Road Cycling - Seeking advice for my first group ride.

Tonight at 6.15pm I'll depart on my first LBS sponsored group ride. It's going to be about 30 miles at a pace of 15-17mph average. I am curious if there is any special stretches I should do prior to this, or eat any special foods?

First of all, I have only been road biking for about 2 weeks. I ride 15-20 miles each day, with an average speed of 14-15 mph. This past sunday I reached 31 miles with an average speed of 15.02. I know this may seem weak to some of you(and I'm sure it will) but the 30 miles was quite an accomplishment to me since I had never gone past 20 miles on my mtb prior. Also, am I going to look like a moron with my ocr-1 and my camelbak? If i get there and all these guys are decked out with 4 grand bikes, I probably wont get out of my car.

Anyhow, just curious on any advice you guys may have. I am really looking foward to the ride tonight nonetheless. Thanks!

-J

Sounds like you should be able to keep up to me. If you have been doing 15+ solo then 15-17 in a pack should be no problem. You shouldn't get too many looks (may get one or two but they are probably a holes) about the camelback so don't sweat it.

I say enjoy and use the expierence to meet some nice people, maybe you will find someone to ride with. Any chance you can ride to the LBS rather than drive? If you can I might do that rather than drive.

The lbs is about a 6 mile ride, which would extend the total trip to over 40 miles.... wouldnt that about kill me?

I say ride to the LBS, nice and slow just spin easy and when the ride is over just spin home nice and easy. Think of it as a nice slow warm up and cool down. Remember when you are in the draft of the group you will expend much less energy to keep the same pace as you do when you are riding solo. IMO you will get more looks for driving to the LBS than for the camelbak. :)

jonathan>> you're alright here. first off, no one will be decked out sporting $4K bikes for a ride that only averages 15-17mph. (no disrespect here, but unless this is a nice recovery ride for faster riders you'll be fine)

i don't know if you'll read this early enough, but drink drink drink. all day. urinate often. you belong. when you start the ride, during the ride say this mantra over and over. 'i belong' >> everyone starts somewhere, and i remember how intimidating my first rides were.

you expend as much as 20% less energy in a group vs. solo. they won't drop you. remember, you are doing this to have fun. don't look at your computer. it doesn't matter how fast you are going, nor how far. your body knows time. look at the speed, etc after the ride is over. enjoy.

Excellent advice, but I have one more question (please bear in mind I have always rode solo, or with a partner side by side on a public bike path) how hard is it to ride say, in a pack with someone in front and behind at the same time? I'd be so scared i'll do something wrong, or change speeds at the wrong time....

Sorry for seeming so noobish...but..well i'm a noob to road cycling at least :)

Thanks for all the help guys, I'm sitting here gulping away as we type.

It's not bad if you are sure of your own bike handling abilities. I was very nervous the first time I went riding with a group other than my wife - and it was just a coffee shop ride. If you start feeling uncomfortable, ease your way to the outside or back of the pack and hang out until you feel OK. Be sure you let the people around you know before you do this though. Above all have fun and remember that you belong there just as much as everyone else.

Don't stretch unless your muscles are warmed up.

Current research says a warmup is much more important than stretching. Use the 6 miles to the LBS as a warmup, going below the 15-17 of the ride, and you will be fully charged for the ride.

Also, you don't HAVE to draft or be in a pace line unless you want to.

Besides, they will be impressed that you rode to the LBS! :D

Good luck and have fun.

Jonathon - do you know how the group will be organized? will you have a cue sheet if you get dropped, or does the pack stay together and wait for the slower riders?

some of the group rides i've been on either have a point\drop sweep system (someone always rides at the back and waits for the slower rider...i.e no one gets dropped), or they give you a cue sheet and it's up to you to keep up.

First off, keep up the good work.

Secondly, don't sweat it. I went on my first group ride about a month ago and have gone twice since. It is different riding with a group. The first group ride was a just that, one big group massed together. Just watch the guy in front, not his wheel and stay off slightly to the right or left, not directly behind. And keep your hands where you can reach the brakes easily. There are others behind you that are just as worried about what you are going to do, just don't make any sudden moves. Watch for turns and know who is around you, that way if something unexpected happens you'll know which way to go to avoid it. Nothing has happened on the three group rides I've been on.

