Am I being overly sensetive.

[7rider]

am i missing something? Join the club!
then it's YOUR club.

I'd agree with this.
If it's a new bike club - it's probably a bunch of folks who knew each other and said "Hey! We should form a ride club!" - and you went and joined in and now they're puzzled by what to do with their own success (gulp! New folks actually joining the club!).
Ultimately, any group of riders will have folks of vastly different skill sets, and eventually, once it gets big enough, the group will, by necessity, splinter into different sub-groups.

Get the cue sheet - or have them make one for you - and offer to start up the "B" group rides. See if someone knows the area better than you who can initially lead a beginner group (or offer to lead it yourself). Encourage them to have their wives join you (if it's mostly guys and they're much faster than you - not making a sexist generalization here!). It's an opportunity.....Plus, as an added bonus, you'll meet more cyclists of your own ability and goals (b/c not everyone rides to go fast).

[Geonz]

This is a really common problem with about every small or medium sized bike club I know. See the other thread rolling around about "group ride etiquette" question ( http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=17872 ) .
Some clubs rotate the ride leader for the "everybody" ride, so that one person isn't always the one getting the slow ride. They have to be organized enough to think of that and do it, though
See if you can bring others into the fold. For a long time I could go 40 miles, but at 12 mph. - a function of skill and my bicycle. There's a big group of folks like that in the Richmond Area Bicycling Association (or at least there was) - only when I moved away did I discover that's uncommon. Even out here, our beginner ride on Saturday often goes 20-25 miles, though we do not have hills and that makes all the difference.

[michelem]

Hi Donna,

I can relate! When I started out, the group I went with had some "EZ Rider" rides, which were basically 20 miles of flattish (gentle, gentle rollers that felt hilly to me as a beginner, but really were not!). Well, that group leader moved out of state and when I asked if I would be welcome on the other rides I was told no, that I was too slow and it wouldn't be fair to the sweep person. I was so disappointed, but glad they were honest. I took it as a challenge to improve on my own and rode the trainer a lot. About a month or so later, I heard of a new group forming and contacted them. They said come on out! The "C Group," which is the beginner's group started at 40 miles along that same "flattish" trail, but I made it! The next week we bumped it up to 50 and the next 60! We stayed at 60 for a couple weeks and then topped out at about 75. I'm always at the back, and part of that is a choice for me as I don't feel comfortable riding too close to other cyclists. Even when I tell them all to go ahead and don't wait up, someone always hangs back a bit to make sure I'm okay. Part of me feels "guilty" about that, as if I might be ruining his/her ride, but then I just have to tell myself that I've given the person an out and if he/she still wants to hang back, well okay!

We're now starting to cut back on the mileage and add in hill climbing. I find that everything evens out in the end - I am stronger at the climbing than some of the heavier-set guys, but they FLY past me on the downhills as I am clutching the brakes!

Anyway, all that to say, I think this may be a combination of things for you:

1. Confidence in your ability - sometimes you just have to take the plunge and find out - you may surprise yourself!

2. Ability to take feedback and believe it (oh, this is a tough one!) - if you say, I really don't want to hold you back, go on ahead, but the person hangs back anyway, well that is his/her choice! No reason to feel badly about it.

3. Maybe look into some skills and drills clinics to help you feel more confident in your group bike handling skills.

4. Challenge yourself to keep increasing fitness on your own.

5. Shop around for other cycling groups and maybe you'll find one that is more your speed.

Anyway, not sure if any of this helps or not. I am super-sensitive myself, so I do understand. I have to say that just getting out there and doing it has increased my confidence level though (even in the non-cycling-related areas of my life), even though I am still quite the beginner.

Good luck to you, and keep us posted!

[jobob]

mea culpa - there I am talking about "blowing" a Saturday teaching the beginners class. Talk about sounding harsh

In actuality, I enjoyed teaching the road skills course. It was a lot of fun and very gratifying. It's great to see how most of the students really took to it, and to know that I was a part of it.*

The parts that got old had nothing to do with the students - there were actually a couple of other teachers that got under my skin after a bit (snapdragen would totally understand where I'm coming from here ) and it was a long drive for us to and from the start of the rides.

And, unfortunately, since I wasn't getting very much riding in while I was teaching the course, my own fitness really suffered during that time !

*Here's something that I'm especially proud of - one of my students from a couple of years ago really got into riding, and this year she completed three double centuries for a California Triple Crown !

I have to admit I was tickled pink and super-proud when I heard that.

[Pedal Wench]

I gotta side on the 'being overly sensitive' team.

I'm a member of a large club of very diverse women. Some rides are beginner rides, and some are not. I think you can't expect every ride to cater to everyone, and I would much rather know ahead of time that a ride is out of my league - for now! Some rides are no-drop, and others have occasional regroups, and some have none. As a club, whether new or small, they owe it to the other riders to have some rides that cater to them, and some that cater to you. Perhaps you can start your own slower-paced group that meets with everyone, but rolls out a minute behind at a slower pace. You get the commaraderie in the parking lot, and maybe arrange to meet for eats afterward - the fast group has to wait for a table and order drinks just as you roll in and sit immediately.

[jobob]

Jobob, I guess we'll find out, huh! (November)

Ooh, are you guys planning on doing the Oregon Randonneurs' Wine Country 100K near Portland on Thanksgiving weekend? I'm really looking forward to that.

