Not to sure about which forum to put this in so I am sticking it here. First off, I went on my first ride with a group of riders this morning. I met up with them at their starting spot at 08:30. Some of them gave looks like,"Who the hell are you?". Some were indiferent and some were very friendly. There was about 20 or so riders with verying abilities.
Here is where the post changes.
We started the ride at a very casual pace with everybody together. 2.5km in to the ride woooossssh! My rear tire goes flat. We were on a newly paved road that had some debri along the side. Since I was taking up the rear I stayed directly behind at least 10 of the riders right in their line. Not one of them got a flat so I figured it was my valve stem again. Not so. The tire had 5, large gashes and punctures ranging from 3mm to 5mm. Why was I the only one to have that happen? Needles to say it I told them to go on and I would catch up. Mind you, the group has not split yet. 5min later I had the tire fixed and was on my way. Busted my a** trying to catch them. Never did so I went my own way. Come to find out that the route I took to catch them was the one the expert/racers took. Since I arrived back around the same time as the slower group. we sat at a local coffe shop chating. They were very nice folks.
Here is another change in the post.
We got to talking and at least 4 of them had no idea what dh mtbiking was. No clue. If it was not related to road bikes they were clueless. Put it this way, a few of them did not even know that some mtb had full suspension. From the way that they talked us off-roaders were not worthy to be called cyclist. They were nice to me because I was on a road bike, other wise I do not think they would have given me the time of day. .
Besides this fact they were talkative and friendly. So now I am wondering if I should ride with them again or find a diff club. Any suggestion?

Slainte

Try to enlighten them to the skill required in other forms of cycling. If they are closed to the idea or still act like dicks. Right them off and find some true cyclists who aren't ignorant to the rest of the world.

It may be easy to change their minds, invite them to ride off road, if they dont crap themselves.... Maybe hey would change their minds?

Oh and Roadies are all bent on distance, htey have no clue on what it takes to ride 20k off road!

A statement one guy mad I found funny. They asked me if I gave up mtb's and started road riding. I said, "No, I enjoy cycling and this is just one more way for me to be on a bike plus it will increase my endurance for mtb." His response was, "Oh, we have a few of those in our club as well."

Slainte

Hey Dirtbikedude, I've had a few experiences along those lines with a little twist. I pretty much ride the same roads dressed the same way ect. but have alternated from a mountian bike to a road bike. While riding the mountian bike, to other rodies you would think I was invisable! Yet while out on a road bike, these same riders the very next day will pass you going the other direction with a smile and a wave... Go figure! (Shakes his head).

Yet while out on a road bike, these same riders the very next day will pass you going the other direction with a smile and a wave... Go figure! (Shakes his head).


Kinda makes you wonder about the excuse, "I am concentrating on my training.", as a reason they do not acknowlage us. I know there are a few that are that intense but come on, is it to much to ask for just a little acceptance? I am going to try another club next weekend and if I get the same response I shall go back to solo rides.


Slainte

Some roadies are dorks. Some MTBers are dorks. Some BMXers are dorks. Some tourers are dorks. There are a lot of dorks out there, but that doesn't mean that dorkiness characterizes any of these groups.

A couple of things to keep in mind:
[list=1][*]Getting a flat and being dropped: It really depends what the understood rules of the ride are. This is pretty common roadie practice. On some rides, it's understood that "nobody gets dropped" and the group will poodle while someone fixes a flat and gets back on. On some rides, it is understood that thr group will not stop. This is usually when the route is well-known to all, and no one will get lost. The group you rode with are dorks for not telling you the rules of the ride, but they may have simply expected you to ask.[*]Roadies not knowing about MTB: This seems very odd to me, since I can think of very few roadies who don't also own a MTB. Hell, you see those downhill and freeride bikes all over the place, you'd have to be brain-damaged not to notice the double-clamp suspension forks! On the other hand, some people just don't notice anythingand find the unusual amusing. I was laughed at and ridiculed by some Homers on high-zoot road bikes [not roadies, wannabes] once when I was out on my cyclocross bike once. [I smoked them anyway ] And I've had people laugh at me while I did dismount and runup drills at Mount Royal. Lesson? Some people are clueless.[/list=1]

