DaveyM
Über Member
- Location
- Northumberland
there are at least a dozen other clubs round here. I haven't wanted to ride with a club but there seems to be a few to choose from.
First ever Club Run in the morning......nervous !!!
- Thread starter WobblyBob
- Start date
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Rob3rt
Man or Moose!
- Location
- Manchester
It is a shame your ride ended up this way, I would encourage you to give it another go, maybe with a different club.
IME, It can be quite hard to organise and control an intro ride, if the numbers end up as big as those your describe, then the group should have been split into smaller groups tbh, but then maybe there were not enough ride leaders/established club members along to do this? We have monthly intro rides in our club, these are supposed to be inclusive and encouraging introductions to club riding, which IMO, they are, I joined after riding on an intro ride after all! However, some people read this to mean an introduction to cycling which has to be dealt with sensitively. This misunderstanding can lead to people riding along, with a big heavy coat on, no food or drink with them, asking you how to change gear then blowing up big time after 5-6 miles. I have sat on the back of a few intro rides helping the ride leader keep the group together and seen such a couple of times, we don't drop anyone though, we try to guide anyone and everyone, even if it means guiding them toward a different avenue, at least for the time being.
IME, It can be quite hard to organise and control an intro ride, if the numbers end up as big as those your describe, then the group should have been split into smaller groups tbh, but then maybe there were not enough ride leaders/established club members along to do this? We have monthly intro rides in our club, these are supposed to be inclusive and encouraging introductions to club riding, which IMO, they are, I joined after riding on an intro ride after all! However, some people read this to mean an introduction to cycling which has to be dealt with sensitively. This misunderstanding can lead to people riding along, with a big heavy coat on, no food or drink with them, asking you how to change gear then blowing up big time after 5-6 miles. I have sat on the back of a few intro rides helping the ride leader keep the group together and seen such a couple of times, we don't drop anyone though, we try to guide anyone and everyone, even if it means guiding them toward a different avenue, at least for the time being.
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WobblyBob
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Blyth,Northumberland
That's bad imo: something could have happened to your friend. The leader should have gone to look for him.
That was exactly my thought, i was a bit flabbergasted when he just said he did'nt see him, to be honest i was'nt too concerned about him, he's 50 years old & knows the area well but that's hardly the point is it !
Might check out the web & see what i can find, cheers.
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WobblyBob
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Blyth,Northumberland
That sounds like a much better system, the group today just seemed disinterested in including any 'Real Beginners' into the Beginners group, although to be fair for the first 15ish miles i rode & chatted with a guy who was really nice & took time to explain certain bits of road etiquette & was certainly encouraging to me.....but then he turned off & went a different way & left me in the Lion's den ha ha
Iain M Norman
Well-Known Member
Disgraceful behaviour for a ride that's billed as no-man-left-behind.
Gravity Aided
Legendary Member
- Location
- Land of Lincoln
I am so sorry to hear that . Run into that over here as well. One group is not really all that fast, and is more social. The other group in town is centered on a local cycling retailer. They are much more centered on Cycling as a Lifestyle. (with the attitude that entails) I hope you can find a club near you that more suits your riding style. As I see it, there's little to do with fast or slow, but rather with personal behavior and good manners. My riding style is gemutlichkeit.
SWSteve
Guru
- Location
- Bristol...ish
I was looking into joining a club, this has served nothing but to scare me off 
outlash
also available in orange
- Location
- ice station zebra
I was looking into joining a club, this has served nothing but to scare me off
Why? For every bad experience, there's been several good ones just on this thread.
Tony.
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WobblyBob
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Blyth,Northumberland
I really don't want this thread to put people off giving a club a go, as alot of other people have said on the whole they are really welcoming & accomodating to real Beginners (in a club sense) so i think i've just been unlucky or caught them on a bad day maybe.....it certainly has'nt put me off getting involved in a club of some kind, but maybe not this one !
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
Here is an example of our "medium " ride today.
Turned up and we had about 10 riders for the medium with 1 guy on his second ride, i am one the more experienced riders in that group and if i could get regular rides in i could probably head for the
fast group and kill myself but i prefer to ride and get some miles in currently so i spent a good 75 % of the ride on the front setting the pace and giving people a tow to get my legs working.
Within the 1st mile a well signalled hole but a rider down and we all stopped to check he was ok , if not he would have been helped home or stayed with if needed by someone.
About halfway to the cake stop someone's chain split so we stopped and tools were found to repair the chain.
Throughout the ride the group would fragment on hills etc but regular checks by the front riders would always slow /stop the ride and wait for others.
At a regroup stop a chain came off the front cogs and the guy got dropped so i stopped and paced him back to the group, my legs knew it as i was giving it the beans for a good mile while the group ahead took it steady till we were back on.
On the hills i do tend to go a bit faster than most of the group as a few of us like to test our mettle a bit but we always freewheel when at the top till we regroup.
After the cake stop i noticed the new guys hips were rocking so i gave him hints on saddle height and at that point the guys on the front had put the hammer down a bit so i just stayed with him, the guy who fell off and one other and towed them maybe 10-15 miles home at a pace they could do.
