new cycle club

[bainy16]

I went for my first ride today with the new cycle club i joined, really enjoyed it as i thought they may have left me if i couldn't hold the pace they was kind enough to slow it down.Is this normal practice or will they be thinking wish he hadn't come so they could crack on a little quicker?
As anybody had simular exerience?
Don't want to be a burden on the group

 

[derrick]

Some clubs will wait some won't.

 

[compo]

Stay with it if they are prepared to slow down a bit. With a few weeks riding with them you will have sped up and be able to stay with them.

 

[festival]

Its likely they genuinely wanted to wait for you. Maybe in time if your fitness still requires them slowing down, a good club will make some arrangements such as one rider waiting while the bunch carry on and meet you at the cafe.
Depends what kind of cycling club it is and what kind of mix of riders there are. Maybe as the year progress's the stronger riders will split from the rest and ride more aggressively.
Sounds like they are keen to help you improve, there are plenty of ways to keep up in a bunch if you are not quite fit enough and hopefully you will be shown how to ride correctly in a bunch and you can handle it.
In my early days it was a case of, "if you cant keep up come back when you can" which probably helped keep cycling a secret society, those days are thankfully gone (mostly).

 

[HovR]

On our club rides we go at the pace of the slowest rider (with exception of the sports ride), although we do normally have two or three differently paced rides to suit different abilities. When I decided to join the faster rides I tended to slow down a bit a few miles from the cafe stop, so someone would normally hang back with me and we'd arrive a few minutes later.

It only took me a few weeks to get used to the quicker pace, so I'd say stick with it if you're enjoying it and they're willing to slow down.

 

[simmi]

Hi Bainy16 I see you're in the same area as me.

Which club have you joined is it Donny Wheelers or another one?

I have been thinking of joining a club myself but am unsure if I am good enough yet for club rides, like you I don't want to be a burden on the other riders.

How far did you go, did you stop and what sort of pace did you keep?

 

[DCLane]

Depends on the club; the one I'm in (Ravensthorpe) will wait. However, I keep finding it's me that's in the front few doing the waiting!

 

[Easytigers]

Have really wanted to join a club for ages now but worry that I couldn't keep up the pace...may keep at it another year to try to speed up and then join!

 

[Widge]

With you on that, Russ.

I can't imagine anyone slower than me !

 

[BrianEvesham]

Have really wanted to join a club for ages now but worry that I couldn't keep up the pace...may keep at it another year to try to speed up and then join!

And me! I don't want to slow them down.

 

[Widge]

Grreat! Thats at least THREE of us!.....................

What we really need to do now is start a Desperado Slo-Riders Club with affiliated branches all over the uk.

I bet it would take off like a taking off stormy kind of thing.

Russ could manage, Brian-you could be coach? I could be the treasurer 'cause I'm SO good with money .

I'm sure there's a market for it?

w

 

[Widge]

Plus.......we could encourage all those thousands of cyclists with Viking and Catalogue bikes. With our Triban 3's we would be AS GODS!

 

[KateK]

Me too. Thought I was getting there at the end of the summer, but I am so much slower now its cold. (that's my excuse anyway) Saw loads of cyclists out today, need an automated hand waver for when i am going uphill/into wind. Gasping He...e...e...llo is such a give away. A cycle club group passed, they very nicely asked me if I had a puncture, I had to admit I'd just stopped for a rest and a snack. I would go faster its just my fur isn't very aerodynamic..

 

[screenman]

Our wrinklies run a few rides each week, normally 30 miles long at 14mph. Why not join a club and create your own rides, there are 150 members approx. of THe Lincoln Wheelers (my club) and some I doubt even own a bike certainly many do not ride very often. But the of course we do have our road racers and time trialists who are in their mid seventies.

 

[HovR]

All of the people who wish to join a club but are worried about speed, try giving your local club a ring or drop them an email and inquire about the pace of their rides. Many clubs, especially the larger ones, will run different paced rides to suit everyone from amateur racers to people just wanting a pootle on their hybrid/town bike.