FLCC> Fwd: sunday rides question

[Brenda Smith]

Marilyn,

I think Vanessa has really good advice.  I haven't done the Sunday
rides in quite some time, but I used to do them regularly a few years
ago.  I always made sure that I had a cue sheet with me and always had
food, drink, money, bike tools and flat tire necessities with me so I
wouldn't have to rely on anyone else if I got in trouble.  (The Bike
Rack offers free basic bike repair/maintenance classes every second
Thursday of the month, I believe.  It takes about an hour and is very
useful!)  That said, I almost always had someone to ride with.  There
used to be a group of riders that did the full routes, but at a slower
pace.  Sometimes I would get separated from them; in fact I rode for a
good hour or so of the Cayuga Lake ride by myself one time, but
eventually I would always catch up with someone, usually several
somebodies.  I know a couple of those people have moved away from the
area; I don't know about the rest.

I'm not a very strong rider right now, as I've been off the bike for a
couple years, but I am working pretty hard at it, and will continue
over the winter, so that I will hopefully be able to lead a group of
those people who want to go the full distance at a slower pace next
summer.  Right now I'm only good for about 30, possibly 40 miles at
the most.  I'll never be able to go fast, but I know eventually I can
go the distance.  :)

For now, sometimes you can start out with the faster, full ride, but
finish with the leisurely riders if their routes meet at some point,
as Vanessa suggested, or, as on the Sunday ride I was on a month or so
ago, you could start with the leisurely riders, meet up with some
people who are tired from the faster group at some midpoint, and then
finish at an in-between pace.  The challenge is that you can't depend
on this always happening.  It's usually something very spontaneous.

Let me just say that even in really well-organized cycling clubs the
dropping thing is an issue.  I moved to North Carolina a few years ago
and rode with the Tarwheels several times (before I took a sabbatical
from cycling), which was a huge cycling club, and they had very
specific rides for different speeds.  I was a fairly solid C-pace
rider at the time (15-17mph), and I totally got left in the dust a few
times!!  And no one ever came back looking for me!!!  So, it seems to
be a problem for all clubs.

Brenda