Group ride: over 40 group - raise your hands

[gretchen]

Hey,
I"m just trying to get a show of hands for any of you new riders who might be interested in taking a few days and riding this summer/ early fall as a group. We have a cottage up in Michigan that has wonderful roads all around. (near Traverse City...on Glen Lake). I thought it would be so much fun to organize a ride and take about three or four days. Start at the lake, bike about 30 miles north to Northport and stay the night in a B&B, bike a little further north, about 20+ miles and then head back down the next day and end up in Traverse city. There are some great little places along the way adn i think the route would be pretty good. I need to check out the road situation in some of these areas to see how big the "bike lane" is.
Would anyone in the midwest area be interested in something like this?
Let me see a show of hands...and let me know what time of the year works best for you.
thanks!
gretchen

[Barb]

I would love to do this. I'm in Oakland county but I have a little place in Mackinaw. I am a beginner and yes, I am 40!!!! Late summer works best for me. I think I go back to work on Aug 20....but I am not sure.

[gretchen]

yea! i have a hand in the crowd!!!
Thanks for your reply Barb! I am trying to motivate myself to just pick a time and plan it, then see who wants to join in.
I'll keep you posted!

Have you check out the Traverse City ride...i can't remember what it's called but it looked so neat.

I can't wait to get "Up North" to ride this summer!!!!
gretchen

[Barb]

I saw riders come in from a Traverse city to Mac ride but I didn't get the info on it. All I can say is MAN those girls were buff!!!! It was intimidating to me! Right now I am just a wanna be but I am trying hard to change that!

[gretchen]

I am also a 'wanna be' rider.
When i see groups fly by my car on the road i can't imagine being able to go that fast....for a long period of time!!!!
I am so nervous to ride in a group ride because of that. I spent the past few summers riding my hybrid (i'm learning the terms now) with my daughter Katherine. We took some great rides.
I remember our first "long" ride (at least back then we thought it was!!) was to a town about 15 miles away and we stayed all night at a B&B had breakfast and rode home. We thought that was a huge trip. The next summer we ventured out a little further and last summer we were doing 15 mile rides "just for kicks". THEN...Katherine started at U of Mich. this year, joined the bike team, bought herself a "real" bike and the rest is history!
She talked me into a ride this next summer that goes from SF to Tiajuana (700!!!! AHHHHHHH!!!!) over two weeks. Averge is 70 miles a day (!). We started training in January, i bought myself (ok, my husband did ) a Specialized, Aliaz road bike and have been loving it! I had no idea what a difference those little skinny tires with such huge pressure made. You can really fly!!! This nicer weather is so great. I am trying to ride about 20-30 miles a day...today i'm taking off because my knees are telling me to. I feel so much stronger but am still soooo intimidated by group rides. Those buff women would have me crawling into a hole! The nice thing about this ride this summer (it's July 26-Aug. 8th) is that it's not a race...so Katherine and I can ride at our own pace. We like to stop for coffee, stretching breaks, etc...along with way. In the evenings when the group gets to our destination, we do service projects. (the ride is through Global Exchange - Bike Aid) .
Inside i'm totally terrified that the old 'bod' will not hold up, but i do love personal challenges. And i think I'm prob. in better shape now then ever in my life.
There's no way i would ever!!! do a race though. Biking is strickly pleasure only.
Do you have a road bike, mountain bike or hybrid?
Great chatting with you.
My son and i head to Ann Arbor this weekend to visit Katherine - Ann Arbor is a great town! And the school isn't bad either !!!
We LOVE michigan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
gretchen

[Crash]

I would be interested in the ride. Not sure about available time but let me know as you make plans and I can see what happens. I love the area up there!!!!

Crash

[gretchen]

Yea! Another hand!!!!!!!!!
Keep checking this site during the summer and i'll post more..
gretchen

[Adventure Girl]

Originally posted by gretchen
I spent the past few summers riding my hybrid (i'm learning the terms now) with my daughter Katherine. We took some great rides.

THEN...Katherine started at U of Mich. this year, joined the bike team, bought herself a "real" bike and the rest is history!

gretchen

Gretchen:
So is your daughter fultzie? Or is it just a coincidence that there's another member of the forum named Katherine who is on the U of Michigan cycling team? Hmmmm and you both joined this forum on the same day.... Am I the only one who didn't know this?

[fultzie]

yep! that's me!
okay, we're dorks my cycling buddies and roomie tease me that i do all this biking with my mom... they're just jealous (really, they are... they've said so plus, they could never be mean, 'cause my mom brings great food to the races!!! )
actually, my mom was the one who told me about this forum. i knew about the TE online store, but not the message boards. right after she bought her bike, we were going bananas exchanging cycling websites that we'd each found. it's so much fun to have someone (or a whole bunch of someones, like this board!) to trade tips with.... and in our case, jerseys!! (yay same size! ).
thanks mom!!!
ps: if i were over 40, i'd raise my hand too... guess i'll just have to ride alone that weekend *sob* j/k, have fun!!!! it's a gorgeous place to ride, and gets kind of hilly (for the midwest)

[grannydea]

Hay defiantly not DORKS in my book. I think its great that you have something that you like to do together.
Dea

[Barb]

I have a hybrid now and have only been outside once so far this season. I work two jobs and it has either been too dark or too rainy so far!!!

Tonight I pick up my road bike, I cannot wait! Funny story, I bought it at the Salvation army See the post "call me crazy". Anyway it is an old 10 speed. I was having a hard time choosing between a road bike and a mountain since I like both. Now I can ride the road bike until I can afford the one I really want(hmmmm Bianchi Eros droooool) and still pick up my mountain bike in early summer (specialized rock hopper WSD).

My first org. ride of thw season is in May. I am doing 45 miles in that.
Happy riding

[gretchen]

yep, that's my girl!..."fultzie"!
Am i proud of her.....?....
..... does McDonald's sell hamburgers? !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
She is so awesome to put up with me! We have always had such a great time together...and what a great person she is!
I totally lucked out!

Hey Barb! I'm so impressed you found a bike at the sal. army! Now that's being resourseful!
Warm weather is right behind the corner! Get out there in the colder weather and the warm air feels even better!

Let's hear it for the women bikers everywhere!
gretchen
(hey, would you see/hear guys routing each other on like this?...no way!)

[Adventure Girl]

Originally posted by gretchen

She is so awesome to put up with me!

You're both awesome!! That's fantastic. The love and respect the two of you have for each other is spilling over! You're lucky to have each other!

Even if you are dorks!!