Well I did it, I went on the club orientation ride and I had a good time. So much so I filled out the online app and joined the club when I got home. It was very well run and run at an easy pace with no pressure. We all eventually settled into mini groups according to our skill levels. I fell into the mid-pack group right where I thought I would be. I do have a lot to learn about riding in packs of people but overall did pretty well and held my own. Overall it was a great experience and I am looking forward to doing more rides with the group.
Tag: clubs
The majority of my riding to date has been solo with a few excursions here and there with maybe one or two other people. In all my life I don’t think I have ever rode with more than 5 people and we certainly weren’t pacelining and there was always a lot of regrouping.
I enjoy riding solo because it allows me to focus on myself and allows me freedom to just ride where & how I want to. With that said, I do realize I am missing out on the social aspect of cycling and more importantly I believe in order to push myself to be a better cyclist I need to ride with others.
So today I have an orientation ride scheduled with the largest local cycling club around. I’m not sure what to expect but so far they have been very welcoming and explaining the process to me. It’s obviously geared towards new or very novice riders but it needs to be that way so everyone is evaluated equally and more importantly that everyone is SAFE!
I will post a follow-up later on and let you know if it went horribly wrong or if I submitted my application.
