thetray

I'm fairly new to cycling (three mos.) and am thinking of joining a club. Are there any specific skills that you more experienced cyclists would recommend I work on before joining? The local clubs here seem to have awide variety of skill levels, but most of their rides are a bit beyond my current ability. None of my friends ride, so I have been a lone wolf to this point. I'm just nervous about showing up and being blown away and/or getting in the way.

Thanks for any info!

Bobatin

A good club will take you under there wing and help you get started and work you into riding with a group. If you have more than one group to choose from, talk to some of the members and ask them what they do to help out newbies.

SipperPhoto

I agree with Bobatin... most social type clubs will cater to people of all skill levels... the club I ride with usually breaks into 3 main rides, and then usually within those rides.. it breaks up even more with the faster guys going ahead, and the slower ones behind... but no one ever gets dropped... even my wife has been on a couple rides with my club, and she is a total newbie... she rides the shorter rides, and the leaders will definitely hang out with her making sure she gets back all in one piece... it all depends on the club... try one out.. if you don;t like the vibe, or feel that the other riders are WAY beyond your level.. try a different one... your in CArlsbad, so I know there must be 1/2 dozen clubs in your area... I'm up the 5 here in OC, and I can rattle off 6 or 7 clubs... just find one that fits


Jeff

lsits

I've ridden with the local bike club for the past couple of weeks. Their web site said that non-members were welcome on their Sunday rides. I just showed up. Their were four groups but no one showed up for the slowest group. I rode with the "C's". We rode about 35 miles each time. I averaged around 14 MPH. I wasn't the fastest but I wasn't the slowest either. Everyone was real friendly. No one laughed at my hybrid bike. We re-grouped three times during the rides.

Find out if the club has a web site. (Most of them do) You can get a lot of information about ride distances and speeds. Go and try it out once. You'll either like it or you won't, but at least you'll know.

Pat

A good club will make an effort to be friendly to beginners. Why? Well that is where your new members come from! Also, it is nice to have someone join as a rookie and become a dedicated and knowledgeable cyclist.

Now, I would avoid clubs with any emphasis on racing. In these clubs there is a sort of understanding that you have a basic skill set and level of conditioning when you join. You want a club that caters to anyone who rides a bicycle.

The more experienced riders should take you under their wing. They will give you pointers on clothing, pacing, drafting, bike handling, maintenance and on the road repairs. A rider's learning curve is much steeper in a club then solo.

bikenutr2000

I totally agree, the more experienced riders will give you constructive criticism and get you real comfortable riding with a group as it could be intimidating at first. There are some simple riding rules to keep you and everyone riding with you safe. Your riding confidence and riding level will quickly increase. But if you find yourself in a group that is not helping you and they make it seem like your in their way then find another club that will. This is not usually the case as most clubs welcome new riders.

I have been with a group or two that have dropped me like a bad habbit, in unfamiliar territory without ever looking back. It is a crappy feeling when that happens, especially being told about their "nobody gets dropped policy". You will get the feeling that you are a thorn in their side immediately.

Once you find a group it is the best thing!

SipperPhoto

Lsits,

how is the club scene out there in Riverside ? which club did ya ride with ?

it's always good to not be the slowest guy out there :-) We even had one woman show up at our club ride, who had only been riding for about a week, literally... 35 years old, never learned to ride a bike... she kept up pretty good :-)

Jeff

lsits

Rode with the Riverside Bicycle Club. I found their web site on Yahoo.

Bokkie

A good club will be good. My experience of a club on the first ride is that (a) I simply could not keep up with the group ride; (b) by the time I got to the car park, they had all left; (c) noone ever bothered to follow up with a phone call to see if I was ok. That convinced me that cycling clubs don't always translate into well run clubs. If you have a few in your region try them out and see what one is best for your style of riding, fitness and see if there is a clique that might not include you in all the best things going. For sure, my experience was not typical perhaps, but it was the only club near where I live and it put me off them.

This is true of possibly all types of club. Don't think the cycling fraternity is made of great buddies. 99.9% are, but it's the 0.1% that leave a bad taste.

I've touched base with an instructor at the gym who just loves to ride as well and with some guys at work interested as well, the potential is there to have some great rides together in the new year and when it gets lighter again. That'll give time to look for some new trails. Cant wait...

dirtbikedude

If you have a specific club in mind give 'em a call and ask what their rides are like. If you have not found a club yet you can check out this site

https://www.socalcycling.com/

They have a good list for SoCal. and if you are looking for a mtb club check out www.clubmtb.com

shokhead

I'd just keep riding more and not worry about a club for a few more months.Dont clubs meet and ride at certain times?If your time is here and there,that might be a problem.Dont join if they all dress and have bikes like LA.LOL.I've seen them,really.