Wasting my time ?

[Dogtrousers]

No drop rides would be fine if people on the ride are more or less of a similar ability. If there's a large disparity, then yeah, it can be a problem - it's not fair on the group if someone's too fast, and likewise, it's equally unfair, perhaps even more so, when someone's too slow.

I'm short, ride junior bikes and my little legs are never going to generate the "go" that someone taller and on a bigger bike will... FWIW, my roadie's a 38cm frame!

I'm taller. I ride a bigger bike.

Yet I'm still a slowcoach

 

[Reynard]

- yes can be very tricky. Some years ago we had a rider who caused all sorts of problems, insisting that the group wait for her - I think her average speed was around 8 mph. (This was on leisure rides averaging 12 mph or so). Many a time I would wait and ride with her behind the main group, but arriving at the café just as the others were leaving began to get rather tedious, and I suggested that perhaps these rides weren't for her, but she quoted the club's published 'no drop' policy and eventually complained about me to the club committee. It is hard to please everyone. You can politely suggest that the ride is not suitable, but what do you do if the individual continues to turn up. I'm sad to say that eventually goodwill was exhausted, and it was only after tempers were lost that the person involved stopped turning up for rides.

That's precisely *why* I won't join a group. I sort of average around 10 or 11 mph, and that's not fair on everyone else. FWIW, the local club rides average 14 mph, which I've no hope of keeping up for the length of an entire 40k ride...

 

[Reynard]

I'm taller. I ride a bigger bike.

Yet I'm still a slowcoach

You're probably still faster than me.

 

[SuperHans123]

Here is my view yesterday on the route out of Swansea which is always dead, even on nice days.

 

[mudsticks]

You're probably still faster than me.

Have you ever tried one of those slow bike races ?? You know where you have to ride as slowly as possible over a given distance, but not put your foot down or stray off the path - it takes a tremendous amount of control.

Could be a win to aim for - if speed aint your thing

 

[bladderhead]

Are recumbents allowed?

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

That's precisely *why* I won't join a group. I sort of average around 10 or 11 mph, and that's not fair on everyone else. FWIW, the local club rides average 14 mph, which I've no hope of keeping up for the length of an entire 40k ride...

That's exactly the sort of speed I average out at when I'm just pottering about running errands or just having a nice leisurely ride involving a lot of off-tarmac tracks. I can keep up 14 mph using roads if I put my mind to it, but most of the time I can't be bothered to ride to a defined pace, and prefer to take random detours down quiet, little-used routes maybe because I'm simply curious what is down some route I've never ridden before.
Club cycling involves a more regimented, disciplined approach to riding, and that just isn't my thing. Casual and spontaneous for me, stop for a drink when I like, stop to look at an interesting building, divert down some little alley to see where it goes. Solo cycling gives you the absolute freedom to do it in your own way, at your own pace.

 

[Reynard]

Have you ever tried one of those slow bike races ?? You know where you have to ride as slowly as possible over a given distance, but not put your foot down or stray off the path - it takes a tremendous amount of control.

Could be a win to aim for - if speed aint your thing

Yes! Well, I do remember we had to do this when doing Cycling Proficiency at school... *wibble* *wobble* *wibble* *wobble*

 

[Reynard]

That's exactly the sort of speed I average out at when I'm just pottering about running errands or just having a nice leisurely ride involving a lot of off-tarmac tracks. I can keep up 14 mph using roads if I put my mind to it, but most of the time I can't be bothered to ride to a defined pace, and prefer to take random detours down quiet, little-used routes maybe because I'm simply curious what is down some route I've never ridden before.
Club cycling involves a more regimented, disciplined approach to riding, and that just isn't my thing. Casual and spontaneous for me, stop for a drink when I like, stop to look at an interesting building, divert down some little alley to see where it goes. Solo cycling gives you the absolute freedom to do it in your own way, at your own pace.

I just like to ride at a nice clip - not dawdling, but not flat out either. Comfortable would describe it. As a rather, umm, short, lady cyclist, I just don't have the legs for the pace of club rides. And to be fair, it's not really my scene - I'm very much a "go out when I've got an hour to spare" kind of cyclist. Except when I've got errands to do LOL

 

[mudsticks]

Yes! Well, I do remember we had to do this when doing Cycling Proficiency at school... *wibble* *wobble* *wibble* *wobble*

I never got to do cycling proficiency, my mum was dead against cycling for some reason.

It did mean I based most of my school friend choices largely around whether or not they owned a bicycle, I could use.

Then got one at earliest opportunity, and never stopped cycling since.
Nothing like a streak of rebellion to spur one into action

 

[Ming the Merciless]

The collection of large houses that is Hampstead Garden Suburb in Golders Green, north west London, has its own residents' society.

One of the rules relates to which day residents are permitted to hang out washing - once or twice a week.

One homeowner did some topiary to his front hedge.

That resulted in a snotty letter from the society who considered chopping your hedge in the shape of a peacock to be too tacky for the suburb.

Could have been in the shape of a cock instead

 

[mudsticks]

Could have been in the shape of a cock instead

Cue phallic topiary pics...

 

[Ming the Merciless]

It isn't work, but would be classed as "temporal pleasure" which is not approved of.
See the penultimate paragraph in the letter from the Sabbath Observance Committee.

Just tell them it is temporal penance

 

[Pale Rider]

I just like to ride at a nice clip - not dawdling, but not flat out either. Comfortable would describe it.

You would fit in nicely with a flat bar leisure group, as opposed to a road club.

There probably is such a thing on your patch - facebook has its uses.

Of course, if group riding isn't for you that's an end to it.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I never quite got the the "The further the distance, the faster we go". You don't run a marathon faster than the 100 metres. There ought to be options for riding further but at a gentler pace. Many would be able to ride further, if the pace was slower.