Group rides and socials

[rodgy-dodge]

Not sure if this is the right place to put this!

Having read the thread in the beginners section on the lady looking for a social group in London could we have a sticky thread on groups/socials up and down the country. something on the lines of organised groups where, when and at what time...open to all or beginners...I'm throwing this open for suggestions!

I don't know about other ladies on the forum but I know when I go out on my own I sometimes feel quite vulnerable. I would love to meet up with like minded people now and again for the company on the ride especially when my husband has to work. Like the lady in London I've looked on the web for local social groups but they mostly seem prodominently organised road racing/riding groups consisting of men, and I ride a mtb so would be rather a lot slower at a meeting of this sort.

I would try to organise something myself but in the summer time I'm usually away quite a lot so I couldn't be consistent. I've thought of advertising for a cycle buddy but again don't wish to give out details over the net to strangers!

what do you think?

 

[lukesdad]

There are organised rides in different parts of the country Rodgy-dodge, but I think they are all organised by indivuduals and advertised on threads here, I may be wrong but i think there are no longer organised groups.

Have you looked at the members map (are you on it) you could make contact with people local to you and organise rides or a social group that way. List it here, dont forget to include the details route distance stops times etc.

 

[Arch]

I think it might be a good idea to have informal groups - well, we already do, but they are so informal they don't appear to be groups - we could maybe formailse them a little bit. As Lukesdad says, there are various informal rides organised, so it's worth keeping an eye on this section. Or even just posting "I'm in X, anyone fancy a gentle ride to Y cafe this Saturday?", and see who is free? You can always arrange to meet somewhere public for security, and if you get a bad feeling about someone, have options and excuses to bail out. That said, I don't think I've come across anyone here I would feel uncomfortable being out with in public, if you see what I mean.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Hi

the CTC is a very good place to start to finde similar people to ride with, but other than sporting clubs it's hard to find cycle-buddies. Forums help to a degree.

Locally a fab young lass struggling with a similar issue (actually a passion to get people cycling) created Abingdon Freewheeling;

http://www.abingdonf...heeling.org.uk/

With a little help from her friends, the local bike shop and other support bodies we now have a rudimentary 'club' (though we use the term loosely) that is supporting local cyclists, particularly beginners/newbies. This is done primarily through a series guided social rides of differing difficulties to build confidence, share experience and learn pleasant routes. Times are chosen to meet peoples availability and anybody can suggest new times and new rides, it's almost a co-operative hampered only by liability insurance for leaders.

Tonight is an easy road 10-15 miler at the slowest riders pace and beer afterwards. What more do you need?

What Emily found though was that there were literarilly hundreds of local people who wanted the same as shee did and a big 'spring rides day' found them flying out of their closets!

 

[ColinJ]

I think it is a real pity that you feel so vulnerable, but I suppose it is understandable given what we see in the media all the time.

I agree with Fab Foodie - your local CTC group would be worth investigating.

Keep an eye open for CycleChat rides in your area. I think if you asked the female members of the forum "Have you ever had a bad experience on a CycleChat forum ride, due to the behaviour of men on the ride?" there would be very few (if any) complaints. At least, I hope that would be the case. Lots of us organise forum rides on a fairly regular basis. I certainly try to be friendly and inclusive (though my choice of routes probably isn't! )

 

[dellzeqq]

it does depend on where you are. I'm puzzled by your reference to the lady in London, because, off the top of my head, I can think of the Uxbridge Loiterers, the Central London CTC, The SW London Beginners (operating out of Nonsuch Park and Beddington), the Pollards Hill Cyclists, the Anerley, Tower Hamlets Cycle Club....and that really is off the top of my head, without recourse to webthingery. But 'the North East' may be different. The CTC doesn't have the greatest presence there, and outside of Newcastle we (as in Cycle Chat) don’t have a lot of ‘members’.

Colin and FF have it right, but in your position I’d also go back to the Members map and stalk (in the nicest possible way) those members in your area. Send off a couple of personal messages if you come across somebody who you think you might enjoy spending a morning or afternoon with. And, if I may be so bold, I wouldn’t write off an individual who is clearly a toughie on the road. I reckon that there are a lot of hardened roadies who have no problem at all with spending time with other cyclists regardless of their lycra status or age or whatever. Give it a go

 

[rodgy-dodge]

Cheers for the replies guys. You've enlightened me to the CTC which all looks interesting so I'll peruse the site a bit later.

Dellzegg it was this thread here I was referring to. I'm not sure what you mean by [I wouldn’t write off an individual who is clearly a toughie on the road]. I certainly don't have a problem with road/race riders its something I would like to have a go at, but just atm I can't justify buying another bike of that nature just to try it out as I've only had this one four months . I apologize if my statement about groups being predominantly organised by men comes across as a female Version of chauvinism (what do you call a woman who is prejudice in believing woman are superior to men?) . Some of my best friends are men too.

I'll also check out the members map. I like Fab Foodie's reply about the young lady who organised a club. I might give that a bit more thought as there is a local to me 'leasure activity Center' situated right on a cycle path which I use quite regular I might get a fortnightly cycling ride going in the spring Not sure if many people would take it up this time of year! I'll check it out next time I pass through, there might even be an organise cycle ride. Plenty of food for thought here. Although I think if there are regular rides organised a sticky list of where when and time may still be worth while!

