Confused about clubs/groups or going solo

[Alembicbassman]

After a few years riding solo I've been trying to get more into the social side of cycling.

I've been out a few times with the local Cycle Touring Clubs and whilst the people are quite friendly and chatty they all seem to be older than me (37). The pace isn't that fast (10mph average on a 60 mile ride) with plenty of stops and an hour or so at a roadside cafe.

I tried a local road group tonight, they weren't that chatty and all blokes, most younger than me. My average speed on the road bike is 17.5mph on a 30-40 mile ride, their average was 20-25. I was left trailing in their wake and decided to finish the ride off solo.

I'm confused what to do now. I don't see the fun in slogging your guts out for 35 miles unless you're training for a race, there's just no fun in that sort of riding for me.

Just go back to solo riding I suppose.

 

[lukesdad]

CC rides are what you re after Alem.

 

[monnet]

I think you've missed the middle ground! Have a look around and find a club that does weekend runs. THe week can often be quite training specific, especially at this time of year.

I've never really thought about it, but I guess there is a bewildering array of rides if you're new to the club/ group riding scene. Broken down it's something like this for my area:

CTC - these are the older, slower, chatty plodders
Chaingang - these are the 25mph boys who are training to race

In between are the assorted other runs - for my club as follows:

Saturday - 40ish miles including a cafe stop. Run at anything from about 15mph to 20 mph averages (we usually have a fast and slow group, and sometimes a middle group). The ride alternates hillier routes with flatter ones.
Sunday - a 'sportive' ride. Usually about 70 miles with a cafe stop. Average around 17-18mph and tends to take in a few hills.
The CTC also run Sunday rides but these go as 'A', 'B' and'C' depending on numbers. The 'A' ride is a similar speed (perhaps a tad slower) to the club ride, the others slower.
CTC do a pub ride on Thursday and the club do one on Tuesday.

I'm sure there's a group that does the kind of ride you want (which would seem to be a typical clubrun), have a look around for local clubs and have a word with someone involved beforehand (chairman, membership sec, a member or even the LBS).

Good luck, find the right club and you'll be a member for life and experience an undying loyalty to them, no matter how awful their kit is!

 

[corshamjim]

I know what you mean. My local club started an online forum recently where we've started organising some rides with like-minded people rather than sticking to the 30-miles with a cake stop half way formula.

Sportives and Audaxes are a good way to share a ride with others but ride at your own pace.

 

[HLaB]

I share your feeling about the ctc, great people but I think the youngest other than me when I went was in their late 50's. You'll find that the club will accommodate different riders, they'll have different groups, different paces it might take a phonecall or email to find out, I quite often find that with the really fast groups folk are struggling to stay with it and forget common courtesy like chatting. The Edinburgh RC recommend you can hold 15mph before going along to their slowest group, you sound better than that. I don't think the Dunfermline CC even say but again they've different groups and paces. If your club doesn't do something suitable look around you'll find other clubs that do.

 

[brockers]

I tried a local road group tonight, they weren't that chatty and all blokes, most younger than me. My average speed on the road bike is 17.5mph on a 30-40 mile ride, their average was 20-25. I was left trailing in their wake and decided to finish the ride off solo.

TBH that just sounds like your average mid-week chain gang to me. These rides are generally pretty focussed, and people aren't there primarily to be sociable. That said, they didn't sound particularly friendly or welcoming.

Don't give up just yet. Do they do weekend rides? They're usually far more sociable, and there might be a range of rides at various levels to join. If not, find a club that does.

If you can genuinely manage 17.5 over rolling terrain, you're no slouch. I doubt those guys tonight averaged no more than 19-20mph though.

Edit: just realised I'm echoing monnet to a certain degree!

 

[Alembicbassman]

They do Sunday rides, I'll chuck some questions about on their site and see what's what.

 

[Xiorell]

I've been having the odd look around for cycle group things around here, as I've been getting into it more. Seems pretty light on the ground here.

 

[dellzeqq]

I think, Alembicbassman, that you're at an awkward age, but that you shouldn't despair.

It's possible to learn a great deal from CTC rides - those old geezers have refined their technique over decades. The faster rides can be exhilarating, and, at 37, you shouldn't find getting up to their speed too difficult.

But, if it's socialising you want - CC rides. Work out a route, incorporate a cafe stop, choose your start and finish point with care, check out the bail-out potential and then start a thread in Informal Rides, and away you go. It might be you and one other the first time out, but in April 2006 the FNRttC had just four.......

 

[TheDoctor]

Dellzeqq speaketh the sense.
I've run a couple of Sunday rides lately - 6 the first week, 10 the next.
They're comfortable numbers to have on a ride.
My local CTC does faster and slower rides, some of which don't even go to a pub!! That's heresy in my book

 

[al-fresco]

My local CTC does faster and slower rides, some of which don't even go to a pub!! That's heresy in my book

Hanging's too good for them!

 

[GrumpyGregry]

you've tried the wrong clubs. We have five rides of a sunday. I've never made it past the 'Intermediates' which is the middle group, with two social groups below and two sporting groups above.

 

[Glover Fan]

You've definitely just gone out with the wrong groups. On a Sunday about 10-15 of us go out and do about 50-70 miles with a cafe stop in the middle and average about 15mph and wait for anybody left behind.

It's what keeps me going through the working week. I should probably add that is not an official club, just a group of people from an existing runners club who do a bit of cycling on the side, a little bit like the secret mistress.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

You've definitely just gone out with the wrong groups. On a Sunday about 10-15 of us go out and do about 50-70 miles with a cafe stop in the middle and average about 15mph and wait for anybody left behind.

It's what keeps me going through the working week. I should probably add that is not an official club, just a group of people from an existing runners club who do a bit of cycling on the side, a little bit like the secret mistress.

LOL - running is my new bit on the side and the guys from the cycling club keep asking why I don't come out with them on a Sunday morning anymore. The affair will be over soon enough.

 

[e-rider]

After a few years riding solo I've been trying to get more into the social side of cycling.

I've been out a few times with the local Cycle Touring Clubs and whilst the people are quite friendly and chatty they all seem to be older than me (37). The pace isn't that fast (10mph average on a 60 mile ride) with plenty of stops and an hour or so at a roadside cafe.

I tried a local road group tonight, they weren't that chatty and all blokes, most younger than me. My average speed on the road bike is 17.5mph on a 30-40 mile ride, their average was 20-25. I was left trailing in their wake and decided to finish the ride off solo.

I'm confused what to do now. I don't see the fun in slogging your guts out for 35 miles unless you're training for a race, there's just no fun in that sort of riding for me.

Just go back to solo riding I suppose.

there is definitely a gap in the market for mid-thirtysomthings riding at 17mph average speed!

I too tried the CTC - too old and too slow.

Joined the local cycling club - too fast and too serious! Age range was OK. Very unfriendly though I thought; although I'm not that easiest person to get to know so perhaps my fault a little bit.