The first time always hurts...

nah! get out there again next week. the only way to really improve AND learn the art of group riding is to...
ride in a group! 😄
It gets easier each time and this time you'll be armed with knowing where the hills are (as the others did!).

Besides, if it didnt hurt, we wouldnt enjoy it so much 😄

"sadist"-Dutch

Absent Husband said:

Obviously not fit/fast enough yet for group riding. I've been averaging
23-25km/h on my solo 30 - 50km training rides, and thought in the
'peloton' I'd be able to keep a suitable pace (what with drafting and
all).

After 6 months of the BR on SUnday mornings I still get dropped every
hill. I think the only solution is more training during the week on
hills. The problem there is it's very easy to slack off to a comfortable
pace rather than the uncomfortable pace that would simulate the group
ride. The other thing I found is that my 30-50km rides at a comfortable
pace had no real comparison to a 50-70km ride with a group faster than
me, even sitting in the middle of the group wherever possible. If I was
you I'd try and get a bit more in during the week and keep attempting
the group ride which would force you to ride at their pace and hopefully
you will last longer and longer before getting dropped.

That's my theory and one day I'll get around to trying it out. Of course
I have the luxury of a group that waits for the slow riders (usually)
and a muffin break mid-way through the ride (BR guys I'm out for the
next two weeks while I taper for tri next week).

DaveB

"Absent Husband" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi all,

Decided to head out for my first proper group ride this morning, as
part of my return to cycling post-injury.

Got up at 5am, and had an easy ride to Southbank (South Brisbane) for
the Star Cafe ride. Turned out the ride was out to Wynnum, a ood length
ride, and so I was pretty keen to get started.

Pushed off with the slower 3rd group (roughly 30 riders in each of the
3 groups), and all was well. However, my glorious return was to last no
more than 5km!!!!!

On the first of the REAL hills (heading down Old Cleveland Rd near
Carina), I got dropped by the group!!! Obviously my hill strength still
had a fair way to go... Spent the next couple of km's chasing down the
group, but another hill and a bad break at a set of traffic lights put
an end to that. I gave up when I reached Carindale shopping centre and
endured the lonely ride home (*sob sob*)...

Obviously not fit/fast enough yet for group riding. I've been averaging
23-25km/h on my solo 30 - 50km training rides, and thought in the
'peloton' I'd be able to keep a suitable pace (what with drafting and
all).

I might give myself another month all on my lonesome before I venture
out with a group again. Disappointed though - was really looking
forward to my first group ride!!

Cheers all,
Absent Husband

Nah, stick with it. No you've got a goal - to stay in until after
the Carindale shops :-)

I have only just started bunch riding, had my road bike 4 weeks
now - woohoo! I was about the same as you when I first joined the
Star Cafe ride. I missed this morning though. Went to watch the
races at Murarrie - that's my next goal and I fully expect to get
lapped the first time or two and have to retire but I'm really looking
forward to it. It's all part of staying motivated.

You probably picked a hard week to start as well. Last week was out
to Redland and barely a hill in sight. The pace also tends to vary
week to week. Get out there every week, it's a blast. It might help
if you make some of those training rides include Mt Coot-tha or
Mt Gravatt (you live southside right). It's amazing what a bit of hill
work does for your overall speed.

What are you riding? I'll keep an eye out and introduce myself.

Mick

quote='DaveB'Absent Husband said:

Obviously not fit/fast enough yet for group riding. I've been averaging
23-25km/h on my solo 30 - 50km training rides, and thought in the
'peloton' I'd be able to keep a suitable pace (what with drafting and
all).

If I was you I'd try and get a bit more in during the week and keep
attempting the group ride which would force you to ride at their pace
and hopefully you will last longer and longer before getting dropped.
[/QUOTE]

I'd continue doing the bunch ride and the goal for each week should
be "I WILL stay with the bunch for longer than last time!".
Take note of a landmark or something every time you get dropped
and make sure you hang on past that landmark on the subsequent
ride.

hippy

Absent Husband said:

I might give myself another month all on my lonesome before I venture
out with a group again. Disappointed though - was really looking
forward to my first group ride!!

But you won't improve unless you ride with groups that push you. When
I first tried the fast group on my first regular group ride, I was dropped
after about 5km, but over successive weeks I held on for longer, and
now I'm fine for the whole 50km. It's a good way to measure your
progress, assuming the group is consistent, and there are slower
groups to pick you up.

But you may want to avoid hilly group rides until you've got your
strength back. You can work on hills just as easily on your own.

--
bpo gallery at http://www4.tpgi.com.au/users/mvw1/bpo

Thanks all for the encouraging words!!

I think I was laboring under the impression that either you cut it for
the group rodes, or you avoided them until you did - as (I thought,
anyway) that there is a big humiliation factor with being dropped.....

Obviously just my ego being too big for its boots!! I'll try again this
week, and see if I can last a little longer....

