Any rides for beginners?

extract from 18milesperhour;

WHY DID I SAY “YES” TO THIS?

(A few words on committing to do a long ride with someone who’s way, way faster than you)

I don’t care who you are, you always get a little uneasy before doing a ride with that guy or girl who’s super-fit and super-fast.

That morning, as you’re stretching just a bit more, having an extra cup of coffee just in case, you wonder…why did I agree to do this again?

Some of us are more okay with these kinds of rides than others. Some look forward to the benefits of riding with someone who’ll push us a little harder.

But there’s always some nervousness.

Then, when you’re sucking wind and they’re not even breaking a sweat, you throw out the “…listen, if you wanna take off and go ahead, be my guest.” Or when you get passed by a group of cyclists that you just know your friend could take on, there’s the “…listen, if you wanna go off the front and reel them in, please do.”

Our super-fast friends happen to be really nice people as well and they laugh this off. They say they’re okay…that they’re having fun. But there’s always that feeling that you’re holding them back.

And then you remember that there are occasions where the shoe is on the other foot and YOU’VE gone out on a ride with someone who is just starting out, or has let their conditioning go a bit and are just getting back into it and you have a good time just riding with them.

Rhys always says that a ride is a good ride no matter what. Sure, you need to allow for some days where you can just open it up and challenge yourself. Then there are the days when you just want to ride for riding’s sake. They’re all good. They’re all valuable, in terms of physical and mental fitness.

So in the end, after the ride is over and you have that lightheaded glow that only comes when you’ve gone on an envelope-pushing, shakedown ride, you remember…that’s why you said yes. And you instantly agree to do it again the next week.

And then, when that next week comes…dammit.