Yankeetowner

I've been trying to find some early morning weekday rides and have gone with two different groups the last couple of weeks. The one group goes exactly my speed of 20-23 mph and rides through a very urban area with lots of traffic and begins in the dark (bought a headlight)...the other kicked my butt. Let me address the butt kicken...I was dropped several times last summer when I was acclimating to group rides and had only re-started riding a few months before, but since last October/November I've been able to keep up with my weekend group and thoroughly enjoy the ride and their company. I read on line of a near by ride that was supposed to have two groups, 18-20 and 23-24, since I've been riding a lot and my legs were tired I figured I could easily handle the 18-20. I showed up and there are 6 guys all of whom appear to be quite a bit younger than me and have legs twice as big as mine. I knew I was in trouble when one said something about staying under 23, and the rest all laughed. The pace was 22-24 for most of the ride, and it was a beautiful ride, and they slowed a couple of times to keep me on the back. I did a few short pulls at about 21. At about mile 26 I had just caught up with the group when one told me that this is where they sprint...I was doing 24 at the time, and they shot off like a bullet train.

I met them at the end, and everyone of them was a really nice guy. I will admit to being a little embarrassed at not pulling enough and not keeping up, but surprisingly I enjoyed the challenge, even though I didn't meet it. I'm going to continue with both groups if they allow me. Both have shown me a lot, first of all riding at fairly fast speeds in heavy urban traffic is an experience to which I was totally unaccustomed, particularly with the first 20-25 minutes in the dark. Second, riding at a pace significantly higher than I am used to was internally challenging, and certainly humbling. At my age, I don't know that I will ever be able to maintain a 22-24 mph pace and take meaningful pulls, but I really enjoy the challenge and I really liked the people.

Anyone else been dropped like a bad habit lately???

OldsCOOL

Only when I'm coming up the home stretch after a tough ride.

Riding 18-20mph with tired legs? For how far? Dang, that beats me.

Yankeetowner

It was a 28 mile ride. I'm normally a 18-22 mph group rider, and 17-20 alone. I nearly always have tired legs, but I had ridden 41 miles the day before (21 at a 20-22 group pace and 20 solo at at 16-17 mph pace), so I was particularly sore, and had a little cramping the night before. My personality is such that I tend to push myself.

OldsCOOL

We would ride well together.

Yankeetowner

Come on down!