First Group Ride.. Please Help!

[FunSize]

So I went on the ride this morning I had told you about. I bet you'll do better than me! Get this: as my bf and I pull into the parking lot on our bikes he stops in front of me so I have to turn my bike to the right... but I clip out on my left side. So I fall over in front of all these people I don't know! What a great first impression, right. I bet they all thought i'd be horrible and probably stayed their distance from me!

You'll be fine on Monday! As long as you don't fall over upon meeting them you've done better than me!

So... after today I would recommend that if you are "stopping" or "slowing" to call it out. That seemed to be super helpful for everyone today.

[Glory]

So I went on the ride this morning I had told you about. I bet you'll do better than me! Get this: as my bf and I pull into the parking lot on our bikes he stops in front of me so I have to turn my bike to the right... but I clip out on my left side. So I fall over in front of all these people I don't know! What a great first impression, right. I bet they all thought i'd be horrible and probably stayed their distance from me!

You'll be fine on Monday! As long as you don't fall over upon meeting them you've done better than me!

So... after today I would recommend that if you are "stopping" or "slowing" to call it out. That seemed to be super helpful for everyone today.

Omg...how embarrassing! Nothing says newbie like dropping your bike :P I hope it got better after that! It was a beautiful day for a ride I'm out near Greer and it was definitely a bit breezy but still a gorgeous day!

[Dogmama]

So I went on the ride this morning I had told you about. I bet you'll do better than me! Get this: as my bf and I pull into the parking lot on our bikes he stops in front of me so I have to turn my bike to the right... but I clip out on my left side. So I fall over in front of all these people I don't know! What a great first impression, right. I bet they all thought i'd be horrible and probably stayed their distance from me!

Falling over like that is a rite of passage. Everybody does is & the part that hurts worse is the ego!

Lots of good advice about group riding - especially about being predictable. I'll be anxious to hear how it went!

I used to ride with a fairly fast women's group. We would get new people almost every week. Once, we were in a double paceline, doing about 20-25 MPH, everybody being good (i.e., predictable!) when the lady next to me says, "Isn't this fun? And I've never gone over 10 mph before!"

[Geonz]

What Dogmama said.

I am dependent on caffeine and I hadn't had any on a very early group ride... I still had a car then... I get the bike out, put the wheel on and we try to ride off only... I put it on with the derailleur on the wrong side. No amount of "No! Don't wait for me!" would be heard so the all got to watch (at least it was a quick release and short-lived... and... it was funny... them's what don't like me can leave me alone.)

Don't feel like you should start behind everybody if there's a break, especially if you *are* the slowest one there. They'll be able to work on around you.

Friend of mine lives in Easley, name of Clyde. If you see him, say howdy from Sioux in Illinois

[bikerchic]

Probably one of the best tips I ever got which served me well in group riding is the bike always goes where the eyes are looking!

My riding partner always had to look at me while riding beside me and talking, she scared the bejeebers out of me! She was always turning into my front wheel.....I had the hardest time breaking her of that habit!

Always keep a straight line, if you do need to swerve to avoid something in the road, shout it out, point it out to those behind you and gradually move around it don't abruptly swerve! Keep your eyes on the wheel in front of you while scanning the road ahead, can you say multitasking? LOL

Keep a safe (at least a wheel distance) behind the person in front of you and slightly to the right or left of their wheel. Unless in a pace line then you want to be within inches of their wheel which involves a lot of skill and mostly TRUST of the abilities of the riders in front of you!

Okay....it makes me want to go ride...

[Roadtrip]

Y'all got me a little nervous... There is a chance me and DH go out on the Cincinnati Cycle Club Spring Opener, April 17.

Several distances, one over to a nice trail, then back... So a good portion of the ride is over trail instead of road... Supposed to be good for beginners.

The paceline would give me a heart attack I think!!!

Shannon

[jelee1311]

Relax,listen,learn and most important have fun. Most of the beginner rides I've done we didn't do a big paceline. I was fortunate that our localbike club has a wonderful beginning womans ride that taught me manners and boosted my confidence for group rides. God bless those patient,wonderful women. Good luck!