RoadToNowhere

Yooohooooo, Dex! Wake up!!

You've gotta post an update and let these people know what a butt-kickin' you'd be able to give these club dudes now. Of course you'd have a longer drive to get there now. . .

Beth

godspiral

Using 24-30 as a range suggesting that the bottom and top speed are close to interchangeable raises a credibility flag on your post, but I'm wondering if you are just referring to downhill speed by your spinning recommendation. I've found that I can average higher speeds by going to a harder gear. I don't have modern high gears, but even 55/11 takes 100rpm to hit 30mph, so by necessity spinning is involved. Are you saying that at high speed, its easier for most people (after training) to hit a speed above 24mph by going 120rpm instead of 90rpm?

FormerBMX'er

It took me the first page to realize this was a year old. An update would be nice I suppose.

Eatadonut

Actually, 55-11 will give you just over 39mph at 100rpm. 55-14 will give you about 30 at 100rpm.


I've ridden with guys like this before. I made the mistake of grabbing the front group at the starting line. They were obviously a tight group - they did their best to get rid of me. After 12.5 miles of averaging 28mph, my legs just stopped spinning on a hill. I caught a slower group for the rest of the ride, after stopping to hold myself and cry by the side of the road.

godspiral

yes. sorry for the mistake.

superdex

Well, I hate to be a dissappointment, but I never went back --many reasons why, but the primary one is I moved across the country shortly after that.

It's a year later and I'm a year stronger, and I've had the fun of being in high-20s pacelines this summer. I realize my major weakness last year was not having the strength to maintain those speeds over rollers and other annoying inclines. I'm pretty sure I could hang with them now, but I'm a short 6hr flight away. We'll never know....

(Actually, I'd love for a couple of those guys to head this way and we'll go climb some mountains )

capwater

Superdex, I just found this old post and laughed my azz off. You are a great writer. Then it struck me that as a member of the 3 Sports team I most likely was on that ride. To all of you, yes we hammer that ride pretty good even though we're just a bunch of cat 4s and cat 3s. To you Dex, sorry about dropping you out the back like a wood chipper. The problem with the Wed ride is it is the day after the Tuesday races and sometimes we're a bit over testosteroned. Hope you are still maintaining a healthy riding schedule. If you are ever back in Richmond, come on out for a spin.

www.worldbike.com/spinmafia

slowandsteady

I can relate...sort of. I did my first group ride last week. A 50 miler. Well I was late and it was just me and another rider. She was perhaps 25 or so years older than me. I thought, okay, I can keep up with this chick. I am fat, but I have been riding a lot, lost 20 lbs, and I am way younger than her.

Well, I was able to hang on for dear life for about ten miles. Then she gradually got farther and farther away. My legs just couldn't do it. Her cadence was REALLY slow, but still she just pulled away. Because we did the same route we kept meeting up at various logical stopping points. Since this was a long ride for me, I figured my best bet for finishing was to go at my pace. But it was really good to be pushed.

I would not have been pushed that hard if I rode alone. When I ran track as a sprinter, I was pretty fast and often the fastest girl on the team. So they had me run against the fastest boys.

The best way to get faster is to ride/run with those faster than you. It may boost your ego to continually beat those slower than you, but you will not improve like you will if you are the worst in the pack.

jitteringjr

Cap. Are you in R.I. Now or still in Richmond? Whats up with the Quahog location? Watching a little too much T.V?

RoadToNowhere

Never underestimate the gals over 40

B

Drag

Only thing hotter than a chic on a bike is a FAST chic on a bike. (Not counting my wife of course.)

capwater

JR: Good to hear from you! You have any snow yet in CO??? I'm still in RVA. The Quahog ref is indeed geared towards mu fave TV show "Family Guy", but I also grew up in RI. Just finishing up a pretty solid season of racing with Three Sports. Keep 'em cranking....

FormerBMX'er

Oh well, thanks for the update! I started riding last year and had my fair share of getting dropped. A year later and I'm the one causing some discomfort (Fast "B" group), usually on those rollers you speak of . It really is amazing how a group will just fall apart over those.

SDRider

I imagine that's exactly how my ride would go when I finally make it out to a Swami's ride...