And you're going to get dropped. Don't worry about it. I was dropped the first time too and straggled in with a small group the second time. The third time was with a totally different group of three guys, two of which were in their 60's, and I'm not even going to mention what happened on that ride, other than I'm half their age but they made me feel like I was the old fart. :D

It's a great experience and I look forward to doing more of them. Don't worry about your bike. There are all kinds at the lbs group ride I've done, from Cologne and Ti's all the way down to Trek 1000's and Schwinns. I have never hear anyone make fun of another's bike. Why would a noob spend $4k on a bike until they are experienced and know if they like cycling?

Go and have fun. Don't worry so much. I find that most bikers are very friendly.

Mark

I've been riding maybe 5 months, but did my first group ride a month ago and have only 3-4 under my belt. Still, I feel like it has been much longer, and I think you will learn quickly.

First, some points I have to respectfully disagree with:


And you're going to get dropped. Don't worry about it.

DISAGREE. It's an average of 15-17 mph over 30 miles. He's probably not going to get dropped. In group riding, that is slooow. Even 20 mph can feel like you are coasting half the time. On my first group ride, 20mph felt like 12mph. Qualitatively speaking, the decrease in wind resistance is HUGE in a group.


IMO you will get more looks for driving to the LBS than for the camelbak.

DISAGREE. Whoever thinks driving to the meeting point will get you funny looks probably lives in a SMALL town. In Houston, you'd get a funny look if you didn't drive. People come from as far as 30-40 miles.


drink drink drink. all day. urinate often

DISAGREE. He's not prepping for his 1st century. You don't need to water-log yourself by drinking water all day, which your body will promptly urinate away with little benefit. Drink maybe a few glasses of water, just don't let yourself get dehydrated. I think it is an exaggerated notion that many of us are walking around dehydrated all the time. Contrary to common athletic perspectives, your body will usually tell you if you are dehydrated because you will be thirsty (I mean during the day, before exercise), and then you will naturally drink anyway. So, rather than drink lots before the ride, just be sure to bring the equivalent of 2 water bottles and take 1 or 2 gulps maybe every 5-10 minutes. You should probably not run out of 2 bottles worth of water.

Additional points:

CamelBack probably will not and should not get bad stares. I have found it's less of a newbie thing, and more of a minority Pepsi-vs-Coke personal preference thing. I see plenty of riders wearing them (albeit maybe only 15-20%), and most of them are not particularly slow or newbie-ish. Many I have seen are mountain bikers who easily drop many of the full-time roadies.

I wouldn't worry about 4k bikes. Sounds like it is a beginner or at least easy-going type of ride, given the relatively short distance and speed (trust me, 30 miles will feel short compared to 20 solo). Probably won't attract alot of riders with 4k bikes, unless they are the group organizers (who won't laugh at you) or simply a newbie who had 4k to spend.

And some practical points in answer to your question:

Keep at least 12" behind the guy in front; just don't open up enough gap to let too much wind creep again.

What 1 rider does propogates to all riders behind -- e.g. if you feather your brakes a bit, everyone behind you in the chain will as well.

If you get a flat, immediately yell out "FLAT!" and slow as gradually as you can while remaining in control (something I learned recently the hard way)

You don't HAVE to pull; at any time, you can "chicken out", maybe flap your elbows, and drift carefully outwards, letting the group pass you slowly, and get back in the back.

When/if you DO pull (i.e. get to the front of the group), do NOT speed up at the front (I think adrenaline sometimes causes this). Keep the pace.

Maintain the cadence/effort, not the speed. E.g. your 15 mph group on flat maybe natually accelerate to 19 mph on a slight downhill to maintain effort.

If you see a road hazard, e.g. gravel, wiggle your finger toward the ground if you can do so safely.

If you sense the group is slowing, particularly if you are doing the slowing, signal with your palm down and facing the back of the group.

Be prepared to either stop as a group at signs/lights OR, if the coast is clear, to cautiously coast thru a sign (California stop). As each rider approaches the intersection, check both ways and yell "clear" if its clear.

If you spot a car up ahead, yell "car up"; if you spot a car behind you, yell "car back."

Well, at least those are the "local rules."

Jonathon - do you know how the group will be organized? will you have a cue sheet if you get dropped, or does the pack stay together and wait for the slower riders?

some of the group rides i've been on either have a point\drop sweep system (someone always rides at the back and waits for the slower rider...i.e no one gets dropped), or they give you a cue sheet and it's up to you to keep up.


