group rides seem intimidating (Washington DC/Silver Spring, MD)

[mariacycle]

Rain - so glad you posted this. I'm a NOVA/DC rider and I'm petrified of riding with a group... I'm thinking about joining a local cycling group but I'm afraid that I'm not in good enough shape to keep up with a C group but that anything lower might be boring?

Side question: when people are in a group that goes (say) 16mph for a 30 mile ride, are you expected to stay at 16mph the whole time or is that for flat surfaces? TIA!

[ny biker]

Well, my experience with PPTC is:

According to the description of their ride classifications, I am a CC rider. However, in practice, people who show up for the CC rides that I do are not necessarily in that category. Apparently many people choose rides based on start location, route and distance, regardless of their usual average speed. Add to that the fact that I'm slow going uphill, and I usually get dropped by most of the group early in the ride.

However this does not really bother me. So what if I'm slower than they are? It doesn't mean I'm any better or worse as a person. And I'm not so much slower that I never see anyone else on the ride. There tends to be someone just up ahead or not far behind me, and when I get to the rest stop there's still a crowd of people there.

I don't know about the C rides because I haven't tried any; they're generally shorter than I want or include a long lunch stop or otherwise do not meet my needs. I have heard from a friend that the C rides tend to be more friendly than the faster rides. And based on the ride descriptions for D rides, they seem to be much more social and laid back.

There are some combined C/D rides, so you might want to start with one of those to see if you like it. You can try one or two rides before you join to make sure you really want to spend the money on membership. So worst case scenario is that you conclude that it's just not the right group for you, but at least you tried.

[indysteel]

Generally speaking--and I stress the generally--the posted speed for a group ride is the average speed. Meaning that you will likely be going both slower and faster than the posted speed at times. Keep in mind, though, that you are generally able to go faster in a group than you can by yourself thanks to the magic of drafting.

[mariacycle]

ny_biker - the start locations for PPTC under the website are only accessible by members, but I'm interested to know where rides start to know whether or not a membership would be worth it. Do they only start in DC or do they start in NOVA as well. Do they use the W&OD?

[ny biker]

ny_biker - the start locations for PPTC under the website are only accessible by members, but I'm interested to know where rides start to know whether or not a membership would be worth it. Do they only start in DC or do they start in NOVA as well. Do they use the W&OD?

Actually I think mores rides start in NOVA or Md than in DC. After a quick skim of the April rides it looks like only a few start within DC -- all the rest start outside the city. Some rides are on the WOD. Some are all on road and some are a combination of trails and roads. The ride descriptions usually say if any trails are involved.

Here are the C and D rides that are scheduled for this Saturday. (There's a ride leader's contact information provided for each ride in case you have questions -- I didn't include that here.)

D/C * 18/24 * MD * 10:30 AM * College Park - UMD Metro Station
Maryland Woodlands and Streams Circuit Ride. Pedal along the Anacostia River and Paint Branch. See tornado devastation at College Park and a caboose at the Bladensburg Waterfront Park. Have lunch near the University of Maryland. This ride is almost entirely flat and on paved trails (and briefly on the road). Meet at the College Park - UMD Metro Station

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C * 30ish * VA * 10 AM * Belle Haven Picnic Area (BEL)
Something Different. Depending on the weather we will either bike down to Fort Belvoir with a stop at the Starbucks or if the weather is nice enough to have lunch at an outdoor cafe we will do some neighborhood riding and then finish up at the National Harbor for lunch. If the weather is doubtful, call leader the morning of the ride or check club website ride forum for last minute updates.



Here are the rides for April 10:

D/C/CC * 20-30 * VA * 10:30 AM * Vienna Comm unity Center (VCC)
Potomac Overlook Park-Arlington. A Mini Biking Festival 2 and a lunch with intelligent conversation in the Rock Bear Restaurant (Lee Hwy and W&OD intersection) or after ride in Vienna, Maple Ave and TBD. "D" leader Steven Jones W&OD/ Custis Trails and Military Rd, "C" leader Eugene Grunby Falls Church/McLean/Arlington (Military Rd) return with "D"s, and "CC" leader Woody Lipinski Falls Church/McLean/Arlington plus Heavenly Hills of Arlington (two big hills) no biking on the Custis trail.


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C * 27 (MH) * VA * 10 AM * Gunston ES (GES)
Lorton Springfield Loop. Here's a challenging ride that's half rural, half Northern Virginia suburban. Follow up and down hills with part of the route going past the old Lorton Penitentiary in the latter half. Lunch afterwards at a nearby eatery. In the event of questionable weather, a cancellation will be posted on the web site an hour before the ride start. If you need directions, do an internet map search on Gunston ES, Lorton, VA.

