dfw

I've done a few group rides with the local club in my town, but those guys are pretty much out of my league. All of the guys are in good shape and two of them are pros. They average well over 20 mph and I can usually only stay with them for 10-15 miles before they drop me.

I was about 10 miles into a long solo ride this morning when a large group of riders passed me going the other way. I noticed their group was made up of older guys, big guys, and some pretty lean women. I'm carrying a few extra pounds myself so I thought here's a group of guys I should be able to hang with. I turned around and caught up with them. I started chatting with one and found out they were 20 miles into a 50 mile ride. I asked if I could ride with them and they all welcomed me. They were from a town about 10 miles to the east of me.

The ride was awesome. It's really nice riding in a group. I pushed myself much harder than I would have on my own. I'm no spring chicken at 38, but some of the guys were quite a bit older and fatter than me, so I made up my mind I wasn't going to get dropped by those dudes. I was pretty suprised at how good they were. The group was a great bunch of folks. They did a couple of regroupings to pick up those that got dropped on some of the hills. I always thought I sucked on hills, but I did better than most.

I averaged just shy of 18 mph after 40 miles. I had to ride the last 10 miles solo, but kept my average the same and finished up with 50 miles. I know where I'll be next Saturday.