So I went on this group ride on Sat w/ about 15 people and I knew from the beginning it was gonna be a rough ride for me. I haven't been on my bike in about 8 months, so I'm way out of shape, and the first thing we did was take a vote confirming that 30 miles was ok. So we took off and as soon as we hit the first hill I fell way back. The group totally took off after that, but they had a no drop policy, so pretty much for the rest of the ride, some poor guy got stuck babysitting me climbing the hills slower and slower each time. I finally finished, no one else in sight and decided that I probably shouldn't do this ride anymore until I could better keep up.

So, you more experienced riders, what is your take on my experience? Should I :

a) keep going on that ride and get better. THEY made the no drop policy, so they expect to look after the slow pokes

b) don't do that ride anymore, no one likes to ride that slow

c) train alone for a few weeks, get in better shape, attack some hills then go back to riding with group (if you pick this option, you have to give me some good tips on how to deal with hills... i just moved to North Carolina from New Mexico- I don't know hills all that well)

Thanks from a newb!

So I went on this group ride on Sat w/ about 15 people and I knew from the beginning it was gonna be a rough ride for me. I haven't been on my bike in about 8 months, so I'm way out of shape, and the first thing we did was take a vote confirming that 30 miles was ok. So we took off and as soon as we hit the first hill I fell way back. The group totally took off after that, but they had a no drop policy, so pretty much for the rest of the ride, some poor guy got stuck babysitting me climbing the hills slower and slower each time. I finally finished, no one else in sight and decided that I probably shouldn't do this ride anymore until I could better keep up.

So, you more experienced riders, what is your take on my experience? Should I :

a) keep going on that ride and get better. THEY made the no drop policy, so they expect to look after the slow pokes

b) don't do that ride anymore, no one likes to ride that slow

c) train alone for a few weeks, get in better shape, attack some hills then go back to riding with group (if you pick this option, you have to give me some good tips on how to deal with hills... i just moved to North Carolina from New Mexico- I don't know hills all that well)

Thanks from a newb!

Personally,I would pick C.Not that there is anything wrong with A.I guess it is a pride thing.If the guys fell back for you then they obviously don't mind helping you out.

However,I would rather ride solo,get stronger then go back to ride with them.

IMO,you already addressed your problem in the 1st few sentences of your post.Being off the bike for 8 months is probably the biggest factor.Consistency does a lot.Just ride some more.There are probably a million different climbing workouts but if you just havn't been on the bike much lately none of that matters.Get out, ride and hit some of the climbs hard.:thumbsup:

I just started really riding this summer. I was kinda floundering and then found a local bike club and it has been a wonderful experience!

Here is my club's website:
http://www.planobicycle.org/

Lots of great folks who are very tolerant of newbies and really want to grow the sport (metro road cycling, I guess). Notice that our club has a sort of ride curriculum:

http://www.planobicycle.org/files/upload/PBAridesataglance.pdf

Read the ride descriptions and you will see that about anyone can enjoy a ride at thier appropriate pace.

I started in the Novice group, then the Tweener group and will probably start the Distance Builder very soon. I have got my $18 worth many times over.

So I guess I would rec option D: Join a local bike club! :thumbsup:

Best of luck.

I agree wih the other rider where C is the best choice for you. If 30 miles seems to be their typical ride it shouldn't be that hard for you to get in a 30 miler on your own My club this time of year goes 60 miles (65 today) and I really don't want to ride that far myself.. Maybe even take the same route they took Another option would be to find out if your club/group has a slightly easier ride to build up your mileage. While you can select choice A I don't think it is much fun always being so far behind the group. In reality you really didn't do a group ride.

geez, that's a lot of G-D rides!

How many people are in this club? How many people show up for the rides? I don't think anything in the whole pacific northwest could muster a ridelist like that -- and we're bike-crazy!

