My first group ride...

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

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!

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.

[Kimmyt]

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.

[mimitabby]

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.

[DarcyInOregon]

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

[KnottedYet]

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

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

[teigyr]

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.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

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

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!

[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.

[Triskeliongirl]

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!

[Jo-n-NY]

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.

+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

[RoadRaven]

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.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Ok, so....I survived!

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! 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?

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.

[mimitabby]

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.

[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.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

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.

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