…what would you expect ?

Going on a club “try out” ride in the week, I can manage 50km in a touch over 2 hours on our local roads (which only have a few soft southern hills), I fully expect to get slaughtered but just how badly 😕

Sociable = stop and wait, don’t let people get dropped. So you will be fine. Everyone has to start somewhere, relax, it will be fun.

Dunno, but that’s the sort of ‘sociable’ pace I’d go at here in’t dales, where there are proper hills.

Don’t forget that you’ll go faster in a group though (the same pace on my own would be quite a bit harder).

I would say that social pace is about 15mph, although I remember reading somewhere that CTC used to reckon 10mph was a good average for cylce touring. But, as others have said people should wait at junctions and at the top of hills for stragglers.

You should be well looked after. Most clubs have this agenda and look after future members.
If it’s too slow, then you just move up one. Better that way than getting torn apart by some guys with racing plans for the following week.
What club BTW?

Edit. Agreed I think our lot ride at about 15 mph on average, but it can vary a lot this time of year.

Yeah, was told that no-one ever gets abandoned but as there’s “no stopping except for mechanicals” it would be one or two dropping back to me rather than anyone actually waiting…

…I’m telling myself “I’m not that bothered” but guess I actually am 😆

As has been said your pace should be a touch faster in a group, or put it another way you will find it pretty easy to keep up about 15mph in a decent group, any faster and it start to become difficult if you are not pretty fit and lean.

Weight is the killer, as even a small incline can take it out of you when you are carring a couple of extra stone.

You should be fine, and any club that calls a ride social and they take the piss with riders sitting at 18+mph is not worth joining.

oldgit – Member
What club BTW?

Charlotville (Guildford) it’s not a full club ride but an after work ride with a group from that club – if I get on with it (and vice versa I guess) I’ll go to one of their club nights and sign up.

It all depends on the group, of the two clubs I ride with, the Tri-club have a ‘we wait for no one and won’t even notice if you’ve had a heart attack and died’ approach to their group rides whereas the Cycling club have a slightly more friendly approach, although not in the faster groups, where it’s pretty much every man for himself etc.

They’re a fine club.

footflaps, there’s an ‘I’ in Tri 😕

As has been said, riding closely in a group increases your speed for a given amount of effort (although you do need to learn how to ride safely on someone’s wheel, with someone else on your wheel)
+ if you ride regularly with a club you’ll get much fitter than you would by riding on your own IME – the group thing I find means I ride harder so I build fitness faster
Enjoy, club riding is a hell of a lot more fun that on yr own

You look after your clubmates on club rides, so it will be fine.
Agree 15-16mph.
Imagine you will find it a bit slow and move up after a bit.
Much easier over distance in a group.

Good luck with Charlotville…not heard too many good things about them, but that is only my opinion. I didn’t think they did social rides…must be a new development. Whenever I see them out they are tonking it.

When I first moved to Guildford I looked at joining them but they seemed to have a very complex joining procedure; you had to be nominated before you could join, and they seemed overly concerned about my 10 mile TT times!! I decided it wasn’t for me.

they seemed to have a very complex joining procedure

That’s why I’m going on a non-club ride with a small group, guess they’ll tell me if I’m suitable – not interested in racing just regular riding, anyway plenty of clubs in the area to try out 🙂

They have an unusually large divide between the Club and race groups, from what I’ve heard. Might be wrong.

Well last evening’s ride was interesting – didn’t struggle too much, but riding close quarters at speed is an eye opener though.

They did say the club is very much about their race team, which I can understand, so not really for me – but I can tag along on the beginners rides for the fun without “signing up”

The social club run I go to on a Sunday morning is about 16mph, continental chain gang style with a cafe stop half way round and no-one gets dropped…unlike the Saturday morning where people will get dropped/no cafe stop til the end, and its a much harder ride.

If you are near Redhill then give them a try.I have been a member for three years now and can honestly say that they have got to be the best club in the country.
Over 250 members, and the cater for every cyclist from beginers to the guys that want to race. Also there are plenty of weekend trips away for everybody, including mtbikers.