 

[Arch]

And, if I may be so bold, I wouldn’t write off an individual who is clearly a toughie on the road. I reckon that there are a lot of hardened roadies who have no problem at all with spending time with other cyclists regardless of their lycra status or age or whatever. Give it a go

I can't speak for Rodgy-Dodge but I think what she means is: I know that I and some other ladies I've spoken to do worry that we'll be a bit too slow for some of the more hard core. Now, I know from experience that the East Yorkshire Posse are usually pretty content to amble at a comfortable pace - likewise, they know what my pace is and that any ride I arrange is going to be heavy on cafe stops, and light on hills. But when you don't know people, you're more likely to worry that either you'll hold them up and they'll resent you, or they'll just drop you. You may be wrong, but you don't find out until you've taken the leap and joined, or organised, a ride.

I have a big bunch of cycling friends, with whom I spend at least one weekend a year - I know them well enough to know which group to join for a relaxed ride, and which ones are going to go off like rockets. But it's taken time to get to the stage where I make the right choice everytime....

 

[Arch]

(what do you call a woman who is prejudice in believing woman are superior to men?)

Correct?

 

[dellzeqq]

Cheers for the replies guys. You've enlightened me to the CTC which all looks interesting so I'll peruse the site a bit later.

Dellzegg it was this thread here I was referring to. I'm not sure what you mean by [I wouldn’t write off an individual who is clearly a toughie on the road]. I certainly don't have a problem with road/race riders its something I would like to have a go at, but just atm I can't justify buying another bike of that nature just to try it out as I've only had this one four months . I apologize if my statement about groups being predominantly organised by men comes across as a female Version of chauvinism (what do you call a woman who is prejudice in believing woman are superior to men?) . Some of my best friends are men too.

I'll also check out the members map. I like Fab Foodie's reply about the young lady who organised a club. I might give that a bit more thought as there is a local to me 'leasure activity Center' situated right on a cycle path which I use quite regular I might get a fortnightly cycling ride going in the spring Not sure if many people would take it up this time of year! I'll check it out next time I pass through, there might even be an organise cycle ride. Plenty of food for thought here. Although I think if there are regular rides organised a sticky list of where when and time may still be worth while!

I'm sorry, RD - I didn't make myself clear - what I meant was please don't assume that some racing snake wouldn't want to spend time cycling with you. In my experience cyclists of all kinds are pretty openhearted. The FNRttC depends on having some pretty spiffy roadies doing the wayfinding and not minding having to wait for the slower riders - and they (the roadies) are not at all put out by that.

Arch - the C+M, which can move along a bit when they feel the need (there's usually cake in the offing) wouldn't leave someone behind - even if it meant cutting short their ride. I'd hope that any CTC group would be the same.

 

[Becs]

I can't speak for Rodgy-Dodge but I think what she means is: I know that I and some other ladies I've spoken to do worry that we'll be a bit too slow for some of the more hard core ..... when you don't know people, you're more likely to worry that either you'll hold them up and they'll resent you, or they'll just drop you. You may be wrong, but you don't find out until you've taken the leap and joined, or organised, a ride.

+1
I have been, and to some extent still am a little intimidated by the hardcore roadie groups. I do get worried about being able to keep up (although I think this might be more down to my lack of fitness rather than my possession of ovaries! ). That said I've never been on a ride that has dropped me, cyclists tend to be a pretty friendly bunch in my experience. Definitely go for some ctc rides, I did some 1 star ones when I was just getting back into cycling and they were great confidence builders.

 

[lukesdad]

Dont forget to check the calender R-D I always list mine on there.

 

[Arch]

Arch - the C+M, which can move along a bit when they feel the need (there's usually cake in the offing) wouldn't leave someone behind - even if it meant cutting short their ride. I'd hope that any CTC group would be the same.

I'm sure you're right - but you, and to a lesser extent I, have a lot of experience of cycling with groups. It's easy to feel intimidated by others' ability when you class yourself as a pootler. And while they might be ever so nice about it, I'd feel guilty about holding people up, whether they were bothered or not.

Add in that fear that they'll all sneer at your bike for not weighing 2 grammes and having 107 gears...

And I'm afraid that there are still chaps out there who'll patronise one merely for being a lady. Hopefully a dying breed, but alas not quite extinct. Every group has its share of folk with no social skills, luckily most of the time the rest cancel them out and then some.

But I have to say, all the folk I've met through CC have been lovely. If the pace or distance of a given ride worries you, then you can always be self sufficient with a map, and be prepared to take a short cut home, or bail at a place with a railway station. Likely as not you won't need to, but you'll be prepared.

 

[Becs]

And I'm afraid that there are still chaps out there who'll patronise one merely for being a lady.

Said chaps can often be found working at Evans bike shops

 

[ttcycle]

haha so true becs and in other cycling fraternaties I won't mention!!

Rodge Dodge, some great suggestions here - I've got to say the folk from CC that I've met have been great and it's always worth striking up a conversation with those closest to you and see where it takes you.

I hope that more riding and being out with like minded cyclists really increases your confidence on the bike.