Help! Need to ditch slow neighbor! (long-ish)

[climbergirl]

Thanks to everyone who has responded and given me support here in this thread.

I think we've settled it. I left a plate of cookies on her porch, she took the initiative to say that maybe we shouldn't ride together, that what I called a "recovery ride" she called a "joy ride". I agreed with her that there's lots of joy in biking and I didn't want to squish that for her. And I suggested that next spring we could arrange a family bike ride with our kids (5 total between 9 and 14) and in the meantime, that I hoped we could still share the occasional cup of coffee.

Thanks again, everybody. Just having a place I could TALK about this, without feeling like a total b!tch, helped bring me a lot of perspective!

[Irulan]

cookies FTW

[roo4]

A plate of cookies can solve many problems.

[Trek420]

Cookies and beer!

[Melalvai]

I'm so glad to hear that nice resolution to the story.

I've been feeling discouraged lately because I am just plain slow. I run a 13 min mile. I swim a 1.5 min lap. (I could be a faster cyclist with a nice road bike but that's not where I want to put my resources.) I started biking 7 years ago for transportation. I've gotten quite a bit more fit and slimmed down. I have the "heart of an athlete" (according to my doc). If you put everyone out there on a bike, or run, or swim, I'd beat most of them. But they aren't out there, and so I'm slower than everyone who IS out there.

I don't care about comparing myself with others. Most of the time I can be happy with the fact that I'm out there, and the fact that everyone else is so far ahead of me doesn't matter. But sometimes I just feel alone. I wonder where are all the beginners? Where is everyone else who is slow like me?

I'm glad that you can support your neighbor in her effort to break into something new. I hope you can encourage her. Maybe some of that encouragement will find its way back to me somehow.

[roo4]

Melalvai,

I'm in the same boat. Wish we lived in the same town!

[Catrin]

Same here Melalvai, wish we lived closer! I will never be speedy on the bike and that is ok....but I hear you! I ride a lot but my riding position insures a slower pace. I would probably be slower if I were more aerodynamic but it is nice to have something to blame it on I am faster than those who don't ride often, but that is about it.

[OakLeaf]

Wait until you gals retire.

Around here, there are some SERIOUS riders who are also very slow. They're in their late 60s to mid 70s, ride thousands of miles a year, and typically take off for a month-long or longer unsupported bike tour every year or two, at a moving average of 12 mph or slower. I can't ride with them except to start together and maybe they'll have arrived at the restaurant by the time we finish breakfast. But they are real riders and no question about it, and I don't really get the impression they're much slower than they were in their prime. (Not least because there are also some people the same age who can kick my azz.) They just have more time to ride.

[emily_in_nc]

Not everyone is built for speed, and not every bike is built for speed. Having great endurance is something to be proud of too, and I suspect some of you who say you are slow have excellent endurance. There are just so many different kinds of cyclists. On bike club rides, it seemed like I was usually stuck in the middle between the fast riders up front and the slow riders at the back, so I often had to ride alone if I didn't want to go slower than was comfortable for me. The slower riders often had a decent-sized group to ride with. So it's possible that you who consider yourself slow might have some luck if you seek out some group rides...so long as they're not fast, paceline-type rides.

[Grits]

Melalvai and roo4, Me too! I'm faster than anyone who does not ride regularly, but I'm the slowest of those who do. I've decided that I am as fast as I am going to get unless I am willing to devote more time to and become much more serious about my riding, which I guess I'm just not willing to do. I try to just enjoy my rides, but it is a little discouraging to be the slowest most of the time. I don't know that I can blame it completely on my age, but I do happen to be the oldest in my riding group. I also claim to have no fast twitch muscles!