Bike Club Routes

[bikerHen]

In my continuing saga of trying to make the local womens bike club more user friendly I have a question.

I have this perception that club rides are on quiet country roads outside of town with little traffic. True or false? I'm trying to plan some alternate routes for our monthly ride, but most include neighborhoods and business areas. Give the time of the rides, 6PM there will be traffic. We only ride for about 1 1/2 hours, so there isn't enough time to get out of town and back. So my question is, are rides through town a suitable club ride? And is it too much to ask new(er) riders to do city riding? The neighborhood areas are fairly quiet but to get there we must go through some traffic.

I'm still in an uphill battle of sorts, with one board member who see no reason to change the current ride set-up. Everyone riding in one group, fast riders off the front, everyone else lost and pick up by the sweep rider. I'm just going ahead with my plans to offer a second ride option and see what happens. I've got two routes map out and am actually having some fun with the planning. I just hope my work isn't a total waste of time. bikerHen

[Melalvai]

I think it's a fabulous idea. I'm all in favor of having some in-town rides for beginners. Riding with a group in town is a great way to model appropriate behaviors for riding in traffic. These women participating on these rides will be empowered to use their bicycles for transportation if they choose to. It's a more intense workout too, because of all the stops and starts.

It would be good if at least one person in the group had taken the Road I course, or better yet was an LCI.

[Blueberry]

I don't see a problem with it - but I would make it clear in the ride description that that's the kind of route. I know for our higher traffic urban rides, there's usually a warning (i.e. not suitable for kids or total beginners - should be comfortable riding in traffic, etc.).

Kudos to you for trying to do a different kind of ride - I find that when I get left by (much faster) riders, it's kind of demoralizing.

CA

[bikerHen]

It would be good if at least one person in the group had taken the Road I course, or better yet was an LCI.

That would be me. Road I graduate and seriously thinking about LCI. bikerHen

[PscyclePath]

We do a mix of rides... some on local trails, through the downtown area, and open rural roads... often on the same ride ;-)

I notice a lot of clubs are putting in requirements, or at least strong encouragement that their ride leaders have at least passed a Road I course so that they have at least some organized exposure to road hazards and their avoidance, and traffic law. It's a good thing, and I wholly support it, but over the past year I notice that lots of folks who complete Road I go right back to their old bad habits. Recidivism is a lot worse among the old-timers than among the new riders, who probably don't have as many bad habits to unlearn.

Tom

[OakLeaf]

If what you mean by "more user friendly" is "less intimidating to riders who may lack self-confidence on their bikes," then I think the more you can keep them out of traffic, the better. Can you find a different starting point on the edge of town (maybe rotating around the various areas, so it's not always a super long drive for someone who lives clear across town)?

The urban club I belong to starts all its rides in far suburban/exurban areas, so it's no more than 5 miles of in-town riding (each direction). But it's going to depend on your area, too.