Beginner feeling bad about being too slow!

miss notax

Hello

I'm riding after work tonight with a local group, which is my first time back on the bike after my other half mashed himself very badly last weekend. I'm not nervous about actually riding, but feel a bit bad as usually he waits for me as i'm slower than the rest but he's out of action and won't be there...

Any words of wisdom - apart from the obvious 'cycle faster'

I really want to go, but I don't want to spoil everyone elses fun by being slow and cr@p and probably falling off once or twice :oops:

Sarah

beccalily

A good group should only go as fast as the slowest rider....

GT Destroyer

Don't panic Sarah. There'll be at least one or two that will help you, you're bound to get a half decent rider in a group like that.

Plus it'll be funny for them if you do fall off (but not a bad one) and for you too. I always laugh when I come off, or am just about to lose it.

How long is the other half out for, was it a bad off?

miss notax

True!

My OH smacked into a tree going downhill (don't know how - clearly he didn't mean to!) - broke his wrist and arm but thankfully nothing permenant to his head or neck. He has got severe whiplash though, and I spent a delightful 2 hours in the forest trying to keep him concious before the helicopter whizzed him off to hospital... :shock:

Arm in plaster for 6 weeks and nothing fun for 3 months. He's on the mend now and keeps asking if there are any photos

This is why I am slightly nervous about getting back on the bike - but I figure the sooner the better!

dave_hill

Hear, hear. Make an appeal to the group leader - just say, look, I want to keep riding with you guys but I can't really keep up with your pace. Can we slow things down a bit?

One of three things will happen - either they will slow down, and help you along until you are able to keep up with their pace; they'll slow down initially until the herd mentality takes over, then they'll be off again; or they'll laugh at you and tell you not to ride with them until you can keep up.

A good group will do the first; a mediocre group will do the second; and a bad group will do the third.

The thing is this - don't feel bad about being slow. Do what suits you, in your own time and style and at your own pace. If the group can't handle this, it's not your problem, it's theirs.

This is why I no longer ride with others very often. I don't want to race (I've got nothing to prove, and a group will ALWAYS race despite what they say); and very often I don't want to have to think about anyone else. That might seem a selfish attitude but it solves an awful lot of problems.

Three people at most is plenty. That way you don't really feel the need to compete and if the worst DOES happen (an accident or serious breakdown, etc) one of you can scoot off for help while the other two stick together!

Ride how you want, when you want and at your pace - sod everybody else!

GT Destroyer

Sounds absolutely terrible. I can't imagine what I'd do if one of us had a bad off or a break. Send him our thoughts. Props to you for sorting him out, did you get to ride in the helicopter as well?

I bet hes well p-i-s-s-e-d off he can't ride, or do anything else!

miss notax

Sadly no ride in the helicopter for me (no space)!! I have to say that the Air Ambulance were fab though (as well as the paramedics etc) - and I didn't know this but they're a charity and receive no funding from the government :shock:

And yes, he is majorly p!ssed about not being able to do anything!!

GhallTN6

Riding with a bunch of guys week in week out, believe me, if a female rider was to join us it would make a great change and there would be absolutely no problem with the guys making sure you were having a good time!

Besides, a social ride should be pretty non competitive and easy going.

GT Destroyer

They never are though. There'll always be ones that have to lead and it will inevitable turn into a race.

I only ride with 2 others thats enough for me, any more and it would just get too messy.

GhallTN6

we always wait at the top or bottom of a hill for the slowest person before we set off again, and always stick together on the flats, works really well because no-one ever feels left out.

miss notax

Thanks

They're all nice people, so I guess I just have to bite the bullet and go for it. I'm definitely not going to get any faster or better by staying in and watching the tele am I...?!!

Bossangel

Nice to hear you've found a group. I'm a noob but by all the mags and get out on my bike nearly every day. Can't find any groups that go out though. Just me and 2 mates. I'm the slowest but they wait for me.
Hiope your other half is ok, i smashed my arm and had it all pinned a few years ago, and the worry is it will never be the same, but it gets there though.
Good luck

jam1e

Hi,

Was the other halfs accident in Dalby Forest? We were there the other day and a rescue chopper was busy nearby...

miss notax

Hello

No, not Dalby Forest (must have been some other poor sod!).

And just to update, I had a fab time last night! Everyone was lovely and I did actually keep up with the group most of the time. I also managed to do a very nasty uphill section that i've never been able to do before 8)

Definitely going to keep going whilst OH is recovering - he's also a captive audience so I can keep him entertained him with stories of my mountain biking achievements

Sarah

nicklouse

Sweet.

don't make him too jealous or he may tryto get back on the bike too soon.

GT Destroyer

See - I knew it would be OK, and you didn't fall off?

Perhaps he is slowing you down if you managed the uphill bit without him!!

miss notax

Nope, didn't fall off once - which is remarkable for me! Had to stop a couple of times though, in deep sand and going up a long hill where I just completely ran out of steam :oops:

Not bad going for a beginner though, even if I do say so myself!

mediamonkey

Whereabouts do you ride? I'm in Hampshire too and always on the lookout for some more good spots!

Hope your fella mends quickly. I need to start getting my fiancee out on the bike a bit more - she's more of a "summer cyclist"... :roll:

miss notax

I can see her point!

I mostly ride in the New Forest with the odd trip to Wales for a weekend

Steve_F

People can be deceptively glad of someone to wait for and recover on the way up the hills and waiting at the end of a dh section means getting to boast about what we got right and talk over what we got wrong!

Besides it sounds like your other half held everyone up a lot more than you the other week (hope he heals up quickly just in time for the weather turning nice).

Never bothers me if I have to wait for anyone, not that it usually happens :oops:

big_southern_jesse

mediamonkey wrote:

Whereabouts do you ride? I'm in Hampshire too and always on the lookout for some more good spots!

Hope your fella mends quickly. I need to start getting my fiancee out on the bike a bit more - she's more of a "summer cyclist"... :roll:

I live in Emsworth, far eastern edge of Hampshire, but cycle mainly with a friend from Fareham. There is a good group that ride from Whiteley every Sunday, and QECP can be plenty of fun.

I had a good look round local areas, so do ask if you are looking for a local club.

Jess.

miss notax

Be wary of the trees in QECP - apparently they can leap out at you... :shock:

Sarah

Boffington

what a lovely thread! the kind that gives you the warm fuzzy feeling inside. just me? oh right

anyhoo, i'm the only one in my group of friends who is properly into mountain biking so
a) being the only one with a proper bike i feel i should be first to the top of the hill. this means i push too hard and i'm glad of the rest at the top (i'd like longer rests really but my friend on his really heavy BMX seems intent on keeping up with me all the way up climbs then zooming down the downhills at a hundred miles an hour)
b) even if the fastest in the group is way faster than everyone else they are much more appreciative of having riding buddies and would rather wait for hours at the top of climbs for friends than go out in the cold and wet on their lonesome

i don't know anyone whos had bad experiences from impatient riding partners. has anyone else?