Piratebike

I was just down in the Road Riding forum and read a thread about getting yelled at.....

I am glad I waited till I was old to start back riding bikes. Seems like they have a lot of penned up issues down there.....lol

It's that kind of thinking that keeps my old azz riding solo. Don't get me wrong I understand their need to ride like that, I am just glad I don't have too. I get asked sometimes to ride with a local group. Yep they are mostly young guys with nothing to do in life but ride like a banshee. I always tell them they are too good for me I can't keep up and let them ride on.

Yep, being old has it's advantages and enjoying a ride is one. Enjoy it while you can young guns, their will be a day when people yell at you.

Dudelsack 

On one hand they take themselves way too seriously. OTOH there have been some crashes on "training rides" that have sent people to the hospital. I think I'll pass.

raqball

I'm way to slow and I don't have the proper 'stuck on myself' attitude that's required for such silly'ness..

I'd much rather ride solo and enjoy my ride than have to deal with the attitudes that them dudes have..

I don't try and break any land speed records nor am I trying to make the Tour de France..

The B

Word, word... and these guys are. So that's the difference.

Can you criticize (I'm not saying anyone here is, exactly, just yet...)? It's just dif'rent strokes for dif'rent folks. If I'd started riding when I was a younger man, I'm quite sure I'd be full on pro cyclist, or at the very least a hard core wannabe. Couldn't do it these days... so you won't catch me riding with those dudes.

The B

On the other hand, I'm also kind of glad I "waited." 'Cause as much as I'd love being that good..... what if I wasn't?? What if I just kept trying and trying and trying to get picked up, and blew out the first decade of my life, and my knees, chasing an illusion?

Now.. Strava is my racetrack. Sometimes I come across another roadie that just doens't want to get passed, and that's a lot of fun too. But I have a job, and a life... and that's cool.

h2oxtc

I wouldn't necessarily disagree, OTOH, I've ridden with some groups that ride at a relatively relaxed pace and are definitely a fun social ride. Riding with a disciplined group is critical though IMO - it only takes one inexperienced cyclist to create a dangerous situation for everyone in the group. And you don't have to ride fast to crash.

Ran into a group the other day, called themselves "weezers and geezers". Not too fast, not too slow. Just right for me.

Yankeetowner

I've learned much more about cycling from group rides than solo rides. In fact, the stronger riders have gone out of their way to help me become stronger. Several times I've had folks stay with me, or drop back for me, and pull me back to the group. They've explained interval training, the advantages of a higher cadence, and the advantages of heart rate monitors and power meters (although I haven't sprung for either yet). I have no illusions of greatness, but it is fun to push myself and to stay with a group going 20-24 mph. I just started riding again about a year ago, and even at my age (63+) I can now do short pulls at 20-22 mph and longer pulls at 18-20 mph. As far as yelling goes, no one yells in my regular group, and if I was in a group where folks were yelling at each other, I'd drop out and go solo. Life is too short, and I get enough yelling and theatrics at work.

Wildwood 

+1
I call it 'a time and a place for all things'. Solo rides, social rides and training rides all have their pleasures. There are much worse things in life than getting yelled at on a group ride. My father yelled at me a lot, and I learned more than a few good lessons. Personally, I'm glad I found cycling 25 years ago.

OldsCOOL

That thread is so very entertaining....and NOT to be taken seriously (I surely dont).

-=(8)=-

I feel It's one of the reasons we lowly gutter bunny, utilitarian riders feel the wrath of the auto-jihadists, sometimes. They lump us in with the spandex, Yelly-yell train gang riders. I've had them(angry roadies) yell at me before because they've had to de-clip at stop signs

I just let it go. No big deal. I have a very unique light on my bike that my morning traffic people know, I'm sure, and they treat me very well 'cuz they know I'm the one that stops with them, lets them by when I can and generally lives "share the road"

Dudelsack 

Speaking of gutter bunnies, I left Baptist East at 2 AM this AM and saw someoneall decked out in proper nighttime gear cycling about. Could that have been you? I mean, you do live in the Highlands.

dannwilliams

My thoughts EXACTLY!

