Got my butt handed to me on a platter tonight!

[KSH]

OK... I have been getting a little stronger... so I decided to try to ride with a faster group. The "advertising" said "18 MPH on average".

Well, riding with the 12 MPH group is just not enough for me... I don't even break a sweat... AAAANNNDDDD... I did a good 18 MPH on my last ride... so I figured I was up for it.

At the start I did GOOD! When I would look down at my computer, I would be going 22 MPH to 28 MPH... down some gentle hills. I was hanging with the group.

Then the hills hit... and the wind... and I powered through most of it... and then the knee pain HIT!

My left knee had pain that would come and go... when it would come... it was PAINFUL... to the point that I seriously thought I would pull over and have a friend come take me back to my car... but when I found out were were about 6 miles away, I decided to not whimp out.

The last 10-12 miles were around 11-13 MPH.

I was just FORTUNATE enough to have 2 kind riders (Angela and Mo) who stuck with me... it had gotten dark... I had no clue how to get back... and I didn't have lights on me!

Lessons Learned:

I have learned that I am not as fast, or strong as I thought I was on the bike. It will be a very long time before I go out with a fast group like!

I am mashing the pedals = knees pain. I have no clue how to "spin". I hope I learn it someday before my knees give out.

There are some very kind and generous souls out there... who take care of new riders... and if you are one... just let the people around you KNOW that you are, and someone will be kind enough to have pity on your slow-*** soul.

[Veronica]

Make yourself get into a lower gear. Try to focus on bringing your RPMs up to 80. Do this when you're not riding with the fast group. Sounds like the rides with your regular group may be the perfect time to focus on technique. If you can afford it, you may want to get a cadence sensor.

V.

[KSH]

Make yourself get into a lower gear. Try to focus on bringing your RPMs up to 80. Do this when you're not riding with the fast group. Sounds like the rides with your regular group may be the perfect time to focus on technique. If you can afford it, you may want to get a cadence sensor.

V.

Yea... Mo kept asking me about my cadence... and he was looking for a sensor on my bike.

Sounds like I have yet another investment to make.

Dang this is adding UP!

I can barely afford the jerseys... on SALE... as it is (I have all of 2).

[Veronica]

You don't HAVE to have a cadence sensor. They help, but you can sort of do it yourself with a watch and counting your revolutions.

Are you riding a double or triple chain ring?

V.

[Grog]

Nobody REALLY BADLY needs a cadence sensor. You probably know how long one second is (and you sound like you have a cyclocomputer already). Just make sure you make more than one full turn of the pedals per second. That should do....

Keep spinning!

[wabisabi]

Another thing I have done is to actually spend some time practicing my cadance against the minute hand of a clock to get a "feel" for what 80 or 90 actually feels like, and once you know that you can replicate it. I also have ridden behind people who I consider good riders and do what they do, especially good spinners.