Bicycling - Road and Mountain

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Riding out on the road/group rides.... for beginners.

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jaded082
jaded082 Posts: 107 Member
in Social Groups
Ok, so what info can you pass on to a newbie for riding out on the open roads? Or inner city roads?

I have had a road bike for almost a week, and already put almost 100 miles on it. Before that I had a cheap mountian bike that I was putting about 40 miles a week on. But I have only been out riding with traffic for the past month. I live out in the country in far north Dallas, so I use *in traffic* loosely. There is some great access roads that run along the freeway, which are my prefered routes. But I also do some inner city riding on the wide shoulder or on some of the country roads around our small down town area.

Also a friend who is a major road biker (heck his bike is work more than his car I believe, so I would call him a major biker) invited me to go on a group ride. It's something they do weekly and is only about 25-30 miles. It's inner city riding though in a city of about 100,000 people or more. So this kinda scares the tar out of me a bit.

What things do I need to know about road biking? What things can I do to help prepare this country riding girl for inner city riding/group rides? I have never ridden in a group before either.

Fwi, I know the basics, stay close to the side of the road unless making a left hand turn. The closer to the speed of traffic you are biking the further left in the lane you can be. Hand signals for turning and stopping. But what eles?

Thanks for any info you all want to share!

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  • Speedtrap
    Speedtrap Posts: 216
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    You might want to look up group riding hand signals, there are a lot more hand signals when riding in a group as you may not pe able to see all the obstacles ahead.

    Try THis
    http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/article/technique-the-secrets-of-group-road-riding-28701/
  • jaeysson
    jaeysson Posts: 41 Member
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    I love group rides! They are so much more fun than riding by yourself. They are also a lot safer because when you have a big group of cyclists, motorists tend to give you space.

    Here are a few things I've learned from riding in a group: don't make sudden moves, try to ride in a straight line, signal or call out your intentions, call out and/or point out any dangers like potholes, cars coming up, pedestrians, etc.

    Riding in a group can be a little nerve racking at first but you'll get accustomed to it and learn the "rules" of the group.

    As for riding in the city, I live north of Atlanta and ride on the road. The key is to get a bright flashing light on the front and back of your bike so you are seen. I also wear bright colors. Also, don't take it personally when jerks beep at you or tell you to get off the road because it will happen. It happens quite a bit because there are very few bike lanes in Atlanta. We aren't the friendliest of cities for cyclists.

    Have fun!
  • 2kwaldo
    2kwaldo Posts: 9 Member
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    Group rides are definitely fun, but you need to find a group that is at, or just above your level to challenge you. 25-30 isn't a bad length to ride, but if they are doing it at an average speed of 20mph, you won't have much fun if you are a beginner. Try meetup.com for groups in your area. You should find some that are geared towards beginners new to group riding. I would still go with your friend assuming he'll stay with you if you fall back. Have fun!!
  • jaded082
    jaded082 Posts: 107 Member
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    Thanks everyone! Yes I am sure I would like it after I got use to it.

    Thanks Speedtrap, I'll check that link out!

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