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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Twin Cities, Minnesota
    Posts
    486

    How am I supposed to go as fast as my friends?

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    I only ride this group of friends for things like the St Paul Classic or Minneapolis Tour of the Lakes, where speed isn't an issue.

    I don't ride with them for any other events because I am too slow. But take a look at their physique compared to mine. I feel like a elementary school child out for a ride with her parents. I haven't found a way to ride with the grown ups yet.

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    kajero
    2013 Trek FX 7.6 WSD
    2012 Specialized Ruby WSD
    2004 Schwinn (I think that is the year)

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Concord, MA
    Posts
    13,394
    I don't know which person is you!
    You can either find a new group to ride with, train to improve your speed, or they can enjoy a slower ride with you!
    2015 Trek Silque SSL
    Specialized Oura

    2011 Guru Praemio
    Specialized Oura
    2017 Specialized Ariel Sport

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    north woods of Wisconsin
    Posts
    1,110
    If you're ever over my way in NE Wisconsin, will be happy to ride with you. I love going at a pleasant pace and enjoying our wonderful forest and lake country. Flat areas alternate with lots of rolling hills, but no serious mountain climbing. Hundreds of miles of paved, low traffic roads, like this.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Twin Cities, Minnesota
    Posts
    486
    I am the one that the yellow arrow points to! I don't ride with groups anymore. When I have, it seems to have resulted in an accident because I am too incompetent to ride with them. That's why I only do the tours with them. There is always a potluck after and they don't care what time I get there. :-) Sometimes I leave an hour early so I can meet them for lunch. Still, I think it's kind of like my grandson. He can't keep up with me on my bicycle because he is too little!
    kajero
    2013 Trek FX 7.6 WSD
    2012 Specialized Ruby WSD
    2004 Schwinn (I think that is the year)

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Tucson, AZ
    Posts
    1,973
    That sounds very familiar (except for the accident part). I pretty much ride by myself these days because most groups are too fast and the ones that aren't are too slow. Or I ride with my husband or son, who will wait for me after they want to go fast for a while. It doesn't seem to matter what I try, even training with a coach didn't help. I have one friend who will ride my pace.

    I have no advice or suggestions... but I do have lots of empathy for you
    2016 Specialized Ruby Comp disc - Ruby Expert ti 155
    2010 Surly Long Haul Trucker - Jett 143

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Twin Cities, Minnesota
    Posts
    486
    Quote Originally Posted by north woods gal View Post
    If you're ever over my way in NE Wisconsin, will be happy to ride with you. I love going at a pleasant pace and enjoying our wonderful forest and lake country. Flat areas alternate with lots of rolling hills, but no serious mountain climbing. Hundreds of miles of paved, low traffic roads, like this.
    I would love to ride with you, albeit I am not sure if your definition of "pleasant" is the same as my average mph hour -- anywhere between 10-11. Although I don't go fast, I do love long rides! One of my favorite and beautiful rides is riding out to Fort Snelling to visit my Dad's grave and now my SO's as well, from my house. It is a round trip of around 54 miles and takes me all day to do it. Of course, I imagine it wouldn't take me so long if I didn't stop and visit with people at Free Wheel Bike shop located right on the Greenway Trail, at Minnehaha Falls when they have numerous activities, and at the Fort Snelling Visitor Center.

    My SO passed away January 21 so I will have a lot of free time this summer. I know he would appreciate it if didn't ride alone, but not in a group. After the one bad accident, he always worried that he wouldn't be able to find me if something happened. I didn't have a smartphone either. I have a smartphone now. I inherited his.

    So maybe I can wind my way up to NE Wisconsin! From there perhaps I could go to Montreal and visit my sister!

    I haven't been able to figure out how to post a link to my rides on GarminConnect. When I do, I will surely post the link. I can only figure out how to post one ride.

    It's beautiful here in Minnesota now. I have an awful cold and the cough medicine makes me dizzy so I don't know if I will ride though. March, with its blizzards, has yet to arrive.

    Kathy
    Last edited by kajero; 02-19-2017 at 07:36 PM.
    kajero
    2013 Trek FX 7.6 WSD
    2012 Specialized Ruby WSD
    2004 Schwinn (I think that is the year)

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Concord, MA
    Posts
    13,394
    Kajero, I am also short, and that doesn't necessarily mean you cannot get faster, if that's your goal. But, it sounds like you just want to find a compatable group to ride with. My club has rides at your speed, so others must, too. I'd advise looking at outdoor groups or meet ups, rather than a bike club. I am probably similar to AZ in speed, which means with typical bike groups, you are in the middle.
    I hear frustration in your voice. Maybe you should focus on your skills, and that would improve your speed. If you are causing accidents, that's a skill issue. Perhaps not only bike skill lessons, but also core, balance, and strength training.
    2015 Trek Silque SSL
    Specialized Oura

    2011 Guru Praemio
    Specialized Oura
    2017 Specialized Ariel Sport

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Traveling Nomad
    Posts
    6,763
    People of all shapes and sizes can get fast with proper training and consistency. A lot of the bike club folks ride all the time and work on speed with intervals and pacelines. Riding the same speed all the time doesn't tend to make one fast, but intervals help. I personally hate intervals, and as a result, I never get much faster, just a little over time, when I am doing a lot of riding.