Maybe just introverted bike-crazy..

c) train alone for a few weeks, get in better shape, attack some hills then go back to riding with group (if you pick this option, you have to give me some good tips on how to deal with hills... i just moved to North Carolina from New Mexico- I don't know hills all that well)

Thanks from a newb!

Which group ride did you do? Where were you riding?

Now keep in mind, Plano is right in the middle of some of the most rapidly growing communities in the US: Frisco, Allen and McKinney, TX.

The Tweener ride usually has about 20 on average. The DBers probably have 30 plus consistently. I have heard some of the mid week rides are even larger, like over 50 at times. We had a large Novice group but have graduated to the Tweener ride for the most part. At times the groups are so large that the groups split and go at staggered starting times. Interestingly I would say that there is only 1-2 people at each Tweener ride that are not regulars or have become regulars since the time I joined.

Riding in a group is just so much better for some people. And the group has a great core leadership and very good social skills. Keep in mind we are getting that type of turnout and the temp has been consistently over 100 for months here. We have tons of charity rides and rallies in and around Dallas. Club riding is a great prep for those. The weekly rides are occassionally rolled into the rally.

:cool:

This one is so EASY! I can't believe you haven't figured it out already...

Buy a more expensive carbon fiber bike with some nice, expensive low spoke count wheels. A carbon fiber water bottle cage is a must. Then, get yourself the brightest, and tightest jersey and shorts you can find. The more logos the better.

You will be climing hills faster than you decend them.



















J/K

I would go with option C. Or look for another club that offers group rides at your current ability.

Thank them for not dropping you first.

Find a more "social" oriented bike club or group rides that are not spandex clad.

Just ride more. Learn more about cycling technique, it's worth more than a $10,000 bike. Really. How to ride more efficiently. Make sure your bike is set up correctly.

Find groups that have short/easy rides and join them.

If you find that social rides are too slow for you. Go off on a training ride by yourself first, THEN join the social ride.

have fun and enjoy the experience, you'll get faster in time without trying.

you have to enjoy spending time on your bike, or you'll end up not riding

if you enjoy training and making yourself better... there are MANY people on this forum that would be more than happy to offer you advice

good luck

No drop means No drop, at least that's the way my summertime LBS interprets it.

The shop has two riders go out, and if someone really doesn't have it, then one guy will stay with him/her. It's not much fun for you, nor is it much fun for them. If truth be told, I think that's asking a lot if you're going to struggle every week. You may as well hire a coach.

So, I suggest option C, with less emphasis on 'attacking hills' and more on building up a base.

So, you more experienced riders, what is your take on my experience? Should I :

a) keep going on that ride and get better. THEY made the no drop policy, so they expect to look after the slow pokes

b) don't do that ride anymore, no one likes to ride that slow

c) train alone for a few weeks, get in better shape, attack some hills then go back to riding with group (if you pick this option, you have to give me some good tips on how to deal with hills... i just moved to North Carolina from New Mexico- I don't know hills all that well)

Thanks from a newb!

So I went on this group ride on Sat w/ about 15 people and I knew from the beginning it was gonna be a rough ride for me. I haven't been on my bike in about 8 months, so I'm way out of shape, and the first thing we did was take a vote confirming that 30 miles was ok. So we took off and as soon as we hit the first hill I fell way back. The group totally took off after that, but they had a no drop policy, so pretty much for the rest of the ride, some poor guy got stuck babysitting me climbing the hills slower and slower each time. I finally finished, no one else in sight and decided that I probably shouldn't do this ride anymore until I could better keep up.

So, you more experienced riders, what is your take on my experience? Should I :

a) keep going on that ride and get better. THEY made the no drop policy, so they expect to look after the slow pokes

b) don't do that ride anymore, no one likes to ride that slow

c) train alone for a few weeks, get in better shape, attack some hills then go back to riding with group (if you pick this option, you have to give me some good tips on how to deal with hills... i just moved to North Carolina from New Mexico- I don't know hills all that well)

Thanks from a newb!

