down hills with part of the route going past the old Lorton Penitentiary in the latter half. Lunch afterwards at a nearby eatery. In the event of questionable weather, a cancellation will be posted on the web site an hour before the ride start. If you need directions, do an internet map search on Gunston ES, Lorton, VA.

Here is one for April 11:

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C/CC(MF) * 31&50 * VA * 10:30 PM * Brentsville Historical Park, Brentsville * 45°/50%
Unpainted Country Lanes. Perfect for "C" riders who hate hills, "CC" riders who love a pace line, and tandems. I always get great compliments about this ride. It goes on paved but many unpainted roads and twists around country lanes like a colander full of spaghetti. And yet there are plenty of long, uninterrupted stretches. Traffic is minimal and the route hardly has hills. Ascent for both distances is a flat-ish 30 feet per mile. Toilet probably not available at ride start. Rest stop at 15 miles in Nokesville Park - no snacks, some water - and another for the longer route at the Bristerburg store. (Directions: Brentsville Park, 12291 Bristow Rd, Bristow 20136, behind the Presbyterian Church - use GPS, Mapquest, or similar for directions.) Tour the site after the ride. Questions? Call me at home NLT 2 hours prior to ride start or on cell thereafter.

For anyone who's thinking they might want to join Potomac Pedalers, the annual picnic ride is on May 2 in Nokesville, VA. I wasn't able to attend this ride in past years, but I think it is a good opportunity for non-members to learn about the club. I am planning to go this year (although if it's cold and rainy like last year I reserve the right to turn off the alarm clock and go back to sleep. ;))

Here is the description:

Nokesville Picnic Ride in Virginia

Start: 05/02/2010 - 09:00
End: 05/02/2010 - 14:00
Timezone: Etc/GMT-5
Sunday, May 2, 2010

A Great Start to a New Cycling Season!

Last year’s multi-class Nokesville Picnic Ride will be repeated Sunday, May 2nd at the Nokesville Community Park in Nokesville, VA. We are stressing going “green” at this picnic by encouraging lots of recycling, etc. (Remember you can check the ride share forum on the PPTC website to see if people can share car trips out there.) As always, it’s open to everyone, new, old and non-members. It’s a great way to meet people who are not in your normal ride class.

After the ride we will gather at the pavilion for free hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers, etc. We’ll provide drinks, plates, napkins, cups, utensils, and condiments but anyone should feel free to bring their own reusable plates or utensils (to keep the trash down.) As always, everyone is encouraged to bring a dish – salad, chips, other side dishes or desserts - to share. The potluck is usually excellent! Hope for a lovely day though this is a rain or shine event because the pavillion is large and quite nice.

This is a multi-class ride with something for everyone. There will be rides from 10-51 miles, covering classes from A to D. Check the May ride schedule for exact times for each of the rides.

An information table will be available before and after the rides to answer questions anyone might have from finding the right ride or how to join the club.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mariacycle

Rain - so glad you posted this. I'm a NOVA/DC rider and I'm petrified of riding with a group... I'm thinking about joining a local cycling group but I'm afraid that I'm not in good enough shape to keep up with a C group but that anything lower might be boring?!

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What are you petrified of? Just start riding. Potomac Pedalers and Oxon Hill folks are really nice. They provide cue sheets--you should get a cue sheet holder for your handlebars--and so you can follow the cue sheet at your own pace. But I've never seen anyone be abandoned on D and C and even B paced rides.

You'll never know unless you try. Start with a D paced ride or two or three, see how it goes, and if it's boring move up to CC or C. Keep riding and you will get faster and more comfortable. You might just surprise yourself.

NYBiker - great ride list!

I guess I'm petrified of embarrassing myself by not being able to keep up or getting tired and wanting to stop or even something stupid like getting a flat...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mariacycle

I guess I'm petrified of embarrassing myself by not being able to keep up or getting tired and wanting to stop or even something stupid like getting a flat...

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Okay. You need to get over that. Life is for living.

The PPTC and Oxen Hill folks are really nice. Do you have to be prepared? Of course you do, just like anything else. You should be able to ride the posted pace. If you cannot ride 50 miles at 20mph, then don't sign up for the A-paced ride! That's a no-brainer. Go on the D-pace ride. Meet some people. Enjoy yourself. Keep at it. Cycling is all about consistency.

Learn how to fix a flat. Take a class and PRACTICE so that you are comfortable fixing flats. It is not rocket science, but it does take some practice, like anything else.

Take a Confident Cyclist class from the League of American Bicyclists. You will surely learn alot in a supportive environment.

Go out and ride and discover and have a good time.

But for heaven's sake, don't just sit there wishing! Do something about it. You are the master of your own destiny.

Here is some information from WABA about options for cycling classes:

http://www.waba.org/events/education.php

The women's Sunday morning rides at the Bike Lane go at a C pace, if you're up for that. It's on-road around Reston, Herndon and Oakton, and most of the route is low-traffic with only a few short stretches on busier roads (and even those don't have all that much traffic -- I've ridden this route in the middle of a weekend afternoon with no trouble). I can't make it this weekend, but might be able to join them the following weekend.

Here's what I did:

I looked for a women's only cycling group. Found one and started showing up for rides. At first it was all I could do to hang on, and got dropped often.

After doing this for a year, I can do all but one of the regular routes without getting dropped. I go anyway, knowing I will probably get dropped, but just try to make it a little further than the last time. Sometimes I do, sometimes not. Depends on how I'm feeling and if I've recovered from a previous long/hard ride or not.

I just printed out maps and kept them with me so I was sure I knew the way back to the car. I take my phone with GPS tracking on it (Sprint Family Locator) so my husband can log in from any PC and see where I am. He knows if I'm not moving for long periods, I'm in trouble. I've only called him once to rescue me from a group ride I got dropped from.

I'm a much better cyclist for it. I'm 3-4 MPH avg faster than this same time last year.

I've learned to draft, pull, participate in a paceline, bridge a gap, climb more efficiently and bomb down descents. I've learned some great routes I wouldn't have thought of on my own.

I'm down right grumpy if I have to miss a group ride now.

I even did my first race last week (and didn't come in last!).

Riding with people better and faster than me has made me better and faster. No doubt about it.