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

[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.

[Loraura]

Here's what I did:

I looked for a women's only cycling group. Found one and started showing up for rides. At first it was all I could do to hang on, and got dropped often.

After doing this for a year, I can do all but one of the regular routes without getting dropped. I go anyway, knowing I will probably get dropped, but just try to make it a little further than the last time. Sometimes I do, sometimes not. Depends on how I'm feeling and if I've recovered from a previous long/hard ride or not.

I just printed out maps and kept them with me so I was sure I knew the way back to the car. I take my phone with GPS tracking on it (Sprint Family Locator) so my husband can log in from any PC and see where I am. He knows if I'm not moving for long periods, I'm in trouble. I've only called him once to rescue me from a group ride I got dropped from.

I'm a much better cyclist for it. I'm 3-4 MPH avg faster than this same time last year.

I've learned to draft, pull, participate in a paceline, bridge a gap, climb more efficiently and bomb down descents. I've learned some great routes I wouldn't have thought of on my own.

I'm down right grumpy if I have to miss a group ride now.

I even did my first race last week (and didn't come in last!).

Riding with people better and faster than me has made me better and faster. No doubt about it.