I am not sure how it will be organized, here is the description from the shops site:

"Come join the fun! This is a road ride for everyone. The route is beautiful and traffic is minimal. Ride leaves from the store at 6:15 pm with a distance of 25-30 miles and an average speed of 15-16 mph. All skill levels welcome. Contact Andy Jordan at 706-724-2453 for ride info. Helmets are required."


Also note there are other rides that mention longer distances with no stops, which leads me to believe that there may be some stops on this one hopefully.

DISAGREE. Whoever thinks driving to the meeting point will get you funny looks probably lives in a SMALL town. In Houston, you'd get a funny look if you didn't drive. People come from as far as 30-40 miles.

Good point I am from a small town :D and around here you WILL get funny looks if you drive to a group ride. Again pretty small town. But from 6 miles I still say ride to the LBS.

I am not sure how it will be organized, here is the description from the shops site:

"Come join the fun! This is a road ride for everyone. The route is beautiful and traffic is minimal. Ride leaves from the store at 6:15 pm with a distance of 25-30 miles and an average speed of 15-16 mph. All skill levels welcome. Contact Andy Jordan at 706-724-2453 for ride info. Helmets are required."


Also note there are other rides that mention longer distances with no stops, which leads me to believe that there may be some stops on this one hopefully.

sounds like a fun ride. i doubt you'll have to worry about getting dropped. that sounds very friendly to me. normally if it's going to be a difficult ride, they'll put plenty of warnings in the descriptions just so people don't get in over their heads. i'm sure you'll be fine. good luck.

Towlie - excellent post. I really appriciate the time you took to type all that out, very imformative. Thank you kindly.

Don't stress about it - that's the big thing. Have fun.


"All skill levels welcome" means that someone will wait for you at key points throughout the ride, if necessary. This isn't the Tour de France.

Contact Andy Jordan at 706-724-2453 for ride info.


hmmmm......



On another note... you just have to ride. I spent all of my first group ride worrying about where I should be in the pack, speed, obstacles to be pointed out, and I lost some of the fun.

Tonight at 6.15pm I'll depart on my first LBS sponsored group ride. It's going to be about 30 miles at a pace of 15-17mph average. I am curious if there is any special stretches I should do prior to this, or eat any special foods?

First of all, I have only been road biking for about 2 weeks. I ride 15-20 miles each day, with an average speed of 14-15 mph. This past sunday I reached 31 miles with an average speed of 15.02. I know this may seem weak to some of you(and I'm sure it will) but the 30 miles was quite an accomplishment to me since I had never gone past 20 miles on my mtb prior. Also, am I going to look like a moron with my ocr-1 and my camelbak? If i get there and all these guys are decked out with 4 grand bikes, I probably wont get out of my car.

Anyhow, just curious on any advice you guys may have. I am really looking foward to the ride tonight nonetheless. Thanks!

-J

Couple of points:
1) I was worried about all of the above when I went on my first group ride. Going was the best thing I could have done. It opens up so much more to you in the way of cycling. You can always ride solo, but a good group ride is a treasure.
2) Don't sweat the speed. You'll be in a group and you'll suprise yourself! And *if* you do get dropped, then the group should slow for you (that's why it is called a "group" ride ... or should be). Some speedier folks may break away, but the LBS owner should at least ensure (s)he stays with you - mine would/does.
3) 4 grand bikes can be found all over. It doesn't mean anything except someone rides a 4 grand bike!
4) The camelbak isn't an issue. Who cares what you use for hydration, so long as you keep hydrated.
5) ENJOY! If after the ride you feel that the group wasn't much fun, then don't give up - find another group. Getting into a regular group ride with a nice bunch of roadies was one of the highlights of my year. If I miss my Sunday ride, I get very upset!

You should be fine with a Camel-bak, and seriously if anyone mentions it and thinks they know about cycling drop the bornze metal/Bobby Julich card, should shut them up if not, guess what who cares they are just trying to get to you cause they think they are better. But you have good company with a Camel-bak.

Dumb problem...I went on my 2nd group ride last weekend. About 30 miles with the halfway point being a bakery. I wanted to stay hydrated, so I drank before. And all I could think about 8 miles out into the country roads 'I gotta pee!' . Men have it easy.