Panic

Just wanted to resurrect this thread. It always makes me laugh.

Today I decided to venture with the local riders and tackle 30-35 miles with them. Since my longest ride was a slow 36 miles at 14 mph, I asked about the pace - but was told "no rider left behind", so I ventured to make the ride.

Although the starting point was only 5 miles from my door, figured if we do 35 miles at a higher pace I might be pretty spent, so I drove over there. The guys start pulling in, on their bikes, and the one guy not on his bike is at least 15 years younger and probably 80 lbs lighter. Group had some bigger guys, so I had some hope.

We take the "less hilly" route to save a guy who just had his knee scoped less than two weeks ago. "Less hilly" is a relative term.

So we cross the highway and then I look down and we are doing a solid 22 mph and continue that pace for a few miles. Its been a long time since I have ridden 20+ for 5 miles, look down at my avg speed 18.9, the bumps/hills have slowed us down. They are keeping an eye on me, having someone ride with me but I can never gain enough on the descents to catch back up to the group comfortably before the next incline appears. Finally after 10 miles I look down, and for most of you this is your Sunday ride speed, but for me at 47 years old, 240 lbs - 16.9 mph is going pretty good. I had to let Mike go and catch up with the guys, they had a couple of hundred yards on us and he was more than kind to ride with me.

I took it easy and made my way back to the starting point, only 21.5 miles, but those first ten took a lot out of me. I'm hoping I can get out with them a few more times and actually get in with the group. Good guys, just wish I had more time to talk to them

Tulex

+1 about exactly what I would have said. Oh, and just realized this is an old thread, guess I need to read the rest....

logdrum

For me I need 150 watts average solo to maintain 21 mph but in the end the real average is only 18,5 mph and I am thinking that's hard effort already. If someone advertises an 18 mph that means they really mean 24 or 33% more for the average. If you want to go on such a ride you should be able to maintain solo 24mph on the flat and maybe pull 220 watts average.

The ride I go advertises 13mph and the A ride advertises 20 and composed of upper cat racers

the 13 is actual 17 mph average (including hills, wind and all) and we pull 22 to 24 on the flats, The A I do not know but it must be crazy fast

DenisMenchov

I say keep riding with these guys until you can hang with them. You will only improve by riding with people better than you, not riding with people equal to you.

Panic

For me, I'm going to try and ride with them again in a couple of weeks. Build up a bit more strength, and see how I do.

kayakdiver

It should work as a great motivator. Work hard to get faster and give it a go. When you go again in a few weeks and get dropped..... just try and go farther before that happens. Repeat. Before you know it you will be riding much faster than now.

Panic

That's the plan. I just hit my first two goals of the year. I wanted to get 500 miles before July and 100 in a week, knocked them both this week. The last 7 weeks have had 4 trips to New Orleans for family functions, so lost 15 days of riding, then before that a bike/dog accident - so hopefully I can stay on the roads for the next few months and really pick up the miles and drop some weight.

Delano

I've been reading the posts in this thread, and I would like to say that I admire you guys -- I'm 41 and 285 lbs, so I grandfather the group by 9-14 years and 90 lbs at least. I've never had the guts to even try a group ride, because I know some of the riders and they're speed junkies. Whatever happened to enjoying the ride? Why call it a group ride if each person rides myopically, self-absorbed in their own pain and suffering? I bet I've noticed more birds and flowers in ten minutes than they do on their whole ride! And the Dairy Queen always waits for me with arms of welcome and satisfaction.

The Weak Link

I agree with you but I make my biggest gains in group rides. And this speed thing is horribly relative. I'm thrilled to be creeping up over 15 MPH on group rides.

And I consider a DQ blizzard to be a recovery drink.

Panic

Well you have me with the weight, but at 47, I could be your big brother.

FormerBMX'er

Aside from fitness, the extra weight is the biggest disavantage...age really is just a number. Plenty of guys I ride with are approaching 50 and are super strong.

One guy in my group is 66 and just rode the Harpoon B2B, the ride is from Boston to Vermont. That's 150 miles in a day with over 7000ft of climbing, he average 18.5mph riding in a group.

I guess I'm still a pup at 38, but I'm probably in the best shape of my life. Don't take your age to seriously!

-Fbmxer