First organized ride/road ride. Help!

[Owlie]

Okay, I just signed up for my first organized ride--50 miles. Requested the time off and everything. I haven't ridden on roads in two years, thanks to living in places with really nice bike paths with a 20mph speed limit.

Anything I need to pick up beforehand, besides food, obviously? I was thinking a mirror (any recommendations?), and perhaps a daylight-visible tail light (I think the Planet Bike Superflash fits the bill).

[indysteel]

The Superflash is, indeed, a bright taillight. If you get one, use a ziptie or rubberband to attach the light to the clip. Mine flew off when I went over a bump in the road. Having read many a review since, I don't believe this to be an isolated problem. I was in a paceline at the time and wasn't really in a position to stop. So, I lost the light on my third ride with it. When I talked to Performance about it, they told me they could only give me a refund if I returned the light. Uh, that was the point in needing a refund in the first place. I use a Blackburn light now.

[hebe]

No advice, but enjoy the ride!

[Roadtrip]

I second the bike tail-light... Tho we've had the same problem with the super flash with it falling off. DH lost his only a mile from home, but even retracing the route on foot didn't turn up the dislodged light. Only other advice I can offer is to just relax and enjoy the ride. My first ride I freaked out and nearly hyperventilated when traffic and bike lane became one, on a hill, so I red-lined and blew up unable to recover due to stress (and a lack in fitness), but I know you'll be A-Ok

Let us know how it goes!!!
Shannon

[ny biker]

I would suggest riding on some roads to get (re)acquainted with them, so you can get used to scanning for obstacles like manhole covers, potholes, rough patches from poorly filled-in potholes, patches of broken glass, stuff like that.

If you'll be using a cue sheet, it's handy to have a holder for it. I use these (I have them in two sizes):

http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodBM_S.html

http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodBM_H.html

Though many people are happy just using a binder clip to attach the cue sheet to a cable in front of their handlebars. The important thing is to be prepared with something to hold the cue sheet.

[Kathi]

Neat, what ride did you sign up for?

[Owlie]

Neat, what ride did you sign up for?

Wright Wride.

[velo]

Actually, you might look into the ride info... they will probably have SAG stops with food and water, and maybe even a whole meal at the ride start/finish, so you may not really need to take food on the ride, unless you need some quick shot of some sort.

I agree that some road riding before hand would be a good idea. I ride an MUP for a few miles to access the roads I like and the roads are much rougher than the nicely paved MUP. Riding on roads will give you an idea about things like how much tire pressure you want to ride on to get a balance of efficiency and comfort, if your gloves will be sufficient for hand comfort (rougher pavement means more vibration that is transferred to your hands), etc.

Don't know anything about mirrors or lights, but you can probably get some good advice from your LBS.

Good luck and enjoy the ride!! I love organized rides!

[indysteel]

Owlie,

I posted some suggestions for dealing with other rides/safety at event rides in this recent thread. Perhaps it might be of help to you, too.

[Desert Tortoise]

Good suggestions above. I don't use a mirror (although thinking about it) but if I remember right from other posts, using one takes practice. Especially the helmet type. Maybe someone with helmet mirror experience can comment on that?

Are you familiar with these roads? As in have you driven on these roads? If you can't ride portions of the road, how about driving so as to familiarize yourself with the terrain?

Sounds like a fun event!

[indysteel]

One thing I wanted to amend in my suggestions from the other thread: Sometimes some of the worst offenders at group rides are experienced riders who think they're too bad-azzed to mind their manners. In fact, it's not the new riders who worry me the most. It's the group in a 20-deep paceline who zoom past me at 25+ mph with no warning and who give me all of an inch. Yeah; I don't like them.

As a new rider though, this is why it's important to really have your guard up at event rides. These pacelines can literally come out of nowhere so it's important that you keep an eye on what's going on behind you and that you ride predictably and to the right of the lane.

[Catrin]

+1,000 on what Indy said. It doesn't seem to even cross their mind what might happen if they scare a new rider without the skills to react...

[indysteel]

+1,000 on what Indy said. It doesn't seem to even cross their mind what might happen if they scare a new rider without the skills to react...

Or any rider, new or otherwise. They're a menace to everyone.

[Kathi]

A good paceline leader will warn you a group is passing and how many are in the group. Other riders will say things like " 2 more coming, or I'm the last one". Many riders latch on and have no idea how to ride in the paceline. Often the leader doensn't know how many riders are behind him. I slow down when the last rider passes me as they often will move over in front of you without looking and they can catch your front wheel. You will go down rather than them. Unless you know what you are doing avoid pacelines. Ocassionally, someone will want to draft off of you, especially if it's windy. They should ask if it's ok and only say yes is you're comfortable. I don't feel comfortable with a rider I don't know, so when I realize what is happening I just pull off the road.

On my 1st century I set my goals for the number of miles to each sag stop rather than worrying about the total number of miles I had to ride. Mentally, it made the ride easier.

I always carry food and my own energy drink. Often the sag stops have "lite" snacks which aren't substantial enough for me. If lunch isn't available I carry a lunch with me or plan to eat in whatever town I'm in at lunch time. To save time we often stop in the local grocery store and pick up a sandwich. I once bonked 2 miles from a sag stop and fortunately I had a bar with me that gave me enough energy to get there. Lunch was being served so I was good to go afterward.

If you have to stop on the road, for safety for yourself and other riders, move off the road, either into a driveway or onto a side road. If there are hills you have to walk, your bicycle should be on your left. Most people don't do that, including me.

Whenever we stop in a gas station or grocery store to use their restrooms we try to buy a little something from them. We feel it's a courtesy to the store owners who allow us to use their facilities.

I try to warn riders ahead of me about riders who don't bother to tell me they're passing. This is where a mirror is helpful, they not so startling is you see them coming.

I've ridden in the area where you will be riding but it's been a long time. My memory is that it is fairly flat. Not Little Miami bike trail flat but in comparsion to riding in the Ohio River Valley (east/west of Cincy) it's flat.

I'm currently on my way to Wisconsin for the Sagbraw tour. I'm sure I'll see a lot of "do's and don'ts" next week.

[OakLeaf]

Chuck Harris will probably show up for the ride registration with his mirrors for sale. He hits all the big rides in the area. Get one. Get a few for your friends too, because even though yours will last forever (my Chuck Harris mirror survived a crash I nearly didn't, and I landed right on it), he's getting on in years.

As others have said, be wary of drafting from all angles. Be prepared for fast pacelines passing you too close without warning - if you choose to draft, be very selective about whom you draft and ALWAYS let them know you're there - and keep an eye in your mirror so you'll know if someone's drafting you without asking, and don't be shy about asking them not to if it makes you uncomfortable.

Do get used to signaling to riders and drivers behind you. Not just people who might be drafting, but anyone within eye or earshot. Point with the hand on the same side of you as any hazard before you pass it, and call out what it is (hole, roadkill, bump, gravel...). Stopping, slowing, turning, use the same hand signals you would in a car, but also signal audibly. (Some people say "braking" to mean both "stopping" and "slowing," so be prepared for someone to come to a complete stop in front of you even if they don't actually say "stopping.") "Car back" will get passed up the line, and "car up" gets passed back.

And have fun!