First proper club ride yesterday.

[Globalti]

Been road riding with a buddy for the last 3-4 years. We've been talking about going out with a local club but never got around to it but yesterday we got organised enough to join a local club's Saturday morning ride.

Did we enjoy it? Hmmmmm.... well, it was okay. Admitted they took us somewhere we'd never been before and had no idea was so easy to reach. The bit we really didn't enjoy was the on-off speed, being at the back like good newbies we found that the concertina effect meant that we were constantly having to brake and accelerate. Once the group had sorted itself out we got up at the front and found the going more steady. There was a little organisation when we had to ride a very exposed windy section but most disappointingly at the end, when the ride entered the town everybody just peeled off and there was no opportunity to thank the leader - we suddenly realised we were riding alone with nobody behind.

One thing that worried me was a bloke who kept spitting and clearing his nose - I seemed to be right behind him every time in the spray and can only ride so far holding my breath!

Still, pleasant company and a new experience. I could see how it would benefit a younger rider or somebody who doesn't have a cycling pal but my buddy and I are very well matched speed and fitness-wise, we like the same kind of things and we get along well socially (families are friends) so don't perhaps feel the need for a ready-made group of mates. It could be good if one or other of us happened to be away and the other fancied some company.

Anybody else got any thoughts on this?

 

[defy-one]

Having done my first group ride yesterday with Norm,Paul and Mike, my experience was far more positive. I guess the common CC connection helped and we rode in pairs what with just 4 of us.
Speed was constant as we kept a small distance between each pair.
After the ride it was coffee & cake whilst we watched the changing of the guard at Windsor Castle in the autumn sunshine.
..... As you can imagine,we are planning a longer ride in the near future.

 

[Globalti]

I reckon four is about the ideal number for a group of cyclists.

 

[MattHB]

I've had 6 fast rides out now with our club elite (a group of around 10), it's taken me all that time to learn the art form that is timing to avoid the concertina effect. I found that I was just reacting too slowly. By looking further forward in a big group and then reacting to put the power down I've learned to save quite a bit of energy.

I know it depends on the group, but I've felt very welcome with the Bournemouth arrows and associated riders. I dream of being able to perform as well as some of them who are simply mind blowing! But I'm getting faster, 71 miles yesterday at 19mph.. Something I'd not have dreamed of even 3 months ago.

Stick with the clubs it'll change your riding and you'll make some incredible friends.

 

[Globalti]

71 miles at 19 mph is going some! This was the easy group, 44 miles at 15 mph! not really a fast enough ride for disciplined drafting and pacing to be necessary.

 

[MattHB]

71 miles at 19 mph is going some! This was the easy group, 44 miles at 15 mph! not really a fast enough ride for disciplined drafting and pacing to be necessary.

You'd be surprised at how much you can gain at any speed.

 

[Globalti]

My buddy and I appreciate the value of drafting so we do share the work when we go out for summer evening blasts when we'll be averaging over 17 mph. But it's hilly around here and I guess if we lived somewhere flat we could be going nearer 19 mph for a 75 minute evening ride.

We are both 56 though! I bet you're in your twenties or thirties!

 

[MattHB]

I'm 38, but the oldest rocket in our club is about 65 and I can't keep up! Our ride was reasonably flat yesterday tho, only about 1700ft of climbing.

Plus it's easy to get that kind of pace with a group like that, I did do a little of the work at the start, but not for long as I'm still trying to force my way up to that level

 

[HovR]

Just got back from my first club ride, 40 miles with the Gloucester City Cycling Club.

On the way to the meeting point, I met another cyclist who was also joining GCCC for his first club ride, which is always nice. We arrived at the meeting point and the riders were sorting themselves into 3 groups. Not knowing what to expect, I went with the easy group.

There were 6 of us and we kept a nice and easy 17-18 mph, through a beautiful quiet route that I hadn't been on before, with nice gentle uphills and long sweeping downhills. Very social.

We stopped for cake and coffee at a garden centre where we met up with one of the other groups. I joined a faster group on the way back, and we bombed down the A40 in the high 20's for the last 10 miles in proper roadie style.

Great fun, think I'll be officially joining the club.

 

[Sandra6]

I really want to join a club, but there doesn't seem to be one for slow ladies like me.
When I've looked on line at the clubs locally they all have too high mph's, even for their beginner's rides.
I got a bit excited when I discovered Sky Breeze rides, but typically they don't have anything close enough.
I'll stick to riding with Mr6, he goes as slow as me and he even buys the cake sometimes.

 

[HLaB]

I had my first club run with the PCC last week it was a bit pedestrian to me but a good bunch, went out with their faster ride yesterday and it was better paced and I went out again with them today (oddly enough it was led by a bloke from Ayrshire with excellent knowledge of Cambridgeshire) I guess I should join but their web site is down.

 

[Rob3rt]

Did we enjoy it? Hmmmmm.... well, it was okay. Admitted they took us somewhere we'd never been before and had no idea was so easy to reach. The bit we really didn't enjoy was the on-off speed, being at the back like good newbies we found that the concertina effect meant that we were constantly having to brake and accelerate. Once the group had sorted itself out we got up at the front and found the going more steady. There was a little organisation when we had to ride a very exposed windy section but most disappointingly at the end, when the ride entered the town everybody just peeled off and there was no opportunity to thank the leader - we suddenly realised we were riding alone with nobody behind.