Doohickie

I don't. I've always been a recreational/transportation/pleasure cyclist. Never been a racer. I get that some people race, but there is no need, it's just a sport. That I don't really care about.

There are several groups around here that are in line with the pace I like. One group does a Sunday night Pub Crawl at a leisurely pace; on Wednesdays they do a "fitness" ride that's still pretty laid back. They do sprints along the trail with regular meetup points. I usually do one or two of the sprints as fast as I can, and ride with the casual group the rest of the time.

-=(8)=-

No. I leave at either 5:20 am or 6:20. I am lit up though. Just like the UFO you saw on a back road in WV!!

More importantly, are you OK? What would have you at Baptist at that undietyly hour?

Dudelsack 

I'm fine. Tired but fine.

I work there

BlazingPedals

There is no wrong pace. I like to go fast and would get bored watching the scenery go by at 12 mph. Ding your bell when I go by and I'll probably wave back at you. (If I hear it.)

spdracr39

I ride to relax and study the forums for entertainment. There is none of either in the road bike forum so I just don't go there.

JamieElenbaas

+1!

Man, I hope I don't get as old as you old guys. Sure, I enjoy the occasional solo outing, but riding and training with younger stronger guys keeps me younger and stronger. The grace and teamwork of a well running pace line is one of the most beautiful and satisfying things in my life; and I consider my life to be blessed with more than the average amount of beauty and satisfaction.

raqball

There is plenty of entertainment in the road forums and in group rides.. Well, I consider it entertainment..

1) Listening to people argue and fight over their strava times = Entertainment
2) Sit back, relax and enjoy the 'mine is bigger than yours' attitudes = Entertainment
3) Ego, ego, ego, oh my = Pure entertainment

I use to go on group rides but got tired of the bickering, the egos and the attitudes.. I ride to enjoy myself and that is just not possible when half the group is stuck on themselves..

tigrpal

I ride to get away from people. Group rides don't make sense to me.

Rowan

You know, not once have I read a derogatory comment in the Road forum about the 50+ forum. There may have been, but I don't recall any threads dedicated to it. Unlike the 50+ plus forum's apparent angst towards the Road one. This type of thread happens on a regular basis.

Significantly, there are quite a lot of 50+ riders who post in Road with very worthwhile and interesting material. Likewise down in the racing forums. Equally significantly, they rarely post in the 50+ forum...

You guys do realise that your behaviour is little different to that displayed in the Road forum and which you choose to criticise, don't you? But that you do it in a rather more nefarious way, because you think you are "protected" by the 50+ walls and those whom you attack won't fight back?

raqball

Seriously???
Fight back? LOL

qcpmsame 

Well said, Rowan, very well said.

Bill

TXsailor

Threads like that one kept me from riding with anyone except family for a good while. Finally I was convinced to try our local group. I showed up riding a hybrid with sketcher shoes regular shorts & a t-shirt. Another first timer (a young lady) was on a mountain bike dressed about the same. All the regulars had full kits and road bikes. No one laughed (at least not out loud) and away we went. I stayed at the back and a couple of fast riders took off doing their own thing. I found I could keep up and was soon riding along visiting with a nice looking lady 2/3 my age. One couple dropped back to make sure the girl on the mountain bike could keep up and was having a good time. The ride was over way too soon! Now I ride with some of them at least a couple times a week. I have found one lady who is close to my age and we ride about the same pace. She has talked me into doing 3 events and we are doing another tomorrow, my first metric century. I would have never done a event if I hadn't met them.

The moral of this story is all groups are not the same so don't short change your self because of threads on here!

berner

Many people enjoy a challenge outside of their work. One man I know from the skiing world likes ultra marathons. Many others enjoy the effort put into perfecting a twist serve in tennis or developing a blistering backhand to the extent of spending good money on regular lessons or tennis camps, all for amateur competition. For some reason, others enjoy criticizing those who enjoy competition and the comraderie it engenders. I think Rowan has it right.