need help with level for club

[lacyliz]

Hi Gals,

I am nervously in the process of joining my local club (never ridden with a club before - or a group for that matter). they ask what level and I'm not sure exactly how that's determined. Is the average speed an average speed on mostly flat terrain or is it on hills, too? I live in the Catskills - generally my average speed after a ride is about 14 mph - and that's in rolling hills that are not terribly steep with a couple of steeper short hills. On flat terrain I can travel faster - and on steeper, longer terrain I am definitely slower. I ride about 65-70 miles per week on my own. The farthest I ride at any one time is 25 miles, but I want to do more.

How do I determine where I'm at for the club? Should I just start at a C level? How is the terrain determined? That's enough questions...Thanks for helping!

[neuroticcyclist]

My guess is that your club's rankings differ from that of other clubs (and maybe from leader to leader). Start with the shorter and easier rides and figure out the lay of the land. You can always change! Remember, too, that folks often pick up the pace faster than that advertized - so in my club, the 13-15 rides have about 30% of the riders who are at the 15 or above pace, depending on terrain.

[Geonz]

When in doubt, go with the easiest ride and work your way up. Heck, even when not in doubt.
The club that accurately describes its ride levels is the exception rather than the rule, especially if you toss in that wild card factor of: who shows up that day? *This* year, what kind of personalities (rabbits or turtles?) are at what rides? So, it also doesn't do to judge a club ride on any one, given day (especially if there's something unusual like cold weather that chases off the slower riders or some important out-o-town ride that's where the faster ones are).
A really good strategy is to find people who ride like you do and find out what rides they go on (by going to rides until you meet them, even if that means going to some rides a few times to see if somebody like you comes).
Our club rides start tomorrow - yesterday would have been an unofficial one but it was raining and 38 degrees.

[lacyliz]

Thanks for the feedback - that's what I was leaning toward doing. Hopefully it will be more enjoyable that way