I am not saying i am a saint but this is how our club works at slow/medium pace as we always try to help and not drop and someone if not me would have done what i did today.
Total ride today 58.5 mph
To the cake stop average of 17.6 mph and by the end slowing down to tow i averaged 17.2 mph for the total ride .
Turned up and we had about 10 riders for the medium with 1 guy on his second ride, i am one the more experienced riders in that group and if i could get regular rides in i could probably head for the
fast group and kill myself but i prefer to ride and get some miles in currently so i spent a good 75 % of the ride on the front setting the pace and giving people a tow to get my legs working.
Within the 1st mile a well signalled hole but a rider down and we all stopped to check he was ok , if not he would have been helped home or stayed with if needed by someone.
About halfway to the cake stop someone's chain split so we stopped and tools were found to repair the chain.
Throughout the ride the group would fragment on hills etc but regular checks by the front riders would always slow /stop the ride and wait for others.
At a regroup stop a chain came off the front cogs and the guy got dropped so i stopped and paced him back to the group, my legs knew it as i was giving it the beans for a good mile while the group ahead took it steady till we were back on.
On the hills i do tend to go a bit faster than most of the group as a few of us like to test our mettle a bit but we always freewheel when at the top till we regroup.
After the cake stop i noticed the new guys hips were rocking so i gave him hints on saddle height and at that point the guys on the front had put the hammer down a bit so i just stayed with him, the guy who fell off and one other and towed them maybe 10-15 miles home at a pace they could do.
I am not saying i am a saint but this is how our club works at slow/medium pace as we always try to help and not drop and someone if not me would have done what i did today.
Total ride today 58.5 mph
To the cake stop average of 17.6 mph and by the end slowing down to tow i averaged 17.2 mph for the total ride .
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WobblyBob
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Blyth,Northumberland
That sounds like a great little group you have there & to be honest i think that might be the key....little group !
Its big enough to get out there & get some good miles in within a group experiencing all the positive point of group riding (draughting/education/camararderie/good craic etc) but unfortunately within a big group especially alot of experienced riders i think the whole pack mentality kicks in leaving the weaker/inexperienced members to suffer
Just out of curiosity what would you say the pace of a slow group would be ? I went out with a friend this morning & we managed about 35 miles in almost 16.5mph ave which i thought might have been adequate for the beginners group i joined.....but i was'nt even close ha ha
Its big enough to get out there & get some good miles in within a group experiencing all the positive point of group riding (draughting/education/camararderie/good craic etc) but unfortunately within a big group especially alot of experienced riders i think the whole pack mentality kicks in leaving the weaker/inexperienced members to suffer
Just out of curiosity what would you say the pace of a slow group would be ? I went out with a friend this morning & we managed about 35 miles in almost 16.5mph ave which i thought might have been adequate for the beginners group i joined.....but i was'nt even close ha ha
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
From the mercia cc website (in my sig ) minus emails/phone numbers
The fast group leave Burton Town Hall, promptly at 9:15 a.m. The pace is higher than the medium group and the distance covered is 50-70 miles. Typical average speed over 50 miles is 19-20.5mph. There is a cafe stop half way. We try and aim to keep everyone together until the cafe stop. However as the group gets larger this is becoming increasingly difficult so the route will be made known beforehand in case riders do get dropped. After the cafe the pace home gets a little 'hotter' and we operate every man for himself. Please email/call "xxxx" at the club for more information.
The medium paced group leaves Burton Town Hall promptly at 9.15am covering 35-50 miles at 15-18mph. Please call "xxxx" for details.
The slower pace group leaves Burton Town Hall promptly at 9.15am covering 30-50 miles at 14-16mph, or at the pace of the slowest rider. Please "xxxxx" details.
We recommend you start with the medium group if you are new to cycling or are not used to fast pace group riding. Please email!"xxxx" for more information.
Non club members are very welcome on either ride. There are also other rides happening throughout the week.
The fast group leave Burton Town Hall, promptly at 9:15 a.m. The pace is higher than the medium group and the distance covered is 50-70 miles. Typical average speed over 50 miles is 19-20.5mph. There is a cafe stop half way. We try and aim to keep everyone together until the cafe stop. However as the group gets larger this is becoming increasingly difficult so the route will be made known beforehand in case riders do get dropped. After the cafe the pace home gets a little 'hotter' and we operate every man for himself. Please email/call "xxxx" at the club for more information.
The medium paced group leaves Burton Town Hall promptly at 9.15am covering 35-50 miles at 15-18mph. Please call "xxxx" for details.
The slower pace group leaves Burton Town Hall promptly at 9.15am covering 30-50 miles at 14-16mph, or at the pace of the slowest rider. Please "xxxxx" details.
We recommend you start with the medium group if you are new to cycling or are not used to fast pace group riding. Please email!"xxxx" for more information.
Non club members are very welcome on either ride. There are also other rides happening throughout the week.
