Hello all,

I want to start riding in local group rides, but I feel like I would embarrass myself without a drop bar type bike. I guess I don't know what to expect. Does anyone ride in group rides with a flat bar bike? I think it would benefit me to ride in a group but I don't want to be laughed at the first time I try it and not want to do it again... Don't want to let a bad experience turn me off from something that could potentially be beneficial for me if you know what I mean.

Here in Portland there are lots of social group rides on all kinds of bikes. Certainly the spandex clad training group ride probably isn't worth doing without a road bike. Try looking into your local bike scene to see if they have more social group rides.

We try to stay with the slowest rider on group rides. No one is laughed at in derision. We do a lot of kidding and have a well rounded group. Saturday the ride was 50+ miles. We had turn around spots that would allow a shorter route and if someone bonks or flats another member will be happy to help. One of the guys was at one time a racer of sorts and has a deluxe carbon frame road bike. In contrast some of us ride X-mart bikes until a better bike is affordable. One man just rebuilt his 20 year old carbon fiber Kestrel with all new and deluxe components clear down to the wheels and tires. Quite the eclectic mix. Find a like group and just ride. I enjoy the things I learn from the experienced road bikers. God Bless. Wing Nut

There should be a group that rides at your pace, with a mix of bikes. Not every group ride is a hammerfest.

There are endless varieties of group rides. Even within groups there are a variety of rides.
We had a social ride yesterday. While everyone was in a kit we had bikes from a 29er, a hybrid, a fg (me), and normal road bikes.
For what it is worth spandex <> fast.

Is this a group ride of commuters? Or just a recreational group?

I'd love to see pictures of a commuter group ride...

It is usually one guy yelling at another wheel sucker. Thus the max size of said commuter group ride is 2 until the first guy realizes he can't drop the second one and slows down forcing the other to pass.

Here in Malabon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, we have a group of cyclists using a variety of commuter bicycles. These are used bicycles from Japan reconditioned and customized. We make Saturday night rides around Metro Manila. It's a sort of fun rides cause we go to variety of places and have snacks at different eateries. Cyclist come in charys, MTBs, Cruisers, and Folding bicycles. For Jitenshas and rides check Jitensha Philippines in this thread.

Check with the local bike clubs and bike shops. Usually there are rides geared to different levels. Around here, the typical roadie group ride is all about seeing who they can drop, even strong riders. However, there are other groups that are more social and ride at slower paces and have a no-drop policy. The trick is to find a group that rides at your level.

Ahh thanks guys. I'll have a look at the local shops and see if I can find a slower recreational ride with no drop policy.

Have the same issue. Smallish town. Two local bike shops that organize group rides. One of them I've been told is a hammerfest and really unforgiving of anyone who doesn't come ready to go all out. The other one I'm told isn't quite as intense but still a roadie type club. I've been tempted to check out the other one, but being an introverted kinda guy I just haven't had the guts to do it. I own three bikes, and none of them are well suited for 50 mile race, but I could definitely do a 50+ mile recreational have a great time ride. Thought about showing up in my recumbent beast. If I'm not going to have an ultra-light roadie, I might as well show up with something completely off the wall..

Hmm.. Using that logic I could show up with my adult trike...

rorban, it will help when you contact the bike shops or clubs if you know what speed you can maintain and how long. This will help then understand your riding ability. As you become more comfortable riding in a group, you will be able to draft and find you can ride much faster for much longer.

If you can't find a suitable club, you can try forming your own Meetup group and let others find you. I ride with three Meetup groups here, and they have events at various levels, but mostly recreational and non-competitive.

+1 on the Meetup suggestion. I have ridden with a couple different Meetup groups in the DC area and find them a little more forgiving than bike club rides.

recreational and non-competitive.

That's the keyword, for me. I generally wind up riding sweep. I am not a fast cyclist, I am not a slow cyclist. I guess I am a half-fast cyclist.

Most of the organized rides I have been on I was the only one that was carrying tools. Go figure.

There's quite a mixture of bikes and cyclists at the local club rides I've been on this year. Shaved legged guys in full kit on carbon to unshaven legged gals in cut off overalls on fixies and every combination in between. On a 31 mile ride this past Saturday, about 5 or 6 of the 15 or so bikes were flat bars - mtb's or hybrids.

On the Meetup rides we have the full spectrum, as seenoweevil described. We do friendly rides from 15-40 miles, then go out for drinks & dinner... It's a very laid back vibe, only one or two bike-obsessed people talking about equipment (not that there's anything wrong with that... )

The term you are looking for is "NO DROP" that is usually a beginner ride at a 12mph pace. Also check with local advocacy groups. Looks like a good place to start would be the "Mephis Hightailers".
Looks like they have several rides weekely.
https://memphishightailers.clubexpres...module_id=8735

More info for your area

https://www.google.com/search?client=...=Google+Search

I'm going to get yelled at for this ... but Memphis has a Critical Mass. The average moving speed of Seattle's CM rides is about 6 to 7 mph. There are more types of bikes than I knew existed, so your flat bars won't be out of place at all. You'll have a lot of fun, and meet dozens or more of other cyclists. But you'll also see some rudeness and lawbreaking ( running of reds, corking of intersections, and probably the younger folk drinking while "driving" ). It's probably worth going once and making up your own mind about it, and if you talk to the other cyclists who show up, you'll probably get a lot of advice on other, local group rides and good trails to check out.



Actually it looks like the Memphis Critical Mass has been infiltrated by "follow all laws" folks, so my caveat might not apply:

https://sites.google.com/site/memphiscriticalmass/

I ride a hybrid and I've gone out on some group rides with the local triathlon group. I have 700X28mm tires on which I can get moving. I don't ride with the fast group but that's more an engine issue than an equipment issue. Go for it!

Haven't ridden a drop bar bike on a club ride in a long, long time.
Recumbents now, hybrids before that.

Vancouver BC has a pretty cool critical mass. Never been to one in Denver.

Thanks for the replies. I feel better about group rides now. I always thought they were all drop bar roadies with racing attitudes. Just gotta go out and have fun. I'll for sure look into the local clubs and such. Thanks for the info and encouragement!