I would (and do):

1 - Train solo. Get out on the non-group days and ride, ride, ride. I ride solo about half the time.

2 - Find a slower group as your main group. A group that you can hang with and have fun with. It doesn't have to be a Krispe Cream ride, just a little slower. I ride twice a week with a group where I can (usually) hang with the As. A couple of years ago I could only hang with the Bs.

3 - Ride with a group that drops you regularly. This group will do if they understand that you just want to hang til you can't hang no more and don't need an escort. Riding with a fast group is a great motivator and great training. I ride once/week with a much faster group. This year I am actually hanging with the Bs, so I may have to do a few A rides. Big gap between the A and the B accelerations though.

TF

I haven't been on my bike in about 8 months, so I'm way out of shape

I think you answered your own question right there. If you haven't been riding in 8 months - you had no hope of staying with the group up the hills. Heck - I take 2 months off (at least) every winter and come February I get dropped quite easily - this is after being in great shape in September/October.

Assuming that 8 months ago you rode regularly, were fairly fit, and had some good base miles in your legs (a few years of riding maybe?) the cycling form and fitness should come back pretty quickly.

I'm personally going to recommend 'C'. When I get back to riding in the Spring, I hate making people wait for me. Generally people know I can handle my own anyway, so I just tell them to go on without me if I get dropped. However, if there's a new rider in the group, we'll wait no matter what. That would personally just make me feel guilty.

Take a couple weeks and do some rides alone. Get out at least 2x a week and do the climbs learning to spin up them. The terrain is quite different, so in a couple, go back out with the group and see how it goes. Pick up some advice and if you're still getting dropped, go solo for another couple weeks. In no time you'll be hanging with the group and with any luck, you'll be safely in mid-pack by summer. This is of course assuming you had some cycling base 8 months ago.

Another option is to go by some local bike shops. There are usually plenty of rides that split into multiple groups based on level (usually a fast, intermediate and rec group). This will give you more options than just to hang with a single group.

Thanks for all the info! I was leaning towards C myself...

Thanks for all the info! I was leaning towards C myself...
Good choice! :thumbsup:

Hey MtFuji,

I'm the guy that was hanging with you till the end, I had fun riding with you. Our Saturday rides are usually our social ride and thus no drop. Usually at the beginning of the school year we'll have more than 15 people show up at our social ride. But since it was labor day weekend I'm sure a lot of the students left town. So the ride was probably faster than it usually is.

As for getting dropped on the first hill part... I was in the front then and a couple of us were trying to show off and put down the hammer... that was probably uncalled for during a social ride but we did try to regroup before the turn.

I thought you were in fine shape. Just keep on riding. You're more than welcome to join us again this Saturday and I don't mind riding with you in the back and help you get acquainted with the roads out here in Chapel Hill. And I'm sure the other club members feel the same way.

If you're not comfortable in riding with our group, check out www.tarwheels.org, they have rides leaving all the time. They have varying paces, their beginning pace is 10-12mph, which is slower than what we were doing. Their paces go all the way up to 18+.

keep riding.

Hey MtFuji,

I'm the guy that was hanging with you till the end, I had fun riding with you. Our Saturday rides are usually our social ride and thus no drop. Usually at the beginning of the school year we'll have more than 15 people show up at our social ride. But since it was labor day weekend I'm sure a lot of the students left town. So the ride was probably faster than it usually is.

As for getting dropped on the first hill part... I was in the front then and a couple of us were trying to show off and put down the hammer... that was probably uncalled for during a social ride but we did try to regroup before the turn.

I thought you were in fine shape. Just keep on riding. You're more than welcome to join us again this Saturday and I don't mind riding with you in the back and help you get acquainted with the roads out here in Chapel Hill. And I'm sure the other club members feel the same way.

If you're not comfortable in riding with our group, check out www.tarwheels.org, they have rides leaving all the time. They have varying paces, their beginning pace is 10-12mph, which is slower than what we were doing. Their paces go all the way up to 18+.

keep riding.