Having said all that, I can only surmise that the group you rode with was a group of mutants. None of the guys I ever ride with would drop a new guy with a flat, or are so clued-out that they've never heard of DH mountain biking. On one ride that I did this summer, we were joined, as we sometimes were, by some of the local racers from the dominant masters team in Quebec. Sure, we had attacks and sprints, but when one of us got spat out the back and dropped behind, one of the toughest of the racers [nicknamed "the Sadist"] dropped back. "Hey, this is a friendly ride," he said, "gotta do this."

Around here [Montreal] there's a big crossover between the road, track, MTB and cyclocross communities. One of the most respected riders in the area is not only a roadie and a champion 'crosser, but a highly-ranked MTBer as well. In efect, if it's got two wheels, it's all good.

Maybe there was some misunderstanding in your group. If not, find another group. These are not guys you can count on to hold a line when the road gets rough.

Give em another go dirtbikedude, although first impressions are usually pretty accurate, from what you posted it does't appear that you have enough to write this group off.

Maybe next time you learn more before the ride starts, maybe next time you don't have a mechanical bring you down, maybe next time you have post ride chat time with the fast group and learn more about them, maybe next time you get snubbed even harder...but no maybes about it, if you don't go back for another ride, none of those things will happen

I'm for giving them another chance, too.

1) There is something to be gained in a group ride, so it's worth it to give it another go.

2) It would be a good opportunity to enlighten them, providing their minds are open.

3) You may meet some of your own kind. . . i.e. others who share your cycling interests.

Speaking of holding a line, before I got a flat the majority of the group was all over the road. They slowed cars and paid no attention to traffic.

The fast group does not wait but the slower group does. The route they said they were going to take was the one I tried to find them on. The slower group decided to go a different way. I waited around afterwards but the faster group was not back, even 1 hr after us and I had to go.

My riding ability puts me in between the two groups. I did 46km and the slow group did 40 and I arrived back 10 min. before them. The faster group averages 65km at a pace of around 30kmh. The group I will ride with next weekend are all roadies but they also ride mtb.

Slainte

Hey, at least these people talked to you. The group I started riding with this summer dropped the division of fast riders and slow riders. Men, women, newbies all ride together. Most of the time if there is a flat (there were only two this summer) a few will stay back with the person who has the flat. I prefer to stay back because then it's a smaller group and the paceline was a little faster with the small group! The other flat happened to a guy who is a total jerk.....do I need to say what happened to him? The leader actually called for everyone to keep going!

It's very hard to believe that the people you rode with didn't know what a DH bike or suspension fork was. These people weren't green with little antennae were they?

Give them a chance unless you have other alternatives. Try as many groups as are available. Group riding is great for your riding skills (among other things).

I plan to check out all the local clubs and I am sure not all will be like this one. I was talking with a rider in a different club whose meeting location is 11km from my house. That would be great because I can ride there rather then drive 25min to ride. He also was saying that the club is made up of roadies who have aquired an interest in mtb. So once a month instead of doing a road ride they head out to the trails. Granted it is not alot of mtb riding but at least they are open minded enough to try. He also said that a few of the riders go out to the trails at least once during the week.

Slainte

Well, best of luck to you, dirtbikedude. The others have brought up some valid points, to be sure. Some roadies are elitist, there is no question about that...but I have been lucky enough to get hooked up with a great bunch of riders at my LBS. I just started riding a year ago last April, but these folks have always taken great care of me. Even tho I am still about the slowest rider of the bunch, they always keep an eye on me. They have always gone out of thier way to make me a part of everything they do. Oh, yeah, and during the fall/winter, we do road bike rides on Saturdays, and mtn bike on Sundays! It is my wish that everyone would be lucky enough to get hooked up with a group like this! Find ya a group you are comfortable with, and get out there and have some fun!