I have been road cycling solo for the past decade or so and was considering trying to ride with a group. But I’m not sure if I would be capable of keeping up.
My average speeds are like 21km/h on a bad day and 24 on a good day. Regular people all say I’m crazy though, because I will do distances of over 100km in a day sometimes. But when I read what people from WCC say about the pace, people are talking about average speeds of like 30+, which to me seems elite and unattainable.
On the other hand, I have never tried adorning myself in spandex, I just wear loose t-shirt and shorts. So I don’t know if everyone here is doing that, or even if it would make me measurably faster.
There is also the factor of getting a speed boost from riding with a group, which is also unknown to me.
I also roll on 28c tires; maybe that’s a bit on the wide side.
So, I just wanted to get a sense of whether I should even try joining a rec road ride with WCC. I can buy whatever upgrades if you think I should, but I don’t know if I can actually upgrade my hustle.
Thanks in advance for any advice you might have for me.
So glad you posted and reached out. You’ll be able to keep up with our “Recreational” rides, in a group you gain the advantage of a draft so you’ll fit right in pace wise. If you haven’t ridden with a group before just let the ride leader know you’re newer and they’ll explain to you how the ride works and provide tips and encouragement.
Honestly wear whatever you find comfortable. Most people on the road do wear tight fitting clothing, an aerodynamic advantage will help you go faster, but it isn’t the end of the world.
28mm tires is almost the norm on the road now. I also ride 28s for comfort. There are many people in the club that ride 30mm on the road. Use whatever cycling gear gives you a comfortable ride.
You’d also be surprised that 30+km/h doesn’t take too much time investment. I average about 6 hours a week of riding, sometimes a little more/less it just depends on life, and I can keep up with groups that average 34ish. If you come out and have fun riding with groups you might naturally get faster and want to try faster paced groups. Honestly at the end of the day as long as you’re riding your bike and having fun that’s what it’s all about. I find riding in groups much more enjoyable than solo. It’s great to get to know people and socialize.
I do hope you come out and give our rides a try. We have amazing ride leaders that guide members on all our various rides. @HappyOne is one such leader and takes care of many of our recreational rides. Hopefully you’ll join him soon,
We do have a Rec ride on Sunday out to Milverton and back (Father’s Day Fondo). It’s about 75km round trip. If you want to try a shorter ride first we will have one posted early in the week for Wednesday night (usually 40km to 50km). We already have a Pedal and Potluck picnic ride posted for next Sunday. 35km round trip with a potluck picnic in Waterloo Park. All official rides are posted in the Rides category.
