Quote Originally Posted by Catrin View Post
I've been avoiding club rides this year because of my experiences last year. There were some nice rides, but in the end I got dropped so fast by everyone that I rode solo anyway...It is a good way to meet other cyclists, but for me I have to meet them at the start of the ride or chances I won't see anyone after the first SAG stop.

This is not about the people I rode with last year, but about my slowness. I've been encouraged to not give up on group rides just yet, and they do allow me to ride places I probably wouldn't otherwise which is nice. There was also the ride I went on last June where I wound up about 45 minutes behind everyone else, so the very kind volunteers at the SAG stops waited for me. I know they didn't mind, but it did bother me they had to wait so long for me - but I didn't let bother me too much - it was a very nice ride!

I did go on one ride last year that was SO huge (2k+ cyclists) that meant I never rolled up to a SAG to find myself the only rider there, and that was nice (the Hope ride).

Of course this year I've a lighter bike, a little more experience and am a little faster, so perhaps I can keep up a little better or find a couple of other people who ride at my speed. I will never know if I don't try it out! There is a club ride I'm considering this weekend, so we will see
Which one are you thinking about?

If it makes you feel any better, I've done a lot CIBA rides where I rode alone and it had nothing to do with my pace. It just happens. Sometimes you end up in a group and sometimes you don't. Sometimes you find a group at the first stop. But thanks to CIBA, I've met a lot of nice people and have done rides in places I likely never would have on my own.

I should mention that our local club's group rides are not like some. There's a mass start and a marked course, so there's no expectation that you ride at any given pace or with other people. The SAG stops are manned long enough to account for riders riding 10 mph, which is doably for most people, and offer food and water. There are typcially sweep vehicles that make sure nobody's stranded on the course.

If you don't want to do club rides, Catrin, don't do them, but I'd hate for you to avoid them just because of pace. It seems to me that you'd enjoy meeting some more cyclists and/or riding in new areas, and you have gotten stronger since last year. Having done it myself, riding mostly on the NW side does get dull after a while. I've gone through phases where I wanted to ride along more often than not or with a small group of friends, but it's always nice to know CIBA is out there helping cyclists in Indiana have a fun time on the road.