First club ride advice

[jonny jeez]

Going out with a bunch of lycra clad strangers on Saturday for my first "club ride". I'm not a member of the club, just tagging along with a pal.

So whats the etiquette, am I resigned to wearing full lycra, how do I carry tools, are tools for wimps, am I allowed to wear a jacket or is that for wimps, does my bike need to be pristine and shiny (its my daily commute and alothough i am fussy and its very clean, its not concourse.)

Or do I need to ignore all that and turn up in bibs, with a backpack and just leave them all for dust.

( and then wake up!)

 

[endoman]

Just go as you normally would. Personally wouldn't have backpack but little saddle bag for tubes and multi tool.

 

[TheSandwichMonster]

Turn up, ride, (hopefully) have fun... That's about it.

Most people at my club choose to wear lycra. Nobody is shunned if they don't. Cleaning is a deeply personal matter and as you point out, depends on whether the bike is seeing daily use or not - you have a mix of properly shiny to fully crudded-up, I imagine.

Tools are generally encouraged - enough to fix a puncture with at a minimum I should say. Jackets are again down to preference. We had a guy turn up to one of our (road) club runs the other week on a skinny-tyred mountain bike wearing baggies and then proceeded to drop most of us. Turned out he was a postie, and did silly mileage every day.

 

[HLaB]

The clubs I have been a member of insist that riders carry the usual pump, tyre levers, spare tubes. I cant recall if I've ever seen tools stated but I always carry a small topeak hexus multi tool and whilst I've never used it chain breaker & allen keys on a club ride other have; I have had to male use of its integrated tyre levers though. My pump is small enough that it sits in my rear pocket along with a spare tube; the multi tool fits in a small wedge bag mounted under the saddle. As for clothes I usually wear bibs but I certainly wouldn't carry a back pack, not because of etiquette but practicality. If you want to wear a jacket do so, I tend to go for a softshell or gillet myself, unless the forecast is torrential but I like to run a right temperature for me, I don't like to overdress if I know its going to be a fast paced ride. The bike doesn't really have to be spotless but its preferable to be well maintained which usually goes hand in hand.

 

[jonny jeez]

Thanks All. I shall have to fit my topeak under seat baggy, I rely on either a big military bum bag or a modest back pack (depening on haulage duties) for the commute, so will need to switch.

otherwise I suspect I'm good to go. Oh and I don't carry a big pump, I use a tiny inflation thingy (although i do carry a backup micro pump but I suspect it would never get the tyres up to 100 psi.

Appreciate the help.

 

[HLaB]

Thanks All. I shall have to fit my topeak under seat baggy, I rely on either a big military bum bag or a modest back pack (depening on haulage duties) for the commute, so will need to switch.

otherwise I suspect I'm good to go. Oh and I don't carry a big pump, I use a tiny inflation thingy (although i do carry a backup micro pump but I suspect it would never get the tyres up to 100 psi.

Appreciate the help.

My topeak micro rocket is rated to 160psi but I doubt you'd get more than 80psi from it.
Enjoy your ride!

 

[boydj]

Might be worth asking if mudguards are expected. The club I go out with expects mudguards in the winter. No problem if you've got them and they're not a requirement.

Dress for the weather, rather than for what you think might be expected. Don't push too hard if you find yourself on the front for a while - note the pace and try to stick with it. Don't be afraid to take a rest at the back if you're finding it hard. Stay at the back for the first couple of miles to learn the etiquette of the group - how they communicate, how they swap the lead etc. And enjoy the experience.

 

[screenman]

If you are in the middle of the group and want to stand for any reason like to sort out under carriage push down hard on the pedals first. Why, because when you stand you will slow slightly and the guy sitting nice a tidy tucked in behind you is suddenly rubbing your back tyre just before he or she hits the deck.

 

[totallyfixed]

What everyone else has said, I lead club rides and the two main things that really annoy me are half wheeling, don't do it, never do it, don't even think about doing it. Secondly, if you get a problem and you are at the back let someone know.

 

[Primal Scream]

Dumb question, but what is half wheeling?

 

[cyberknight]

I think everyone has covered it all here so i will just add my few penneth ,

Use a bum bag to start with if you want as long as your comfy , you can always get a saddle bag for later , i always carry my tools + inner tube in the saddle bag and a mini pump in an offset bottle cage mount .The gilet /windproof i tend to fold up and stick in a back pocket although many people carry theirs in a converted water bottle in a spare bottle cage , depends if you think you will need 2 bottles .


Do not be afraid to ask anything ! learn how the club communicates hazards on rides as it can vary from club to club and find out if they have other rides so you can find the one that suits your pace , my club has 3 rides that all set off from the same point so i can choose what to do depending how i feel .

Dumb question, but what is half wheeling?

sneaking ahead by half a wheel with the guy next to you when riding 2 abreast , it can be regarded as a bit cheeky ....

 

[totallyfixed]

It's willy waving of the worst kind and the chances are the person you are doing it to could drop you with ease should they wish it otherwise as ck says don't be afraid to ask

 

[jonny jeez]

well...it was bloody tough. I dont do enough hill training on my commute (i activley avoid hills) and as such although I am fast on the flat, I am really slow on hills.

Unfortunatley the 45 mile ride had about 1 mile of flat road, the rest seemed to be hellish hills, some so steep I couldn't get up them in first and had to stop for a puff. as a result I felt I was holding the group up and said goodbye at the halfway watering hole. (then rode 15 miles hom,e on a relativley falt route.

Evidently the rest of the group also considered this ride a "tough" one...perfect.

So I cant say I enjoyed the experience. I really need to get some hill training in, drop soem timber and have another go.

PS, I definatley did a bit of half wheeling, on the down hill bits (out of ignorance , not willy waving).. I was desperate to make up speed for the inevitable uphill bit. I shall keep this in mind next time. oops

Nice bunch though (although as a group they were perhaps not as curteous to other road users as I am used to being on the london roads).

 

[cyberknight]

First club run for me today for over 2 months , feck i am knackered as i have lost my oopph !struggled on hills i could tap up as i just ran out of breath .
In total i did 67.19 miles heading around the hills of denstone and Alton Towers.

By the time i got home i was close to bonking but i put that down to misfueling the night before answith coming off nght shift my body clock is toast .