My first group ride...

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

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:

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

[li10up]

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!!!!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

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!!!!

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!

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.

[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."

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

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."

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!
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!!

[GLC1968]

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 - 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!

[pyxichick]

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

[lauraelmore1033]

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

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

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! 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.
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!