Bikes again, racers

Tim,
YMMV If so, great! I've never understood why racing clubs here tend to be cliquey and so competitive. Racing clubs would do well to follow the lead of many running clubs. A lot of this is the fault of the USCF, which does little to encourage introductory racing programs (except perhaps for Juniors).

Dan

Ferraris? Here, you're more likely to have a beer bottle thrown at you from a pick up truck!

Tim

Just my experiences. Good and bad cyclists and riders of course. In a group (and just touring, not racing) I felt there was an arrogance about the cyclists. I've seen some brainless driving but not all the fault is on drivers as some cyclists would like to believe.

Bruce

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tim Jones:

Any decent-sized club will almost always split into two or three groups to suit abilities and tarining needs. If you've just started, you go with the easy group, or the moderate group, and so on up to the all out second cat, 90 mile, killer-climb rides.

---

How long & fast are your easy and moderate groups?

Regards
Steve

Steve -

'Easy' is 40 miles, about 17mph average. 'Moderate' is around 60 miles, maybe a sizable hill in the middle, 18 mph average. Bear in mind that a faster pace is easier when riding in a group.

As you get into the summer and people get fitter these rides get longer and faster. Also people make the jump from one ride to another, up to the serious training ride. Then they get interested in racing.

The problem sometimes is the people who have started to get a bit good, make the jump to moderate or long rides, and begin to regard what should be training rides as all-out competitive events. A good group leader will let these immature types go. You tend to see them again later on in the ride, after their legs have fallen off on a climb or into a headwind...

Bruce - You're right - there's fault on both sides. I've seen cyclists behaving badly too. The thing is, in a bunch we tend to lose our sense of inferiority to cars and have a go back. Must be nice riding in North Yorks - do you know the area between Thirsk and Northallerton?

Tim

Tim

I live at the other side of the county, so I ride around Malham, Settle and increasingly out into the Forest of Bowland/Ribble valley. This is the land that cars forgot, great roads and minimal traffic. Hilly though.

Bruce

Dan,

Sorry I should have noted that I was talking about experienec of UK clubs. The original post was from Watford. UK clubs do not like to lose members and so waiting for riders who are in trouble is the order of the day. In our club all rides (with the exception of the training bash, which is a differnt story) wait for riders and the ride stops if there is a puncture or mechanical problem. What you describe, riders strewn out etc, does not happen very frequently except during events such as Randonees and then it is simply because there are a lot of riders riding at different paces and is not borne out of machismo or the desire to grind one's fellow man into the tarmac as seems to be the norm in CO.

I still believe that club riding in the UK is rewarding even for non racers and in fact the vaste majority of the riders out every Sunday will not race at all during the year but simply enjoy being out taking in the air at a modest or maybe brisk pace, safe in the knowledge that they won't get lost and have people around should they run into difficulties.

Regards

Roddy

Roddy,

No big. Club riding can be very enjoyable and rewarding. It helps if you have a thick skin, and don't take it too seriously. If Gary gets the cycling bug, he should seriously consider giving it a go, but maybe after he's developed a fitness base and comfort level on his new ride. Many bike shops here have weekend pickup rides. If he finds a good local shop, he might find some fellow riders around his level for group rides.

cheers,

Dan