joetronic

Iam thinking of joining a group soon. I emaield the president with a few questions, and he said that most rides are call "C" rides around 20-30miles long. What speeds would class "C" normally be?

'nother

Time for you to send some more questions to the president. "C" means something different to nearly every club, and anyway not everyone uses "A", "B", "C", etc. Have the president detail what this is supposed to mean.

You should also tell the president what kind of rides you're currently doing on your own, speeds, hills (if applicable) and have him or her suggest one of the club's rides to you, because published ratings are often somewhat at odds with reality -- many rides go a lot faster than their publicized rates. As such, you might want to ask about the ride's regrouping/drop policy as well.

Mo'Phat

Agree with 'nother. I emailed the contact at a local club, told him my fitness level and types of rides I'm doing now, and he politely told me that I'd be dropped from the group...no offense. He did suggest that I come out and 'audit' the group (join a ride or two with no obligation to contribute dues) to gauge where I am in relation to the other riders. That way I can have a benchmark level of fitness I have to reach to feel comfortable and not be a burden to the group.

Also, from what I've heard, MOST rides go a lot faster than their publicized rates. You'll always get the guys that are ultra competitive.

But, to answer your question, I found this website which has average speeds for this particular group: https://www.sbraweb.org/ride_classes.htm

and this one:
https://www.crosscreekcyclingclub.org...8/Default.aspx

and last:
https://www.mtn.org/tcbc/key.html

'nother

You should definitely do this . . . and if the club/ride is reluctant to let you do so, or is hounding you to join or pay without first being able to get a feel for the group vibe, look elsewhere.

joetronic

thanks for the suggestions. I emailed him again asking 'nothers question suggestions and asked him if a "audit" ride would be okay. he did say in his first email I should come to a club meeting before I go on one of the rides to see if I get along with some of the people. They had some issues with people not getting along causing problems during rides. Is this normal? he said fighting, either verbal or physical would not be tolerated, we are here to have fun, not act like children.

Wheels4

dang... I didn't know you had to pay fees to ride in group rides. geez.

'nother

Ehhh . . . sounds like a red flag to me. Definitely check them out thoroughly before joining up.

joetronic

Well, Hanover PA (where club is located) is full of a** holes. He did say they have not had problems in a a few years, and like to keep it that way. Maybe that's the reasoning for the required club meeting before a ride.

Olebiker

Red flags are flying. Is this a racing club? Do you plan to race?

joetronic

Its not a racing club, but more of a family club. He said that most of the members are whole familys.

here is the website https://adventure-cycling.com/site/page.cfm?PageID=55

Mo'Phat

Wow, and they had problems with fighting? Sounds like maybe some die hard members of the group take it WAY TOO SERIOUSLY. You're only getting half the story and they can easily blame the new guy for coming in and being the jerk. They're probably the jerks, but won't ever tell you that.

Everybody that I've talked to that rides in a group has been excited and encouraging to me.

If you're still interested in the group, skip the 'meeting' (no groups around here have meetings, they just ride) and go for a ride. Hang out in back. If they get upset that you're not taking your turn at the front, that's their problem...you shouldn't be expected to on your first ride and they shouldn't care.

As for dues: most groups have a website and that costs money. Most organizers take time to plan routes and make phone calls. Many will search out sponsorships for deals at bike shops, and you're paying for the opportunity to benefit from their work in establishing the sponsorships. Some will plan races or events, and your measly contribution goes to that.

'nother

Try not to take it too literally. It's doubtful that anyone would make you pay fees to ride in a club's regular group rides. I went as a "guest" on quite a few group rides before settling on a club to join. The fees (which are generally not too high) come in for club membership, which has additional benefits . . . typically discounts at LBS, some kind of newsletter or website, meetings, parties, etc. There's nothing really preventing someone from joining a group ride.

ovoleg

Why would I want to join a group ride like this? Contribute? Maybe if I really liked the club and they had something to contribute to(What is the money going toward? Leader's bike parts?)

What's the pace like? People exaggerate when they talk about average speeds.

I tell people that I ride around 16-17mph average and they think I am turtle slow...But they either don't have their computers accurately set or they lie because I end up pulling them half the time.

Go out and have some fun, if you get dropped then you get dropped. Plus, if it is really bad(and I've been there) you can just suck wheels the whole way and train a bit harder so you can stay up front a bit more.

You'll never know from emails

ovoleg

Why do they have a waiver on their website?

LOL, I am glad that I have a club that is organized and ncie only 2 miles from my house

joetronic

York county PA requires waivers for any member of any club/organization that organized outdoor activities. I know, PA is weird like that. And also probably to cover there own butts. I'm not to concerned about that. I'm more concerned about every ones comments about the red flags from the arguments. i did find a co-worker (kinda, he teaches at one of the schools I do work at) who belongs to this club and he says that there hasn't been issues with fighting in a long time, and the meeting first rule is just one that stuck. he said 3 years ago a bunch of guys joined that were complete a-holes, and make the rides unfun for all. They no longer ride with them.

galen_52657

It's all the strychnine they use to cure the Lebanon Bologna... makes the locals mad as hatters...

Sincitycycler

Geezus. I thought people from the Midwest were nice?
Maybe when the Steelers win, the PA boyz will be more happy!

Socalcycling

Or maybe your computer is not accurately set. Ever think of that? 40 miles to MDR.

ovoleg

I did, I mean its not perfectly accurate... I used 2096 for 700(I think this was the number), I never went down and actually calculated the circumference.

I doubt it will be a significant difference?

MDR 40 miles? I never doubted it, I made it there and back(I also rode around in MDR). When I got back it was lik 102 or 110 miles...

You have to realize that people do not take the same exact route and do not start at the same place.

marqueemoon

I wouldn't be spooked by a required meeting. If part of the agenda is to make sure everyone is on the same page about group riding techniques, to me that is time well spent. I don't feel safe riding with people who don't signal, point out obstacles, and otherwise observe the rules of the road. I would be suspicious to pony up any money before giving it a try to a club whose past rides have included childish behavior. As for signing a waiver, I don't have a problem with it provided I have a chance to read it first.

I've done a few of the Cascade club rides here in Seattle with mixed results. Their site has a pretty good breakdown of how they define various paces, and for the most part they stick to them.

The "no drop" rides I've done are on the slow side for me, but were fun. My girlfriend and I did one where the "no drop" policy was not in place which was faster. The group broke up almost immediately, which sucked because the tick sheet was almost useless. I spent the better part of the ride trying to bridge us up to people who knew where they were going. The rides that seem to best match my preferred pace either meet too early, too far away, or both.

I've had the best luck riding with small groups with no formal organization, but then again a club can be a good place to meet people to ride with outside of the club.