Road Cycling - Went on my first club ride today!

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View Full Version : Went on my first club ride today!

Grendel
01-04-03, 04:57 PM
Today was a great riding day! I just joined a cycling club and went along on one of their weekly rides this morning -- it was fabulous! Sure beats riding solo, which is what I've been doing for almost all of my riding up to this point. The morning started out a little chilly (low 40's) but it warmed up quickly and by the time we got to the first regroup point people were shedding layers. The roads were great with very little traffic and great views. The total ride was 48 miles and I was pretty whipped at the end -- there were more hills than I'm used to and I've missed some riding time over the holidays, so I was more spent than usual. The folks I rode with were very friendly and welcoming, and the people who selected the route did a fantastic job of finding safe, smooth roads for an enjoyable ride. Can't wait for the next one! :D

palooka
01-04-03, 05:18 PM
Awesome :) Much more motivating and fun to ride in a pack.

Lower teens is "chilly" for Maine, by the way :) You've got it good down there...
pcsanity1
01-04-03, 07:07 PM
Grendel -

What club are you riding with? Woodlands?

I have started riding with Space City Cycling Club....(Clear Lake)
I know what you mean about the club rides being a great thing.

Matt

Grendel
01-04-03, 08:28 PM
Originally posted by pcsanity1
What club are you riding with? Woodlands?
Yep, I went riding with the Woodlands Cycling Club (http://woodlandscyclingclub.org) and they seem to be a great bunch of folks. We started out at Mongomery Jr. High and rode through the towns of Dobbin & Richards, and then looped back to the start point via 149/1097. The ride coordinaters did a great job of scouting out some new side roads to take that were very nice -- some were freshly repaved and very smooth and made for excellent riding.

I've found that there's a difference between doing 50 miles on your own and doing 50 on a ride like this -- when you're on your own you control your pace and I probably slack more than I realize on the solo rides, and on the group rides you try to keep pace with the group and work harder. Not to mention the hills (or at least what passes for hills in this area) -- most weren't too bad but there were a few that really took it out of me and there was one right at the end of the ride that just about finished me! :eek:

Great ride with great folks!