Notes
COMMENTS: First ride with Gaston County Cyclists.
It was a lot of fun riding with a group of about 15. I kept up just fine. After about 8 miles a group of 10 broke away and I stayed back with a group of 5. I was getting a lot of help from some of the regulars. They use hand signals a lot to warn riders in the back of approaching hazards, pot holes, and such. Because your following pretty close to the rider in front of you you don't see things like that in time to avoid them. Someone in the lead will stop at the intersections and watch for traffic so the rest can just slow down but not have to stop and unclip your shoes. There was a lot going on and I was on a really steep learning curve. In the end they said I did a very good job of keeping up with experienced riders and handled pack riding well. They didn't believe I had not ridden with a group before or I had only had my bike a week. They invited me back and I will probably ride again next Mon.
Max speed- 33 mph
Avg speed- 17.6 They said that is a good avg. It's what I managed on my own for a 24 mile ride and it was tough. With a group your drafting a rider in front of you. It was also a lot hotter when I was riding by myself.