If the group is organised and the communication is good then concertina effect should be minimal on a club run sort of ride where the group isn't huge. The front riders should be warning of holes, cars, other furniture, they should also be pointing and calling out turns and warning people when to take it easy i.e. sharp bends, lights etc and letting people know when junctions are clear. Such instructions should propagate back down the line within a reasonable amount of time to avoid any sudden moves or necessitate hard braking and accelerating. It should all be pretty smooth however in my experience, riding at the back is harder despite the drafting and tbh, I tend to do long turns on the front and when not on the front, try to stick in the front few rows and will happily sit on the front for up to 10 miles (you can also control the pace a bit this way, so long as you don't take the piss, so as to not have a super quick rider take the front and up the pace and leave you in bits). If you are struggling on the back, I would be tempted to just push on up the line and ask someone to let you in or just go right to the front. People are generally pretty understanding, I didn't like being on the inside line when I 1st started riding with a group, as it felt claustrophobic, it was a bit obvious since I wasn't holding the wheel in front as well, so I just mentioned it to one of the lads and moved out into the outside line, he said that he used to feel the same way. Best thing to do if there is anything you struggle with or are not comfortable with is to just mention it to someone, they will try to help you. It is in their interest as well as yours!

As for people peeling off, this is fairly normal, people in our club also peel off rather than pass home/the way home to go to the meet point then go backwards to get home.

One thing that worried me was a bloke who kept spitting and clearing his nose - I seemed to be right behind him every time in the spray and can only ride so far holding my breath!

Bad manners tbh, snot rocketing is fine, but move out of the line, or warn people if you can not do so without splattering those behind. Or snot on your hand then throw it on the ground out of the line!

Still, pleasant company and a new experience. I could see how it would benefit a younger rider or somebody who doesn't have a cycling pal but my buddy and I are very well matched speed and fitness-wise, we like the same kind of things and we get along well socially (families are friends) so don't perhaps feel the need for a ready-made group of mates. It could be good if one or other of us happened to be away and the other fancied some company.

Anybody else got any thoughts on this?

Joining a club is the best thing I have done for my cycling, I have only been riding for a month with my current club but it has been the best month of cycling I have ever had. I have enjoyed the new routes I have been able to experience, enjoyed the organisation which is very good (rides announced well in advance, with good route files to download) and also found the company to be very nice (of course at 1st you feel a bit awkward as they all know each other and you dont, but it doesnt take long to get to know one or two people well enough to feel comfortable). For a club that has apparently been said by some to be a bit hardcore (people have apparently complained about being blown out the back and said rides are too fast etc) and one of the faster clubs in the area, I have found them to be very welcoming and supportive with a good range of regular rides for most levels of competent rider (other than pootlers, but then again the club is a racing focused club) and at least once monthly intro rides to introduce less fit riders or less confident riders to group riding. In my month riding with the club, I have certainly upped my game.

 

[Nebulous]

My club is about 18 miles away and I do the confined TTs and enter some events in their kit, but my attendance at the club ride has gradually petered out. The main thing that did it for me was timing. Going out at 10am in the winter meant it took a fair chunk of the day. i can do a fair length of ride and be back home before they've started. I also quite like my own company, and enjoy time on my bike on my own.

 

[cyberknight]

I really enjoy club riding when i get the chance, i have learned many things and can push myself as hard as i want depending on what group i choose to ride with as our sunday rides all start from the same point for each group.
I started off with the medium pace group last year then moved into the fast group towards the end of last year.Unfortunately (?) due to the arrival of sprog#2 my time on the bike for longer rides is imited to maybe 2 times a month with the club if lucky so i have been concerntrating on my 24.6 mile local loop which is close to a 25 mile TT course but lumpier so i can hammer a good work out in a short time.
The other week the medium group went from Burton on Trent up into the Ashbourne area with some killer hills and we averaged 18 mph over 69 miles.Generally they are a little slow for me but i need the miles in my legs and a chance to meet like minded people for a chinwag so i do a fair amount on the front untill we start blasting close to home when its a case of taking a pull upfront like a team tt if you have the legs or hanging back if you do not feel strong .
The fast paced group just seems to get faster and they do a similar distance but they average more like 20-21 mph +, i can do that but only for my short circuit atm,whilst a lot of them go out a couple times a week on a chaingang which i cannot make due to family/work commitments .
Another good thing about a club over a duo that knows each other strengths? variety and challenge as you will generally have someone to chase or give you a pull if your dieing and vaired routes that you can do without getting lost.

 

[Globalti]

It certainly opened my eyes to a new weekend destination, which can be reached from my home without too much effort as there's only one major hill. It's exactly 50 miles there and back from my buddy's house so 59 from my house.

I enjoyed the café so much that I've just driven my small family there for Sunday afternoon tea. Mrs Gti complained as usual that it looks old-fashioned, she was cold and the road made her feel car sick.