    Back when I was at my peak of riding and did many club rides (2003-2004, before I had a serious cycling accident in spring of '05), I gradually worked my way up to riding with some of the faster (B-paced) ricers -- but not the fastest club riders, which was fine with me. I was riding consistently and usually with people who were a bit faster than me, so just trying to keep up with them helped my speed over time, as did lots of training miles and quite a few hills where we lived.

    Now, I only ride with DH or alone, and I am a lot slower than I was back in my peak, though I can still put in as many miles. But my typical average speed of 13-14 mph (sometimes a little slower or faster depending on which bike I am on, the terrain, number of stops, etc.) puts me in that "middle" area where the fast riders (like my DH) easily leave me eating their dust, but I am constantly passing people on cruiser bikes, mountain bikes (on pavement), families, etc. on my bike path rides -- the more casual, infrequent cyclist types or those riding very heavy non-road bikes, in other words.

    I don't know why it is so hard to find people riding in the "middle" speeds, but it does seem to be.
    Emily

    2011 Jamis Dakar XC "Toto" - Selle Italia Ldy Gel Flow
    2007 Trek Pilot 5.0 WSD "Gloria" - Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow
    2004 Bike Friday Petite Pocket Crusoe - Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    north woods of Wisconsin
    Posts
    1,110
    Kathy, I am so sorry to hear about your SO. Always tough to lose a loved one.

    As for 10-11 mph for average speed, that is absolutely no problem with me. All of my riding, save for a bit around the neighborhood with my husband who is limited in distance work due to disabilities, is by myself. Having company would be a treat. Just a matter of choosing a bike as to average speed I get. Had my Puglsey fat bike out, yesterday, on pavement and had to really push really hard just to get 11 mph for an average speed. A speedster, it is not. Just a fun, happy go lucky, go anywhere cruiser. You'd have no problem keeping up.
    Last edited by north woods gal; 02-20-2017 at 07:18 AM.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Twin Cities, Minnesota
    Posts
    486
    The bike accidents were caused by me trying to catch up with riders that were too fast for me to ride with. I didn't pay attention to what I was doing when I sped up I no longer ride with that type of rider and have been accident free!
    kajero
    2013 Trek FX 7.6 WSD
    2012 Specialized Ruby WSD
    2004 Schwinn (I think that is the year)

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Twin Cities, Minnesota
    Posts
    486
    I was concerned I would go to slow for you! How about if we find a what looks like a promising week/weekend this spring/summer and make plans!
    kajero
    2013 Trek FX 7.6 WSD
    2012 Specialized Ruby WSD
    2004 Schwinn (I think that is the year)

  12. #12
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    northern Virginia
    Posts
    5,897
    I also am between groups, too fast or too slow. Getting faster takes work -- pushing yourself to ride faster until you build up the strength to maintain it. I usually find it less than fun.

    - Gray 2010 carbon WSD road bike, Rivet Independence saddle
    - Red hardtail 26" aluminum mountain bike, Bontrager Evoke WSD saddle
    - Royal blue 2018 aluminum gravel bike, Rivet Pearl saddle

    Gone but not forgotten:
    - Silver 2003 aluminum road bike
    - Two awesome worn out Juliana saddles

  13. #13
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    north woods of Wisconsin
    Posts
    1,110
    Quote Originally Posted by kajero View Post
    I was concerned I would go to slow for you! How about if we find a what looks like a promising week/weekend this spring/summer and make plans!
    For sure.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Illinois
    Posts
    3,151
    This comes up all the time... yea, what they all said. Now, how big are your tires? I have a 7500FX but got skinnier tires and it makes a significant difference in speed... and it doesn't take a huge difference to make the difference between working hard sustainably and ... not able to keep up.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Twin Cities, Minnesota
    Posts
    486
    Never though of the tires. When I bought the bike I had them go up a couple sizes because I would be riding on crushed limestone periodically.
    kajero
    2013 Trek FX 7.6 WSD
    2012 Specialized Ruby WSD
    2004 Schwinn (I think that is the year)

 

 

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