Originally Posted by
anon06
Yes, there are cycling clubs in my state, but I'm a cycle commuter and am not able to keep up with the club riders on my hybrid, as they have faster, more expensive road racing bikes (I secretly tried seeing whether I could keep up with them on roads, a few years ago, when they would occasionally cycle through my neighborhood. I couldn't keep up with them on the hills; their bikes climbed more quickly and easily.
I'm an old man of 80 y.o. and I can't keep up with the fast group either. In our club, the different groups ride different distances as for example, 70 miles, 50 miles or 35 miles. Everyone starts out at the same time within 5 minutes but ride different distances. I'm usually at a mid or the low distance. This results in everyone finishing at about the same time within 15 to 30 minutes. This scheme works in our club and our area which has a myriad of small country roads to map out rides of various lengths for riders to finish near the same time. After a ride, one volunteer member will host a social period with club provided snacks, cold water or other refreshments. I think of this period as a tailgate party minus the beer. Even without the beer, social interaction is thus promoted. Some of the fast riders show up in team kits so obviously race together but I don't detect elitism. If you decide to give a club ride a go, no law says you must ride the complete course.