Tryin' to Find My Way...

This entry is somewhat of a "vent". Sort of "me thinking out loud" I suppose. I'm a member of two bicycle clubs in SE Michigan, the Ann Arbor Bicycle Touring Society (AABTS) and the Wolverine Sports Club. I've been with the AABTS officially since November of last season, although I've ridden with them a bit longer than that. I've made a few friends in this club as well. I'm more of a casual member of the Wolverines, and have only ridden with them a handful of times.

This "vent" is a result of the morning's ride with the Wolverines. I met them in Northville at 9am and expected a quick ride out to Dexter or Brighton and back. Probably 70-80 miles. A couple sidenotes before I go on. First, I've noticed that no one in this group has made the effort to say hello or introduce themselves to me. Yes, I am aware that it works both ways, but where I come from, if a newbie shows up for a club function, SOMEONE (even if it's only the ride leader) should extend a welcome. Additionally, I understand that cyclists ca be a tough bunch to get close to at first. After all, we are, in effect, entrusting that new person with a certain amount of influence over our physical health. They should be expected to prove themselves, to a certain degree, that they are not reckless and/or irresponsible.

Second, this is usually a hard ride. I don't consider myself to be a slouch at all, yet I get dropped regularly on this ride. However, when I've been dropped, folks have waited for me and helped me back to the paceline (although I sense a certain impatience which may or may not exist). My point is, if I can't keep up with this ride (as a new member with decent strength and speed), who can??? A caveat: I may not be a very good source for information about his group. I've not ridden with them enough, but I know what I know. I almost feel like they don't want new members or something.

Ok. Now in defense of the Wolverines. This is a fairly competitive & intense group and I like competitive & intense (provided I don't get killed during the ride). These are some very experienced and good riders. I'm just not good enough (yet) to mix it up with these folks on a consistent basis. Also, I enjoy the large double-pacelines that we ride in. It's a little nerve wracking, but it's very efficient and exciting. Also, I got to know a few of the members on the CFC trip and they seem to be solid folks who are a lot of fun. Don't get me wrong, I didn't actually RIDE with them. I just ate dinner with them AFTER the rides. ;o)

Back to the AABTS for a moment. This is the group I've "grown up" in. My home group. The group I made a ton of mistakes with (and still do) and they still ride with me. I ride with this group three to five times per week. The AABTS has made me feel welcome and has been very patient with me, even when I was just starting out and felt like puking every time the pace got close to 15 mph. Last season I used to get dropped regularly on the Hines ride on the way back, but I never felt "dropped" as someone would come back or there were more riders behind me. This season, I find that I split my ride time between the fast groups and the medium groups.

That's a good and bad thing about AABTS to me. The "group ride" is actually a string of smaller groups. While there may be 20 riders on the road, you may find anywhere from two to six smaller groups actually riding together. I struggle with this. I don't known how many times I've wound up riding an AABTS ride solo. Riding with smaller groups may be a bit more convenient for slower riders to pick from, but I find myself gravitating toward the Wolverines model of a group ride, especially for weekend rides. In a larger group/paceline the riders in front should be the stronger riders. The riders in the middle to back should be the slower riders. This way, everyone gets a workout. Also, the faster riders can be "turned loose" (ala Wolverines) after a certain point in the ride.

A bit more on the AABTS weekend rides. First, I really enjoy the routes and the roads we ride on as well as the great folks I've had the honor of riding with this season. But, having said that, I struggle with getting motivated to go out to Ann Arbor and ride. This isn't because I have to drive out there, but because I struggle with deciding who to ride with and where. There are a few of us who exchange e-mails during the week, but I'm just finding it harder to match up with folks on these rides. I don't want to push some riders with a stronger pace, and I have a hard time keeping up with some of the stronger riders.

Part of the problem, to me, is that this is not a "group ride" at all. It's more of a bunch of little group rides that may or may not ride the same route. I find myself riding either solo or, at most, with two or three other riders on the weekend rides with AABTS. Many riders stick together from Ann Arbor to Chelsea, but then it's like someone's dropped a cat amongst the pigeons (apologies to Phil Liggett) and the huge group gets split into a ton of little groups going every which way, everyone doing their thing. I pretty much have to find a few folks to tag along with (and, as a result, ride at the route and pace they've chosen) or choose my own route and make peace with riding solo for 100+ miles (which I've done a few times).

One final observation. The Wolverine group rides seem very "organized" to me. The ride leader will generally announce him/herself to the group and declare a route. They will also mention some cautionary information regarding road hazards in certain places and if/when the group will go down to one single paceline due to heavy traffic in certain areas. They also will give the point in the ride when the faster riders will be turned loose. Until then, they will be vigilant in "keeping the racers in their shoes" (making sure the pace remains manageable for everyone in the group) until we reach that point. I suppose all of this is because of the fact that the Wolverine rides are true "group rides". There is more to prepare for as a ride leader.

One last point about the Wolverine rides... they will actually stop the double paceline and wait for someone to change a flat. I've seen this a few times and it really brings home the idea of "group" when you ride with them. We ride together and we stop together. The AABTS rides are completely different to me. I've changed more than a couple flats alone. Not that someone usually doesn't offer to stop, I just wave them by and they go. Also, I don't get a sense of who the ride leaders are from one ride to the next and it just seems assumed that we all know the route (which probably stems from the fact that we ride Hines so much... another story for another time). It just seems like a bunch of folks coming together to ride the same roads, but not necessarily together as a group. Again, I'm not necessarily saying one is "better or worse" than the other. I just find myself gravitating between the two models sometimes.

Bottom line here? This is my problem to solve. I've got to be more self-motivated. I'm not lobbying for either club to change. I see good things and things I'd like to change in each group. I'm just trying to find my way here, I guess... And sometimes finding one's way is not without a certain degree of difficulty I suppose.

Now, where's my bike?
John