Newbie: Hi, Guys!

[SteveM]

Hi, Guys,

My wife and I recently located to the Cary area from Long Island; I suppose we are something of a cliche?

Here's my specs in short:
1. Avid cyclist, 62, club member on Long Island, last century was 9/2007.
2. Generally ride 14-16 mph. Not used to hills (there are none on Long Island, flat as a pancake here on the southern shore: rarely shift gears).
3. Need to find a good LBS in the Cary area. Recommendations?
4. Ride a 2007 Cannondale Synapse (carbon), Ultegra drive train 'cept for Dura Ace rear. This replaced my heavy old Zebrakenko (Japanese) road bike with downtube shifters (remember them?).
5. Always ride with a loaded backpack: chain, lock, food, book, cell, mp3 player, small chess set, tools. Fellow club members always poke fun at me <sigh>. On my last century ride the young A-riders would whip past me and smile and shake their heads pityingly at my backpack. Heck with 'em. I figure I'm better prepared if we're trapped in a sudden snow storm.

Can you guys help me get started? Do I join NCBC? Are these Slow Spokes folks for me?

Any help and advice GREATLY appreciated!

Regards,

Steve

[JayC]

There are plenty of Slow Spokes rides over your way and if you want to drive, the Selma Cyclepaths rides start back in about a month and they would be stellar for you. Super flat, a large group your speed, etc.

For LBS, prolly The Spin Cycle would be my recommendation.

If you want to check out the Cyclepath's, http://www.selmacyclepaths.org

A lot of us ride with them. Its by far the best rides in the area. Their website has not been updated for 2008. Id guess the first ride of the season will be 4/5

Welcome to the forum and the area :)

[Zonda]

Welcome to NC and Triangle Cycling!

Yes, the Slow Spokes folks are for you. See the Slow Spokes Rider List (http://www.trianglecycling.com/showthread.php?t=25908) to find others riding at your pace.

You don’t have to be a member of NCBC to ride with us. There are no fees to ride with this group.

[SteveM]

Thank you, JayC and Zonda.

Slow Spokes and The Spin Cycle it is. Thanks for the tips.

Steve

[RickF]

Welcome to the group. I am only a few years younger than you. There are a lot of us in your pace range.

You will learn to shift down here;) Even on the coast, I need two gears - one for into the wind, and one for with the wind. I rode the Seagull Century on the Maryland Eastern Shore (which is similar topography to Long Island)with one of my daughters and her husband in October 2007. The only hill was the bridge to Assatague Island, but the first 60 miles or so was straight into the wind. At the rest stop on Assatague, I met a fellow Kentuckian. He said he thought that this ride was a lot more difficult than riding in Kentucky because you had to pedal all of the time. In Kentucky (as well as North Carolina from the Piedmont west) you only pedal half the time - pedal up the hill, and coast down the hill.

In addition to the Wednesday evening Slow Spokes rides, The Spin Cycle will be starting their evening rides back on April 8. They have a 16 mile beginner ride on Tuesday that goes as fast as the slowest person can manage. I have been doing that ride for the past two years. Depending on who shows up, the pace can be anywhere from 12 mph to 17 mph, but is usually around 15 mph. We get a lot of wanabe triathletes on that ride who are half my age, in much better physical condition than I am, but know nothing about cycling. They are either runners or swimmers who are trying to learn some cycling skills. It is fun to see their expressions when I drop them on the hills early in the year:hyper:, but their skills improve faster than my conditioning can, so by the end of the summer, I have to work to keep up with some of them:o.

On Thursdays, The Spin Cycle has a 29 mile "C" pace ride. Like the beginner ride, it is no-drop and will go as fast as the slowest person can manage. The pace is usually in the 15 to 17 mph range. Only one time that I was on that ride did we have some riders who could not manage at least 15 mph, but when we did, no one complained about slowing down. I stay away from their "B" and "A" paced rides, though. They tend to be cut-throat. The "B" ride is 18 to 20 mph, and the "A" ride is 22+ mph. I can only keep up with the "B" ride for about 10 miles, and then I limp back at 12 mph.