Mick - I'll start incorporating Mt Gravatt into my solo rides as I live
only 500m down Creek Rd from it.... And I'm the one riding the black
Orbea (and just squeezed into his maroon Team Casino jersey)... What do
you ride?? I know NO-ONE in the group, so would love it if I could say
g'day prior to the start.

Thanks again all,
Absent Husband (Paul)

"Absent Husband" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi all,

Decided to head out for my first proper group ride this morning, as
part of my return to cycling post-injury.

Got up at 5am, and had an easy ride to Southbank (South Brisbane) for
the Star Cafe ride. Turned out the ride was out to Wynnum, a ood length
ride, and so I was pretty keen to get started.

Pushed off with the slower 3rd group (roughly 30 riders in each of the
3 groups), and all was well. However, my glorious return was to last no
more than 5km!!!!!

On the first of the REAL hills (heading down Old Cleveland Rd near
Carina), I got dropped by the group!!! Obviously my hill strength still
had a fair way to go... Spent the next couple of km's chasing down the
group, but another hill and a bad break at a set of traffic lights put
an end to that. I gave up when I reached Carindale shopping centre and
endured the lonely ride home (*sob sob*)...

Don't worry about it, of the three different rides that's the hardest
because
it's the only one with hills. Try next week when it will be airport/nudgee
beach, and redcliffe the week after, both dead flat.

Adam

Have you thought about joining a club. The Logan club is quite good and are really good to new riders. When I first started with them back in 1993 they put me in with D grade which was basically a bunch of old fellows, women, beginner men and other kids. D grade isn't really a race as such - more learning how to ride in a bunch. The club has regular club rides and you would no doubt meet people of your own fitness level to ride with.

Although I'm no longer a member of the Logan club, I will always recommend it.

You can contact the president, Felicity Totty on 5497 6772.

Absent Husband said:

Hi all,

Decided to head out for my first proper group ride this morning, as
part of my return to cycling post-injury.

Got up at 5am, and had an easy ride to Southbank (South Brisbane) for
the Star Cafe ride. Turned out the ride was out to Wynnum, a ood length
ride, and so I was pretty keen to get started.

Pushed off with the slower 3rd group (roughly 30 riders in each of the
3 groups), and all was well. However, my glorious return was to last no
more than 5km!!!!!

On the first of the REAL hills (heading down Old Cleveland Rd near
Carina), I got dropped by the group!!! Obviously my hill strength still
had a fair way to go... Spent the next couple of km's chasing down the
group, but another hill and a bad break at a set of traffic lights put
an end to that. I gave up when I reached Carindale shopping centre and
endured the lonely ride home (*sob sob*)...

Obviously not fit/fast enough yet for group riding. I've been averaging
23-25km/h on my solo 30 - 50km training rides, and thought in the
'peloton' I'd be able to keep a suitable pace (what with drafting and
all).

I might give myself another month all on my lonesome before I venture
out with a group again. Disappointed though - was really looking
forward to my first group ride!!

Cheers all,
Absent Husband

Ha ha, looks like you could be in for a training ride with me! I'm about
the same at the moment, fast enough on the flats but once I hit the
hills I die in the bum in a big way. It's a painful return, for the ego
anyway. I like Rochedale, but I'm building up slowly now, anyway let me
know if you want a ride, maybe from SSide to port of Brisbane, so I can
feel good about myself for a bit on the flat, as long as no one else is
out there...

T

DaveB said:

Absent Husband said:

Obviously not fit/fast enough yet for group riding. I've been averaging
23-25km/h on my solo 30 - 50km training rides, and thought in the
'peloton' I'd be able to keep a suitable pace (what with drafting and
all).

After 6 months of the BR on SUnday mornings I still get dropped every
hill. I think the only solution is more training during the week on
hills. The problem there is it's very easy to slack off to a comfortable

<snip>

I trained for a while with a pro triathlete who was coming back from
injury. She killed me on the bike and in the pool but I could chase her
down on the run. I started training for the Timor Challenge adventure
race and was working with personal trainers on a combined high
weight-low rep followed by lactatic routine. For my legs this was 240kg
on the 45 deg leg press by about week 4 (which then went to single leg)
followed by jumping squats and split squats. Within a few weeks I was
out of the saddle hammering past her up hospital hill (army barracks)
and samford. It was very, very sweet. You need endurance, yes, but hill
climbing is strength endurance. If you don't have the raw strength, it
doesn't matter how long you can work it for. I guess I should get back
to the gym...

T

Ha ha - first you make me feel good with some empathic comments (I die
on the hills too...), then reveal that you actually have quads of
steel!!!

I think I might spend a few mornings out of the saddle struggling up Mt
Gravatt, and spend a few evenings a week in front of the teev doing
squats (and simultaneously amusing my young children 🙂 .