Will my body adjust after a while? Since I've only been really doing this a short time, my body is being more...demanding? I'm not a little thirsty, I'm *dying* of thirst. I'm not just hungry, I'm *starving*; and when it's the call of nature? Yep, it's screaming at me, and not too patient. Even when I 'go' right before we ride, it's a problem.

Kudos from me as well with the group ride tips... I copied your tips into my cycling journal where I keep maintenance tips, medical, heat & hydration articles, nutrition, performance, etc.

Here's a few from my journal under the heading, "What's the 1 thing you do before a ride?"

"I take a leak,double check what I'm taking with me, get a fresh piece of gum and last always wash my glasses,I hate riding with my glasses not shiney clean [I'm schizophrenic,and so am I !] --Baron von Tecumseh"
"I always brush my teeth. Theres just something refreshing and energising about it.
--MoonChicken "
"Take some ibuprofen, or as I call it, vitamin I. (It's an essential nutrient for old knees.)
--oldtrackie" [My favorite]

So how did the ride go?

Well i arrived about 5 minutes early so I could prep my bike (check cables, tires etc...) Only one other rider was there, but the others quickly arrived (most DID ride to the shop, as I elected to drive) So anyhow, the guys were very friendly, most had giant TCR level bikes, which made me feel a bit out of place with my ocr, but I didnt sweat it too bad.
We chatted for bit while waiting on the store owner to lock up, once he came out we took right off. I quickly noticed the pace was going to be quicker than advertised. We were doing about 18.5 mph, which is slightly faster than my normal riding speed. It was no problem though, I just kept in the middle of the pack and low as I could while pumping away.
We came to what is normally my first stop/rest spot.......and past it just as quick as it came. Now we come to the first major hill, this is where I begin to fall behind. One of the guys pulls back and paces with me, very nice guy.....sadly it was a one way conversation as I try to avoid passing out. After conquering that hill, we go through several downhills, reaching speeds of up to 40 mph. Finally get a rest in at about the 15 mile mark, re group up and head back to the shop.
Overall my experience was wonderful, the guys were great, the weather was cool. I just cant say anything bad about it, other than I need more training. I look foward to next weeks ride already.

Again, I'd like to thank everyone above who took the time to lend some advice, Its well appriciated.

-Jon

Overall my experience was wonderful, the guys were great, the weather was cool. I just cant say anything bad about it, other than I need more training. I look foward to next weeks ride already.

You did GOOD!

I am impressed. Congrats.

You will find the next one markedly easier.

Will my body adjust after a while? Since I've only been really doing this a short time, my body is being more...demanding? I'm not a little thirsty, I'm *dying* of thirst. I'm not just hungry, I'm *starving*; and when it's the call of nature? Yep, it's screaming at me, and not too patient. Even when I 'go' right before we ride, it's a problem.

jon, awesome stuff, glad u liked the groupy.

overthere: eat and drink at intervals, regardless of whether you're hungry or thirsty. the maxim is to eat before u're hungry, drink before u're thirsty... as for the pee-ing, well, who knows, when nature calls, nature calls :p

sd

Awesome ride. That sounds about the same as my first experience in a moderatly paced road group. I find that after you climb a few hills they just get easier. And IMO that OCR1 is an awesome bike and the CamelBak is one of the greatest inventions in biking. I'm getting an OCR Elite but it's on a slow boat from China (litearly).

I quickly noticed the pace was going to be quicker than advertised. We were doing about 18.5 mph, which is slightly faster than my normal riding speed. ... After conquering that hill, we go through several downhills, reaching speeds of up to 40 mph.

Well, that was indeed more challenging than advertised! Sounds like some faster riders showed up to speed up the pace. Good job for keeping at it and finishing. If it were truly 15-17 you might have been disappointed for lack of a challenge.

I guess a group ride is not as well regulated as, say, an airline flight schedule. Sometimes people back and forth between what you might call the "A" and "B" groups, or some riders show up that can influence the overall group speed for better or for worse...

yeah, i'm a little suprised that it went as fast as you say it did. 40mph! that's some serious speed for a newbie. anyway, glad you liked it. sounds like a great thing to look forward to next week.

I've had the sam experience where they will advertise a speed but consistantly go faster. I think that especially happens twoards the end of the summer. You'll probably find the pace slower at the begining of spring since a lot of people don't train over the winter.