joining a cycling club?!

[bYuPride]

I'm thinking about joining a club.. it's a small pub near my house at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon called Porcupine Pub and Grille. I'm thinking about joining with them because 1. their jersey is cool 2. it's near my house 3. having an alcoholic jersey will give me more street cred 4. my wife's friends works there 5. for $100 I get the jersey and $60 in vouchers, club discounts at the pub, and 20% off stuff at a little cycling shop adjacent to the pub minus labor.

Is that good? I want to go on long Saturday rides, which they offer, but I'm hesitant to do so because I'm still very novice which they said is okay. They say their rides are for all levels and nobody will be left behind.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by bYuPride

I'm thinking about joining a club.. it's a small pub near my house at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon called Porcupine Pub and Grille. I'm thinking about joining with them because 1. their jersey is cool 2. it's near my house 3. having an alcoholic jersey will give me more street cred 4. my wife's friends works there 5. for $100 I get the jersey and $60 in vouchers, club discounts at the pub, and 20% off stuff at a little cycling shop adjacent to the pub minus labor.

Is that good? I want to go on long Saturday rides, which they offer, but I'm hesitant to do so because I'm still very novice which they said is okay. They say their rides are for all levels and nobody will be left behind.

It's the best way to advance in the sport. Riding with others who are more experienced will challenge you. There is always somebody better and more knowledgeable.

[bYuPride]

Originally Posted by Archaea

It's the best way to advance in the sport. Riding with others who are more experienced will challenge you. There is always somebody better and more knowledgeable.

That's probably the biggest reason I didn't mention. I just want to get better. My FIL won't go on rides longer than an hour and while I know he has more to teach me, it would be cool to get insights from other riders at the same time... much like I get here I suppose. I guess I'll just do it.

[bYuPride]

Originally Posted by Archaea

It's the best way to advance in the sport. Riding with others who are more experienced will challenge you. There is always somebody better and more knowledgeable.

Is there anything else I should be looking for or need to know before joining a club? I just read that I'm an Elite Cat5. To somebody who knows nothing about cycling, that sounds cool. Or so my co-worker just told me. ha ha!

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by bYuPride

Is there anything else I should be looking for or need to know before joining a club? I just read that I'm an Elite Cat5. To somebody who knows nothing about cycling, that sounds cool. Or so my co-worker just told me. ha ha!

As opposed to Junior or Masters Cat 5. Yes it sounds cool, but racing is another breed and you should probably work very hard before considering entering your first race, i.e., don't do what I did.

[Archaea]

The key requirement is RIDE. Find harder rides. Ride with others to challenge yourself.

For example, when I ride with my wife, I can maintain some fitness, but I don't improve. She rides quite well for a forty something gal.

Yet for me to improve, I need to ride with climber guys or racers. I need longer rides, and rides that challenge me.

So do you. You have enough basic knowledge, put some of it to the test by riding harder and longer.

One hour rides are fun but there's only so much you can do in an hour.

You learn more about yourself on a two or three hour ride and five to ten hours really teach you about yourself.

Find the steepest hill and ride it. Get a gradient meter and challenge yourself.

You have fantastic hill climbs in Utah, use them and you will become a great rider. I envy you the hills you have.

[bYuPride]

Originally Posted by Archaea

As opposed to Junior or Masters Cat 5. Yes it sounds cool, but racing is another breed and you should probably work very hard before considering entering your first race, i.e., don't do what I did.

I didn't tell him there's a Junior Cat 5. He heard Elite and then everything aftewards meant nothing to him. Although I guess I'm nothing because I've never entered a race.

What did you do for your first race? Sounds like you entered a little earlier than you should have..

[bYuPride]

Originally Posted by Archaea

The key requirement is RIDE. Find harder rides. Ride with others to challenge yourself.

For example, when I ride with my wife, I can maintain some fitness, but I don't improve. She rides quite well for a forty something gal.

Yet for me to improve, I need to ride with climber guys or racers. I need longer rides, and rides that challenge me.

So do you. You have enough basic knowledge, put some of it to the test by riding harder and longer.

One hour rides are fun but there's only so much you can do in an hour.

You learn more about yourself on a two or three hour ride and five to ten hours really teach you about yourself.

Find the steepest hill and ride it. Get a gradient meter and challenge yourself.

You have fantastic hill climbs in Utah, use them and you will become a great rider. I envy you the hills you have.

I've got the riding requirement down. I go nearly everyday and I can feel myself getting stronger and it's always a great feeling to have climbed the little hills I do, but I finish my 11 mile loop in about 40 minutes of moderately paced riding.

I think I'm just going to find hills and climb.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by bYuPride

I didn't tell him there's a Junior Cat 5. He heard Elite and then everything aftewards meant nothing to him. Although I guess I'm nothing because I've never entered a race.

What did you do for your first race? Sounds like you entered a little earlier than you should have..

I was completely clueless. My friend, who introduced me to riding, suggested I do this "little" stage race in Flagstaff Arizona. Mind you, I had been "riding" for a month. I had been on two group rides with my longest ride having been maybe forty miles.

The first stage involved a bunch a people doing their first race as well. I knew I was in trouble, when I asked how long have you been riding and training before your first race?

Answer: "Two years."

Me: "Oh shit."

The first leg was a 58 mile hilly course of 3800 feet of climbing. I was dumped after mile 2, so I enjoyed a 56 mile solo ride, finishing 20 minutes behind the next rider. I cursed the name of my "friend" all day long. My wife telephone me on the final ascent, and I answered telling what hell felt like.

The next leg involved a 48 mile ride, with a thirteen mile descent followed by a 13 mile ascent into Williams I believe. Drenched in sweat and tears, I was not last this time.

The next leg was a very long circuit race around Mary's Lake. Needless to say, I learned a lot about not seeing the peloton and how not to prepare for a cycling race. I was so bad, the juniors passed me. But I did not quit.

I had one month's riding before that. Not advisable unless you want to learn the meaning of total pain and humilation as spectators are probably laughing and thinking, "Why is that idiot out there embarrassing himself?"

Why, because my "friend" thought it would be funny to throw a newbie to the wolves.

Most people wait a year. Now in year 3, it's starting to make sense.