Originally Posted by
lshaped
yes, avoid them if possible and ride solo- less politics, ego stroking and much safer. I've seen group rides where the latter half of the group will run a red light and put themselves in danger just to not split up the ride.
You're scaring him away from possibly one of the best riding (of the bike variety) experiences a cyclist can have. ChitCat, I would NOT ride in a large group yet at your current level of experience. I would get a few more weeks in of riding around solo and getting comfortable with your new bike (congrats
) Then, once you are comfortable, start out in a small, slow group ride with maybe ten riders at the max and get used to drafting off of someone and taking turns pulling, etc. Then, after a few weeks of doing that, go do a larger, maybe a little faster, ride to see if you enjoy that type of competitive atmosphere. If you do, try racing. Just my 2 pesos.