Re: logistics associated with starting a new riding group?

02-06-2007, 11:14 AM

On Jan 23, 9:44 pm, "Mike Kruger" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
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> I've been away and so I'm responding late to this post.

Me too. Idiots on other NGs have got me preoccupied!

> 1. If you actually show up, you might find that there is more of a variety
> of ages in the group than it appears. It's possible that the younger group
> doesn't have any people who care to take pictures.

In my case -- and I'm in NYC -- it's definitely mostly middle-aged
folks. Stands to reason. Those are the people who do not seem to
have as many "social outlets" as younger folks.

> 2. Ask them what other groups are in the area. Most people seem happy to
> share this information, although naturally they think the group they ride
> with is best. (and it probably is, for THEM)

Even though this is NYC, there aren't any that want to do any inter-
state and inter-city riding. You'd think there was a market for this
kind of thing here, but no -- everybody's either a skinny limp-wristed
racer or a fatty who likes riding "around the block" (close to home).

> 3. Around here, you can ride with a group a few times before they get
> serious about collecting dues, assuming they ever do. There's no real
> investment involved.

There's a reason why most cyclists cycle alone or in pairs at most.
God, I really miss those days when you just call up your classmates
and off you go into a whole other borough!

> The only group I was involved in starting was a spin-off. Some of us were
> refereeing youth soccer, and thought it would be good conditioning / a bit
> of fun to go for a ride on Saturday morning. Sometimes there were a few
> older (5th-8th grade) kids along. We did this for two or three years. You
> might do a spin-off from a fitness center, a church men's group, or
> something else.

Yup. Too bad you can't depend on people. One guy who "recruited" me
even wanted to ride to Florida from here! Fellow's now another MIA/
AWOL case -- and that's before winter had set in.