Then again, if they tell you to come back...

Sounds like a good group to me.

No group of riders offers a no drop policy unless they really mean it. They are truly interested in helping other riders or they would not even consider it. They know that getting dropped is demoralizing and discouraging..

If it really bothers you I would do the following:

Be self-sufficient.
Know the route or make a map.
Tell them not to wait for you.
Keep up with the group as long as you can and then keep riding solo to the end.

If you do this you will be challenged to get in shape and will have constant feedback on your progress. You will get in better shape and just plain get tired enough of riding by yourself that you will eventually be a able to keep up.

I just started riding again this Summer. I was never a strong rider. I am 47 and riding much faster than I ever have. It is because I ride a training ride that includes weekend racers. Following the above regimen is what got me there. The first few weeks I could not even keep up in the warmup. Last week I kept up for 9 miles and then rejoined them at 15 miles when unfortunately a dog took one of the riders down and they had to stop. With the rest break, I was able to keep up with them until the end of the 30 mile training ride.

Try to mix in some long rides to build up aerobics and do some speed gear/low cadence riding to strengthen your muscles. It took me about 3 months and 1,000 miles to start being able to keep up. Every time I go out now is a personal best and I attribute it to the challenge that I faced instead of just riding my speed and being content.

i'd go with C and do a little more:

put on more miles - don't worry about average speed numbers. just get on the bike and try to ride as many miles as you can. when i was a junior racer, my coach told me to find a good 10 mile or so loop that had varied terrain. the goal was to ride this loop increasing my total number of laps. once i got to 5 laps, the goal was to increase the average speed. once it was above 18mph the next thing was to work on my climbing techniques.

this method really worked for me and on my rest days, i had a nice 10 loop i could tool around on that i knew backwards and forwards. my loop had an easy out in case it rained or i was too exhausted, but you get the idea.

i would also talk to the group ad let them know that you are working on getting back into condition and to just keep going when you are dropped. i had a group like that and i found i was hanging in longer and longer - and it sort of became a game - at one point, one of the veteran riders was surprised i was still hanging on a tough climb and rallyed everyone to pickup the pace to try and drop me - it didn't work and that's when i knew i wouldn't be getting dropped anymore.

Hey MtFuji,

I'm the guy that was hanging with you till the end, I had fun riding with you. Our Saturday rides are usually our social ride and thus no drop. Usually at the beginning of the school year we'll have more than 15 people show up at our social ride. But since it was labor day weekend I'm sure a lot of the students left town. So the ride was probably faster than it usually is.

As for getting dropped on the first hill part... I was in the front then and a couple of us were trying to show off and put down the hammer... that was probably uncalled for during a social ride but we did try to regroup before the turn.

I thought you were in fine shape. Just keep on riding. You're more than welcome to join us again this Saturday and I don't mind riding with you in the back and help you get acquainted with the roads out here in Chapel Hill. And I'm sure the other club members feel the same way.

If you're not comfortable in riding with our group, check out www.tarwheels.org, they have rides leaving all the time. They have varying paces, their beginning pace is 10-12mph, which is slower than what we were doing. Their paces go all the way up to 18+.

keep riding.

I just started riding about a month ago and eventually I would like to ride with soem groups. I live in Greensboro and would be happy yo make the commute maybe once a month. So what group are you guys? Do you have a website? Thanks in advance.

hey origamikid,

the group mt fuji was in was with the UNC Cycling Club. We're trying to have a social ride every saturday morning. The group averages anywhere between 15-17 but it's a no drop policy.

other groups in the chapel hill area are the tricyclists, tarwheels and the infamous performance ride.

tarwheels has rides for all levels of riding. they all kinds of rides some that have an avg speed of 10-12, and they have much faster groups too.

I was trying to make that specific ride. But I was coming from Cary and the shortest way over there turned out to have a road closed due to construction (construction?? imagine that), so I had to backtrack a lot and go a much longer route.