THEN - I might suggest a training ride around Samford 😉

Thanks for the offer - might take you up on it when I'm feeling a bit
more sure of myself over the hills/distance (still recovering mentally
from my 'dropping'!!)

Cheers,
Absent Husband

Absent Husband said:

Ha ha - first you make me feel good with some empathic comments (I die
on the hills too...), then reveal that you actually have quads of
steel!!!

HAD quads of steel. Past tense. Now have quads which morph from being
muscle to some jelly-like substance.

Quoted message said:

I think I might spend a few mornings out of the saddle struggling up Mt
Gravatt, and spend a few evenings a week in front of the teev doing
squats (and simultaneously amusing my young children 🙂 .

Or even better, do it in the front yard and entertain the neighbours too

Quoted message said:

THEN - I might suggest a training ride around Samford 😉

Thanks for the offer - might take you up on it when I'm feeling a bit
more sure of myself over the hills/distance (still recovering mentally
from my 'dropping'!!)

No worries, but don't feel shy, I'm not riding great at the moment
either, and shorter distances are just DANDY!!!

T

Quoted message said:

No worries, but don't feel shy, I'm not riding great at the moment
either, and shorter distances are just DANDY!!!

Hey, make sure you don't leave me out of this! I'm towing an extra 15kg up every single hill because I'm such a fat [censored].

I'll be in on any planned rides.... I'm slow (UP TO 25km/h avg at the moment).....

(lots of) Lotte

Proposal: Brisbane Lard-[censored] Return-to-Training Ride

Plan: Begin approx 0530-0600 on Friday, Saturday or Sunday morning, from
somewhere on the Southside, suggestions of venues appreciated. Ride for
a bit over an hour on Friday or an hour and a half or so on the weekend,
before returning home to die.

Avg speed: Well if there's three of us or more, we should manage 25 km/h

Come on guys, let's get our lard arses back up to speed!!!!

Tamyka

PS I went to BodyPump last night and now my bum hurts lots and I can't
walk down stairs.

How's meeting at 0530 Friday outside Eight Mile Plains Primary on Underwood Road (it is located on the corner of Logan Road and Underwood Road)??

Quoted message said:

Avg speed: Well if there's three of us or more, we should manage 25 km/h

We can try!

Quoted message said:

Come on guys, let's get our lard arses back up to speed!!!!

Agreed.

Quoted message said:

PS I went to BodyPump last night and now my bum hurts lots and I can't
walk down stairs.

That's sadistic, Tamyka. Why would you do something like that?

E-mail me at [email hidden] between now and then if you're keen.

Tamyka Bell said:

Proposal: Brisbane Lard-[censored] Return-to-Training Ride

Plan: Begin approx 0530-0600 on Friday, Saturday or Sunday morning, from
somewhere on the Southside, suggestions of venues appreciated. Ride for
a bit over an hour on Friday or an hour and a half or so on the weekend,
before returning home to die.

Avg speed: Well if there's three of us or more, we should manage 25 km/h

Come on guys, let's get our lard arses back up to speed!!!!

Tamyka

PS I went to BodyPump last night and now my bum hurts lots and I can't
walk down stairs.

I would be interested on a Sunday, I am western suburbs, so when you say
'southside' could that be the Southbank side of the Goodwill Bridge as a
suggestion.

JH

LotteBum said:

Quoted message said:

PS I went to BodyPump last night and now my bum hurts lots and I can't
walk down stairs.

That's sadistic, Tamyka. Why would you do something like that?

Madness, pure madness.

T

JH said:

Tamyka Bell said:

Proposal: Brisbane Lard-[censored] Return-to-Training Ride

Plan: Begin approx 0530-0600 on Friday, Saturday or Sunday morning, from
somewhere on the Southside, suggestions of venues appreciated. Ride for
a bit over an hour on Friday or an hour and a half or so on the weekend,
before returning home to die.

Avg speed: Well if there's three of us or more, we should manage 25 km/h

Come on guys, let's get our lard arses back up to speed!!!!

Tamyka

PS I went to BodyPump last night and now my bum hurts lots and I can't
walk down stairs.

I would be interested on a Sunday, I am western suburbs, so when you say
'southside' could that be the Southbank side of the Goodwill Bridge as a
suggestion.

JH

I'll get back to you on that one later in the week. That would require
me having enough energy to ride to southbank...

T

On Mon, 17 Jan 2005 at 23:09 GMT, LotteBum (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

No worries, but don't feel shy, I'm not riding great at the moment
either, and shorter distances are just DANDY!!!

Hey, make sure you don't leave me out of this! I'm towing an extra
15kg up every single hill because I'm such a fat [censored].

I'll be in on any planned rides.... I'm slow (UP TO 25km/h avg at the
moment).....

Should I say my daily commute is up to 24 km/h? Over only 10.5 km?
What a shocker.

--
TimC -- http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/staff/tconnors/
Love makes the world go 'round, with a little help from intrinsic
angular momentum. --unk