Here is one for April 11:

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C/CC(MF) * 31&50 * VA * 10:30 PM * Brentsville Historical Park, Brentsville * 45°/50%
Unpainted Country Lanes. Perfect for "C" riders who hate hills, "CC" riders who love a pace line, and tandems. I always get great compliments about this ride. It goes on paved but many unpainted roads and twists around country lanes like a colander full of spaghetti. And yet there are plenty of long, uninterrupted stretches. Traffic is minimal and the route hardly has hills. Ascent for both distances is a flat-ish 30 feet per mile. Toilet probably not available at ride start. Rest stop at 15 miles in Nokesville Park - no snacks, some water - and another for the longer route at the Bristerburg store. (Directions: Brentsville Park, 12291 Bristow Rd, Bristow 20136, behind the Presbyterian Church - use GPS, Mapquest, or similar for directions.) Tour the site after the ride. Questions? Call me at home NLT 2 hours prior to ride start or on cell thereafter.

[ny biker]

For anyone who's thinking they might want to join Potomac Pedalers, the annual picnic ride is on May 2 in Nokesville, VA. I wasn't able to attend this ride in past years, but I think it is a good opportunity for non-members to learn about the club. I am planning to go this year (although if it's cold and rainy like last year I reserve the right to turn off the alarm clock and go back to sleep. )

Here is the description:

Nokesville Picnic Ride in Virginia

Start: 05/02/2010 - 09:00
End: 05/02/2010 - 14:00
Timezone: Etc/GMT-5
Sunday, May 2, 2010

A Great Start to a New Cycling Season!

Last year’s multi-class Nokesville Picnic Ride will be repeated Sunday, May 2nd at the Nokesville Community Park in Nokesville, VA. We are stressing going “green” at this picnic by encouraging lots of recycling, etc. (Remember you can check the ride share forum on the PPTC website to see if people can share car trips out there.) As always, it’s open to everyone, new, old and non-members. It’s a great way to meet people who are not in your normal ride class.

After the ride we will gather at the pavilion for free hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers, etc. We’ll provide drinks, plates, napkins, cups, utensils, and condiments but anyone should feel free to bring their own reusable plates or utensils (to keep the trash down.) As always, everyone is encouraged to bring a dish – salad, chips, other side dishes or desserts - to share. The potluck is usually excellent! Hope for a lovely day though this is a rain or shine event because the pavillion is large and quite nice.

This is a multi-class ride with something for everyone. There will be rides from 10-51 miles, covering classes from A to D. Check the May ride schedule for exact times for each of the rides.

An information table will be available before and after the rides to answer questions anyone might have from finding the right ride or how to join the club.

[tulip]

Rain - so glad you posted this. I'm a NOVA/DC rider and I'm petrified of riding with a group... I'm thinking about joining a local cycling group but I'm afraid that I'm not in good enough shape to keep up with a C group but that anything lower might be boring?!

What are you petrified of? Just start riding. Potomac Pedalers and Oxon Hill folks are really nice. They provide cue sheets--you should get a cue sheet holder for your handlebars--and so you can follow the cue sheet at your own pace. But I've never seen anyone be abandoned on D and C and even B paced rides.

You'll never know unless you try. Start with a D paced ride or two or three, see how it goes, and if it's boring move up to CC or C. Keep riding and you will get faster and more comfortable. You might just surprise yourself.

NYBiker - great ride list!

[mariacycle]

I guess I'm petrified of embarrassing myself by not being able to keep up or getting tired and wanting to stop or even something stupid like getting a flat...

[tulip]

I guess I'm petrified of embarrassing myself by not being able to keep up or getting tired and wanting to stop or even something stupid like getting a flat...

Okay. You need to get over that. Life is for living.

The PPTC and Oxen Hill folks are really nice. Do you have to be prepared? Of course you do, just like anything else. You should be able to ride the posted pace. If you cannot ride 50 miles at 20mph, then don't sign up for the A-paced ride! That's a no-brainer. Go on the D-pace ride. Meet some people. Enjoy yourself. Keep at it. Cycling is all about consistency.

Learn how to fix a flat. Take a class and PRACTICE so that you are comfortable fixing flats. It is not rocket science, but it does take some practice, like anything else.

Take a Confident Cyclist class from the League of American Bicyclists. You will surely learn alot in a supportive environment.

Go out and ride and discover and have a good time.

But for heaven's sake, don't just sit there wishing! Do something about it. You are the master of your own destiny.

[ny biker]

Here is some information from WABA about options for cycling classes:

http://www.waba.org/events/education.php

The women's Sunday morning rides at the Bike Lane go at a C pace, if you're up for that. It's on-road around Reston, Herndon and Oakton, and most of the route is low-traffic with only a few short stretches on busier roads (and even those don't have all that much traffic -- I've ridden this route in the middle of a weekend afternoon with no trouble). I can't make it this weekend, but might be able to join them the following weekend.