8am Group Rides
 

It's 37 degrees this morning. Later today, it'll be in the 60s.

Why does my club insist on riding at 8am on a Saturday?

The details are here, but the upshot is this: we've been wearing 3 layers all winter. Here's our chance to wear a single layer, but they rally at 8am instead.

Needless to say, I'll ride later in the day.

My guess is that they have a wife and/or kids and don't want the ride to interfere with family time, so they knock it out early in the day.

Why not go for a second ride this afternoon? That's what I am doing today. Two a days once in a while are good for the soul.

You should yell at them. :D

My club lets the ride leaders choose their own start times. So if you don't like early rides, then lead your own ride with a start time that you like.

This, and ours is a "shop ride", and the shop opens at 10:00, so early is the only opportunity for the employees.
We start at 7:30.
In my personal situation, it's often not a good idea to leave my wife and son home alone together for very long, so if I don't ride early, I may not get a chance.

SAme thing here in San Diego. Nice weather in the afternoon, but at 8am it's in the 40's. Even in the summer when it's 90-100 in the afternoon it's always in the high 40's, low 50's in the morning. Not a big fan of early morning exercise.

We start at 9:00 except in the hottest months in the summer when we start at 8:00 AM. I am writing this in my bike clothes because at the last minute I decided not to go on my group ride. Winds are extremely high right now. I would rather ride in rain than in wind. I will wait until later in the day and do a solo ride. I would probably do the same if it were 37 degree outside.

obligations outside of cycling. later.

I understand the desire for warmer cycling weather... htfu...

We leave at 9:00 early in the season, 8:00 in the summer. It's mostly Short Leash Syndrome.

if you have a family or other commitments then riding in the morning might be the only time you have available. I miss the days of riding when ever I wanted to, now I still get lots of riding in but it's in the form of commutes to work and early morning weekend rides.

We start at 7AM, moving to 6:30AM next week and at some point we'll be starting at 6AM. I like riding early in the morning when there's less traffic, and I also like having the rest of my day to do non-cycling things.

We generally start at 8:30ish.

I ran a series of noon rides in January and February. Why don't you post some if you want to do it later?

I get up at 6am on Saturday... to pee.

Best answer so far. DNA in my case. (does not apply)

Threads like this are why I'm glad I don't have kids and usually ride solo:p I refuse to ride at 8 AM in cold weather. I'll do climbing rides at 7 or 8 AM in the summer because it will be a sufferfest I don't like if I have to climb in 100-degree heat. Other rides I still do in the afternoon.

The group rides are scheduled that early for the viewing benefit of the male riders.

While I don't have a voice in the start time of the group rides I am currently attending, I often have to work during the weekends and appreciate the opportunity to get out and back early before my blackberry starts going off.

Oh my gosh, you went for the easy laugh, so I'll treat it like a serious suggestion:

How would I yell at them if I'm not there?

- Less trafic.
- Family/work obligations.

E-mail in capital letters.

Sounds like the OP needs to HTFU in a big way. Our Saturday rides are at 0600 and again at 0730; the daily morning ride during the week is at 0545. We get very happy when the temp rises to 37F in the winter. Cold riding builds character and makes you tougher.

6:15am monday/wednesday/friday right in front of the local Panera Bread (that I just so happened to work at)

I'm out at 5 a.m. Group rides start at 7:30 a.m. The few times they start later, the wife starts texting me around 10 a.m. asking if I'm being held for ransom. She's odd and wants my attention too.

Short Leash Syndrome is the cure for Single And Can't Find A Use For This Bodypart Syndrome

It could be worse. It could be 90 degrees for those 8am group rides (hence why group rides start considerably earlier here starting in march).

...because serious performance oriented riders and entire groups/teams of such, complete scheduled rides and races regardless of weather ....the same guys probably who advice others to HTFU, fall in line shoulder to shoulder in a tight paceline, or opt out of the ride and go to a Group B or C 'comfort' ride with grandma...

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