Monday, March 9, 2009
2nd Group Ride
I went out for the "C" ride this evening. The majority of the riders there were "B" riders and quickly left 4 of us behind. The other three riders could have easily left me as well as they were all strong riders. But they were nice enough to hang back with me and teach me about pace lines, drafting and riding fundamentals. Really nice people. I had a great 20+ mile ride with an average speed of 14.1 mph. The ride leader discussed scheduling a "C" ride for Thursday night. I hope he does... I will be there. I am getting hooked on this group riding.
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2 comments:
Way to go, Randy!
Group rides are a lot of fun, provide great motivation to get on the bike and really help you add mileage quickly.
Don't worry about your speed too much for now. Just focus on your form. I'd rather ride slower with someone who rides well than someone who faster and is likely to get me killed. Falling ain't fun. Bad riders cause falls.
Besides, speed will come with time. So will distance. Form requires focus and practice.
In 2007, my first year of keeping track, I rode 860 miles (including my first century) and my average speed was about 14 miles an hour.
In 2008, I upgraded from a hybrid to a road bike, did 1,772 miles, starting riding with a group once a week and increased my average speed to about 17 miles an hour.
This year, 2009, I am already at 701 miles and my average speed is nearly 18.5 mph.
When I started riding, I was nearly 290. I'm now about 220 (at six feet tall). Given my frame and family genetics, 200 seems like a reasonable target though 170 would be probably more closely match the height and weight charts.
Along with the weight loss and generally better level of fitness, I have met a lot of really nice people along the road.
Thanks for throwing a link over to Palm Beach Bike Tours. It's always nice to hear someone recommend the web site.
Cheers,
Matt
Matt,
Thanks for the advice and the encouragement. I really can't believe what I was missing all these years by being inactive and by not riding a bike!
Randy
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