under18cyclists

So i went to my first group ride today recommended by Mark aka Geneman on BF. I roll in seeing all these 30-40 year olds and im only 14 thinking i know im going to get dropped just how soon. I was hoping to last 5 miles.

So the ride started this was my first in a group so Mark was telling me the basics. Then I started seeing huge hills. I was like oh crap since where i ride on a trail hills are about 50 feet long. After the first hill i got dropped. It was only 3 miles in but it seemed like I had already ridden a century. I said to mark these are some big hills, he responds these arent even that big. After about 10 miles and 5 IMO huge hills and in marks opinion not even a hill im dieing breathing hard and mark is even breathing hard, I'm thinking he's really good. Well after that it was mostly flats i held my own.

If you dont succeed try and try again, lets just say I'll be back next saturday.

PS: Geneman if your reading this i like your bike you should let me buy it off of you when you want a new bike

kayakdiver

Good job. Those old guys can go pretty good

under18cyclists

Can say that from experience, my legs are still burning.

jrobe

You won't get better by accident. You have to start doing some interval training to improve.

For example, try some 3 min hard intervals - 3 min on, 3 min rest x 5 times, work up to 2 sets with 5-6 min rest in between.

Go out and ride some of those "huge hills" on your own. A group ride shouldn't be the first time you see those hills.

dunningrb

+1

Don't give up. You'll get better if you work at it.

geneman

John,

Stick with it. You may not make it all the way around with the group this year or even next, but you're young and you have time on your side. Beside for time, you're biggest ally will be determination. Decide if this is something you really want to do and once you make that decision, go for it. That won't be easy, but you can do it. Focus on little accomplishments. For example, next time try to make it a little farther on the group ride.

Go those harder miles that I described. Push yourself on the flats of the canal path and you'll find that you'll get stronger and stronger.

Oh and pick up some water bottle cages and a couple of water bottles. It'll make drinking a lot easier. That will be an inexpensive help.

I'll be out there to help and will give you little pointers along the way.

The bike is a tool, nothing less, nothing more.

Mark

faire_du_velo

Im in the same boatas you under18, or was anyway. Im 15 and when i did my first group ride i got dropped towards the last couple miles and we were only going 24-25mph. Now I can hold my own on the fast tuesday night rides doing 25-27mph consistantly(thats not much to some people on BF but to me its an accomplishment). I am always trying to push myself harder and harder and i know you can too.

fatallightning

I'm 25 and those 40 year olds kick my ass.

Waves77

You're doing great man! Don't worry how far along you can keep up with the group for now, these are experienced riders and you picked a very nice challenge for yourself!

You started at a great age, give it a couple of years (I know that sounds like a long time at your age, but trust me, it's not) and you could be doing some great stuff.

That's the beauty of this sport, you'll be doing until you are a grandpa if you want to

nixternal

I'm 35 and they whoop me, heck even the older women whoop me, but I like it, I love it, I want some more of it!

DocM

Not to get all sappy, but that's great that A) someone 28 years younger than me is getting into the sport, and B) Geneman is there helping him out and encouraging him.

Enough sappy; bring the snark back: Hills in Rochester? Hills?! Come on...

xg43x

Old guys will drop you, I have been dropped. I see it as motivation. They will suck your wheel too....

PipinFan

Good thing here is,you have lot's of time to improve,those guys not much left..

under18cyclists

Thanks for all the feedback i plan on returning to those hills tommorow.

geneman

When you're ready ... we'll do some realhills. And yes, there are brutal hills 45 mins south of Rochester.

heckler

cycling is a sport where you can't discount the old guys...you can get "fit" quicker than older guys and probably recover faster, but for the oldies that already have their fitness down they can keep crushing people into their AARP years. It excites me at 24 that this is something that I can do for many years to come.

Plus you got into it at a good age. It is much more embaressing getting dropped at 24 than it is at 14 (and if you race you have a built in excuse with junior gearing )

PipinFan

That's somehow what I meant,I'm 41 and I know I'm a good amateur cyclist,now I can improve more sure but my "work capacity" is not the same as a 24 year old guy,I feel strong and I can last hours riding at a nice pace,now at 14.. ... 24 is a nice age,you have a lot of time to work, the thing is keep pushing,pushing working harder harder and harder.. untill it burns inside you,go as far as you can .. No pain = no gain...

BoodBianchi

Is there a website where I can find some group rides?

ScrubJ

We've got some 60+ riders in our area capable of dropping probably 50% of the reasonably serious riders. I remember looking at them on my first group ride thinking this is going to be a cakewalk. I'll never think that about another rider again.

under18cyclists

I went back to the group ride today and lasted 5miles.

JavaWolf

That's great man! I got into cycling when I was 15. First group ride I went on, I was dropped within minutes. Fortunately, I had some great people to help me along that I still ride with today. I owe a lot to them, and I'm happy to know there are people out there like that who are always willing to help. But yeah, never underestimate people at first glance... You might sorely regret it.

I'm 17 now and considering trying a race sometime soon. Keep it up, I'm always glad to see people my age take up cycling, it's a wonderful sport.

igknighted

Ahh, yes... I went to school in Geneseo and am all too familiar with some of those, especially on rides east heading out of the valley.

Is there a calendar of club rides out in rochester? I try to get back out there from time to time and always love finding new people to ride with.

EDIT: @ OP: Stick with it. Now that I am in my mid 20s and just a few years into the road scene, I greatly regret spending all my middle school and HS years dicking around on my MTB and just riding bridges and jumps... it was hella fun at the time for sure, but now I wish I had put in all those base miles back then so I could really be racing now, instead of playing catch-up.

grolby

CRIPES. People on BF are obsessed with intervals. The OP is 14 and brand new to cycling. He doesn't need interval training, he needs to ride a lot. Hanging with a group ride doesn't require a training schedule, and the OP shouldn't even think about it at his current state of fitness and development.

OP: ride lots on your own. Maintain a pace that feels like work, but not so hard that you can't do it for a long time. It takes time, but if you keep doing plenty of riding, you'll get stronger and stronger. In a year you might be dropping those old guys on those big hills. It just takes enough commitment to get out and ride for several hours a week.