Scared of riding in a group!

[jonny jeez]

Depends on what the club offer, if it's 20mph + chaingang then 1. You may not be able to keep up 2. You will hate it!

The club i joined offer three sets of social rides at a different pace, 14-16mph should be more achievable for most who've ridden a bit and will be a lot more relaxed / give you more time to react to situations in front / around you.

Hating it is a major factor, it destroys the attraction immediately. I tried a club ride a two years or so ago and over estimated my ability. Joined the 18-20 mph group and really hated it. I should have joined the 14-16 and been a positive attribute.

I have subsequently undertaken big group rides with lower expectations and found the experience to be life enhancing...really, that's not an exageration.

 

[Donger]

Lol you should come here and join our club!

I think it's having to concentrate on being so close, not touching wheels etc and being so aware of what everyone else is doing - I envisage my ride consisting of several miles of me staring intently at someones rear brake ready to react! I normally ride along on my own, at a reasonable pace, but taking in the scenery and generally relaxing and enjoying it rather than spending the time fixated on someones back wheel!

..... and hanging around fixing or waiting for others to fix other people's p*nctures!

 

[Donger]

Hating it is a major factor, it destroys the attraction immediately. I tried a club ride a two years or so ago and over estimated my ability. Joined the 18-20 mph group and really hated it. I should have joined the 14-16 and been a positive attribute.

I have subsequently undertaken big group rides with lower expectations and found the experience to be life enhancing...really, that's not an exageration.

If you haven't already, you should try doing an audax with a small group of friends. 14-16mph (on the flat) sounds ideal for that, and you get to meet like-minded riders. Always very friendly events in my experience. I generally tend to start them alone and end them having made at least one new friend.

 

[Yazzoo]

err what is an Audax?

 

[jonny jeez]

Lol you should come here and join our club!

I think it's having to concentrate on being so close, not touching wheels etc and being so aware of what everyone else is doing - I envisage my ride consisting of several miles of me staring intently at someones rear brake ready to react! I normally ride along on my own, at a reasonable pace, but taking in the scenery and generally relaxing and enjoying it rather than spending the time fixated on someones back wheel!

Ok, try looking beyond the rider I front, and towards the front. It's hard if you are drafting properly as to do so you should be too close to see beyond them but maybe forsake the benifits of a good draft for a little space to start with.

As far as fixating on the brakes, you most likely will for a bit until you get comfortable with trusting the group and relax. You will surprise yourself with how much trust you will create between the group as you all take care of one another.

I know a few guys who refuse to draft, even in a peleton and ride slightly to the side of the rider in front. This provides no benifit and makes for a harder ride, also it upsets the group . As a side risk it encourages "half wheeling" (spelling...I think that's the right term) a practice that group riders rightly despise.

 

[Yazzoo]

what is half-wheeling?!

 

[jonny jeez]

err what is an Audax?

Im glad you asked that, I've never known the difference between this and a sportive but of course I am far too experienced a rider to ask.

Bloody politics!

 

[jonny jeez]

what is half-wheeling?!

As far as I know it's when the rider behind gets a little fast and their wheel overlaps the rear wheel of the rider In front (typically on the offside) It's common with new riders that don't yet have the confidence that they can keep up and they try a little too hard on the easier or slow sections.

It's really unnerving for the leading rider as they are trapped between your front wheel and the kerb with no space to avoid obstacles when a call of "hole" comes up from the front, or if the wind catches them.

I've seen guys almost come to blows over it on a really long ride....although I've also seen those two guys crying and hugging each other with respect and joy at completing a really hard ride. So don't take it personally if someone accuses you of it, just understand them.

 

[vickster]

err what is an Audax?

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/what-is-an-audax-brevet-or-randonnee.179949/

@jefmcg likes these,

 

[jonny jeez]

If you haven't already, you should try doing an audax with a small group of friends. 14-16mph (on the flat) sounds ideal for that, and you get to meet like-minded riders. Always very friendly events in my experience. I generally tend to start them alone and end them having made at least one new friend.

Do you know what, that's bloody good advice. I am setting a new target to complete one before the summer is out.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I normally ride along on my own, at a reasonable pace, but taking in the scenery and generally relaxing and enjoying it rather than spending the time fixated on someones back wheel!

Same here. Groups can get very inward looking and, while I enjoy the occasional social ride, I'm more at ease when I'm on my own.

 

[jonny jeez]

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/what-is-an-audax-brevet-or-randonnee.179949/

@jefmcg likes these,

Cheers @vickster , so in principle a sportive is "easier" than an Audax?

 

[John the Monkey]

Cheers @vickster , so in principle a sportive is "easier" than an Audax?

Depends, innit.

I tend to ride sportives with small (no more than four) groups of friends, for fun. As I can't navigate for toffee, and am not up to massive distances, sportives suit me, as I can follow signs, and don't have to do more than between 50 & 80 miles. I might find them harder if I was belting along with the fast lads, but I never have.

Although I've not ridden an Audax, the distances involved, and the need for a decent sense of direction & navigational skill make them seem a greater challenge, in some respects, for me personally

 

[mjr]

You should tell him how you feel. You are right, a peleton is not for everyone.

I lIke riding in a group (or rather with company) but not riding in a club group. its too competitive with lots of social restrictions and rules that I can't be arsed with, it's why I hate golf.

It varies between clubs/groups/whatever-the-current-fashionable-term-is. My usual local is a pootleton rather than a peloton and we dawdle about at 10mph (overall - moving is probably 11mph) looking at stuff (couple of keen photographers in the group), visiting events, eating cake, drinking coffee or beer or whatever. Few recommendations (signalling potholes and stopping is nice) and even fewer rules. We still do occasional century rides - but in summer else we run out of daylight.

I don't like the idea of it either, tbh, and fortunately, a supremely lazy winter means that it's very unlikely that any club would want me.

We'd still welcome you John! Always room for another comedian

Have you tried a sportive? I know there's lots of different speeds/ abilities but you can at least find a gang who are doing your sort of speed and just practice riding with them for a few hours, so long as you pull your weight at the front it's all good learning.

Oooooh, I'd be wary of that. Don't just trust any old gang because I've seen some really poor (dangerous IMO) group riding on sportives and it's been getting worse over the years because most organisers do nothing to sanction bad behaviour, which I suspect means better riders start to keep away. I feel there's a reason why most sportives now require protective equipment and have big disclaimers.

Audaxes seem better, but give me a good freewheeling sightseeing easy ride any day

 

[jefmcg]

I don't like pelotons. It seems to take away from the thing I most enjoy about cycling, the freedom. It's ok holding on to the end, and (in theory, never done it) at the front, but somewhere in the middle? I feel hemmed in a trapped.

Anyway, you and your OH should ride together, so you can learn how to draft - a necessary step before riding in a peloton. First time I tried it, I found it hard: pedalled furiously to catch up to the rider, then as I got close enough to get the aerodynamic benefit, I found I was accelerating into the bike in front, touched my brakes and fell too far back. So pedal furiously to catch up ..... etc etc. In a few tries it will click in place, and you are ready to try your hand at group riding.