[mimitabby]

yeah, don't any of those guys have wives that might ride if it wasn't such a hard pace??

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Ask the guy to send you a map of the route in question. Then go for the ride on your own, do as fast as you can, and see what your average is.
If you can complete the ride and your average is say 11mph, then a group ride of 12mph should be ok, you'll only be a little bit behind.
You can always tell him you will go on the first half of the ride this time and turn back on your own and head home half way through, if they will allow that. That might be a nice way to break into it easily.
And yep- 20-25 miles is a pretty small ride for a typical group ride. Groups don't usually bother doing 10 mile rides because lots of people drive to the ride starting point and it just isn't worth the hassle unless you can ride for 2 hours or more.

Good for you Donna, getting into all this!!!

[mimitabby]

Ooh, are you guys planning on doing the Oregon Randonneurs' Wine Country 100K near Portland on Thanksgiving weekend? I'm really looking forward to that.

oops, Jobob; we don't do wine. I was thinking you knew Raleighdon from a ride in Arizona!

[jobob]

nope, JulieB I not be.

[Crankin]

Wow, I can see why I lead rides for AMC. Our "easy" rides are 10-25 miles and often range between 10-13 av. Sometimes people with higher abilities come on these because it's at a convenient time. The rides I lead are called "intermediate." The average is usually around 15, sometimes less with bigger hills, or longer distances. Anything over 50 miles is advanced or an average over 16. These are social rides, but you get a good work out. On the weekly series rides, the pace is upped a bit, but still nobody goes crazy. I usually sweep these when we lead, but when i am just a participant, I am usually near the front.
I belong to another club too, but I ride with a group of this club that does social rides using a human arrowing system. The other rides in this club are known for being ruthless, so this group of amazing people who range up to 85 years old is fun to ride with, even though the average speed is often a bit slower than I like. But, there are quite a few others who ride the same speed as me and sometimes they do a ride on the weekends which are perfect for me. I don't know, I am starting to think that there is no one else who has the attitude i do toward riding; I improved my speed and distance quite a bit in the beginning. I can ride up 18% grades, but not fast. I can ride distances, but I choose not to all of the time. Last year I rode 3,000 miles and frankly, I don't know if I will make that this year. I am not going to improve any more unless I really train and at this point, I feel like most almost 54 year old women cannot do even a fraction of what I do, so I am happy.

[KSH]

I think if they could get more beginer's I could be the one in the club to stay back with them. Then I would feel useful and not like I was holding others back. LOL

Build it and they will come.

Seriously. Tell him you want to start a BEGINNERS ride. Something with few miles and maybe you can find a route with small hills. You be the one to head it up!

You can do it!

[Trekhawk]

Mimi, you'd probably like riding with my husband, he's super-patient and likes to ride in the back (and he has quite the fan club among the Northern California TE contingent, I'm finding out ). Alas, I'm nowhere near as patient as he.

Hmm is this the jobob that hung with me for the 200km ride??? I think that Jobob is very patient.

I have been looking at different club rides for when I return to Aust and what it seems like to me is that if you ride pretty slow they assume you dont want to or cant ride very far. I will need to see the terrain when I return home but I think I fall between groups. It looks like to get in sixty miles with a club you need to be able to manage at least 15mph or you are stuck in the 25 mile distance which frankly for me wouldn't be worth the effort to get there.

DDH I hope you find some other riders to do your club ride with. Ask around maybe other riders would come if they knew they would have someone to ride with rather than being dropped off the back.

[Torrilin]

I'm still not up to 20 mile rides (slooowly making progress). And my speed is nothing to write home about. For people who are really and truly *beginners*, 20 miles is too much. They may not have a good bike fit. They just learned how to ride, or just got back into riding after years away. They're vague on riding in traffic... For a beginning racer, it's a reasonable ride. Those are two entirely different skill levels, and they probably don't belong on the same ride.

Offering to run a regular beginner's ride and/or class would probably help the club out a lot .

[bcipam]

I belong to a large bike club (BCI). Although it is a social/recreational club, the riders are strong and experienced. We have several levels of rides but do not practice a "no drop" policy. It is very hard for a large group to do "no drop" especially if the group fitness level is mixed. My club provides a route slip and you are on your own to the coffee stop and then back to park. If you can hang with riders good, if not, keep riding until you can.

Not certain why you are upset or angry. He was honest enough to tell you the truth. I'm assuming he assessed your ability and knew you wouldn't be able to hang. I have done the same thing many times. Just this weekend I had to explain to someone that she should stay with our Saturday rides until her fitness comes up to the level of our Sunday rides. I rather say that then she come out and get mad because she gets dropped right off the bat. If your expectation is someone has to ride with you, then he was right to tell you what he did.

If you are OK to ride alone, at least until the stop - go out and do the ride. Asure the other riders you can find your own way so they can enjoy their own rides. You will earn their respect.

BTW my club does a "newbie" ride the first Saturday of each month. The ride is approximately 15 miles long, no hills (maybe an overpass) there is a lead and a sweep (or several). We also tie it to a training/safety class. We usually get around 15 people or so. All rides (short, medium, long and xtra long meet up at the same coffee stops for socialization. You might suggest he do that once a month. Maybe you can volunteer to lead or sweep it????