About this average speed business.....
 

So I go on a group ride today, the hottest freaking day of the year (high 80's). It's a 45 miler, and I'm not familiar with the route. The ride captain announces that it goes through "Little Appalachia". "Be careful," he says, "it has a few hills that will wear you down".

The ride quickly forms two groups, the Really Fast People and The Ladies, which include several older (Dnvr Fox aged) men. I go out with the Really Fast People.

I hang pretty well until we hit Little Appalachia, which, true to warnings, has numerous nasty little climbs. I get shelled by the fast guys. I also get nervous from all the banjo music I hear in the background. It was pretty creepy.

For the next ten miles I'm riding in miserable No Man's Land: too slow for the fast people and too fast for The Ladies. No paceline. No company. Not much fun, truth be told.

Finally The Ladies catch me, riding in a nice organized paceline, chatting it up and generally enjoying the ride. I sit in.

"Sometimes it's just about pacing yourself," the ride captain tells me. That, and finding a friendly paceline to pull you along.

Turns out that three of the riders in The Ladies group had won the coveted Yellow Jersey for the most mileage turned in in club rides in a year.

One Lady tells me, "The competition is getting pretty ridiculous. It used to be that 3500 miles would win the jersey easily, but the year I won it I had to do 8000. This year's winner will have to do at least 10000".

Holy Cow.

So The Ladies group averages about 13 MPH on the way back, which is fine with me.

Until I had to pull over to wipe the sweat out of my eyes, after which I never saw them again until I got back to the parking lot.

And that is how I spent my day.

I think I would stay with the ladies. Although I did run into a bunch of riders last week that were running between 17 and 18 and that was nice. When I got done riding and checked my average it was 14. I guess I'll have to live with it. Oh, it was 97 degrees with a 20 mph wind.:D

Hill ARE tough. I just did a century which included fast guys like OCCRick. I fell behind and finished about 30 minutes behind. If it weren't for those little hills that wore me down, my average would have been much better that the 13.25 average I held.:D

I don't golf much, but, I'm wondering if getting dropped by the ladies is like driving from the Men's tee and not making it past the Women's tee.:D We all know the penalty for that infraction.

On a serious side, hang in there, it will come to you in batches. Maybe not all at once but in bits and pieces until staying with the guys will become common enough that you'll start to challenge yourself on rides by taking longer pulls or doing town line sprints. You seem to have will to get better and the tenacity to stick your nose into moving up a notch or two. At our age it may take the body two or three years to make the adaptation to meet the repeated demands you are placing on it.:thumb:

I hate riding with girlies- Always moaning about the mud- the wet and the cold and "Don't go so fast". One of these days- Martyn and Mike are going to learn how to handle the singletrack at speed.

WARNING, WARNING,

Do not believe the Beanzer! I am not fast guy at all. Fast guys were finishing in 5 hours and change. My time was 7:40:18. Okay true, it was faster than Beanz, but still way, way after the fast guys (and girls) had finished, enjoyed their post ride meal and headed for home :(.

Rick / OCRR

PS: Beanzer's time was 8:13:13

And I thought the only "girly" men were in California.:D

Dropped by the fast guys - been there done that. Dropped by the women and ahem D'Fox gang:roflmao2::roflmao2::roflmao2: - wiping sweat from your eyes:lol:: priceless.:D

Yeah but it was cold, wet, foggy and my hang nail was hurtin'!:p

The women I ride with are hardcore athletes. It's an honor to be able to hang with them, besides, truth be told view is much better.

It's important to be prepared for rides. That includes a list of excuses for being dropped.

My favorites:

1. Had to stop to wipe sweat from eyes. That's a favorite. It gets scary when I can't see :twitchy:

2. Not coordinated enough to drink from a bottle and go at speed at the same time. Sadly that's also true.

3. One of the brake pads is rubbing.

4. I thought one of the tires was going flat.

5. Had to answer a page from the office. Also a fav.

6. I swore I heard banjo music, wanted to check it out.

7. I was waiting for a slower rider. He/she never did catch up with me. Must have gone home.

I'd welcome additional excuses, now that I'm doing more group rides and all.

Excuses. LOL

I got stung by a bee.

Dang prostatitis! I have to stop every 10 miles to pee.

This sport drink is making me nauseous.

These winter tires don't roll for cr@p!

two of my avorite excuses
1) chucked the chain and had to stop to put it back on.
2) pulled a muscle from all those hill repeats I've been doing.

That is just wrong...I think A'Jet had the right idea. We need the golfer's equivalent of what you do when the ball does not pass the red tees. I think you need a week in FOO.:D Go to FOO and post a "Ask The Weak Link Anything.:roflmao2::roflmao2::roflmao2:

Could a DQ Blizzard be considered a recovery drink?

Just wondering.

Haven't a clue?

True Beanz,

But it was cold, wet and foggy for everyone, not just you. The hang nail thing though, that's a valid excuse. If you figure the hang nail time adjustment factor, your time was actually faster than mine.

Not to mention, your team was cooler. I was riding for the OC Rebels, but you were out there for:
Mr. Beanz Friends of the Homeless. No wonder so many of the spectators were cheering for you!

Rick / OCRR

True! After the results were posted, I noticed that the riders I know were all about 30 minutes off their time. All except Jimmy! GAAH I HATE THAT GUY!:roflmao2:...He might have been in the 6 hour range if it weren't for the cold wet fog or the injured archilles.:thumb:

I did have a cool club didn't I!:p

Yo Beanz, you Cali guys need to HTFU. In New England we would've considered Saturday's weather -"Balmy". Geez, I thought it was great riding temps all day.

Exhibit A: Bustin' up the Charles - Boston style:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oSiWo-m93s

+1. A few of the women in our club are faster than most of the guys. I love riding with the women, they don't mind waiting for me, and they don't talk too much smack.:love:

Geez, Link.

I just throw my pump or water bottle or something down onto the road and go back to pick it up.

Well excuuuuuhhuuuuuhhhhuuuuuse me for being one of those fragile types!:roflmao2:

I like riding with the ladies.

^^^^^^He get's it^^^^^^^^^^^^^^:thumb:

My reference to older DnvrFox aged men is done with reverence. These guys provide the answer to "Does cycling keep you healthy?". The 70 y/o's are perfectly capable of giving me a whoopin', both on and off the bike.

I figure if I keep riding, by the time I reach 70 I might be pretty decent at this sport.

As far as The Ladies are concerned, anyone who can ride 8000 miles in a year is a far better man than I.

Oh, so I am aged -

Like a fine wine? Or great cheese? :D