Another pre-teen/teen tandem team ride - Page 2

03-06-2005, 04:26 PM

"Claire Petersky" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
> .... Rose did a constant yakity-yak with me, since we
> were indeed going slower. Usually we're silent in our grim
determination to
> keep the ~15 mph rolling. Since she wasn't gasping for
breath, she was
> filling my ear about life in the 6th grade.

I cherish the memory of this type of ride with my daughters on
an old Schwinn Twinn tandem. They'd pretend to pedal, and the
intimacy-yet-privacy of being behind the captain led to lots
of good discussions.

Of course, I wasn't trying to lead a ride at the time.
>
> They'd like to join us again next week, but I know we'll
have some faster
> paced riders for sure next week, and I don't know exactly
what to do. One
> thought is to try to con my husband into ride leading with
me -- I just
> don't know if he wants the responsibility. We can split into
a fast group
> and a short group. Sort of silly with so few riders, but
it's one way to
> tackle it. The other possibility is to discourage them from
riding with us.
>
Fast/slow may be the realistic alternative, with regrouping at
some agreed-on spot. Perhaps there is a way to add a couple
of miles to the loop for faster riders so they can "fall
behind" and catch up again.

If you settle on a slow pace, the fast group will stop showing
up. If you drop the slow riders, they will feel left out. In
a couple of weeks, they may show up in bike shorts, be in
better shape, etc. -- although they probably won't show up
with a new tandem so quickly.

Another alternative is to gently suggest some more appropriate
bicycling club (tandem or not), since there may be several in
the area.

03-07-2005, 09:24 AM

"Claire Petersky" wrote...
> They'd like to join us again next week, but I know we'll have some faster
> paced riders for sure next week, and I don't know exactly what to do. One
> thought is to try to con my husband into ride leading with me -- I just
> don't know if he wants the responsibility. We can split into a fast group
> and a short group. Sort of silly with so few riders, but it's one way to
> tackle it. The other possibility is to discourage them from riding with
us.
>
> Do you have thoughts about this?
>
> Also, as a sort of postscript, we ran into (not literally) Dane Jackson
> along the way -- met him in the bike tunnel. It's always fun to see
someone
> you know as you ride along. With this weather, though, *everybody* was out
> there on their bikes. It was pretty amazing.
>
>
> --
> Warm Regards,
>
> Claire Petersky

Is this a fun ride or a training ride? What's the advertised pace, if any?

Giving the slower group a head start as another poster suggested is an
excellent idea. The faster group should be able to function on their own for
at least part of the ride, being a ride leader does not (IMO) require
hovering over each and every group member like a mother hen, and a group
ride doesn't not necessarily have to ride in close formation for the entire
ride.

If they show up next week, a few kind words about the benefits of bike
maintenance and bicycle specific clothing from the ride leader might be in
order, if they haven't already taken care of these issues. Did you talk to
them about this when they expressed an interest in coming back?

With a little encouragement and helpful feedback, this family might turn out
to be a fun bunch to have around on your group rides. They did, after all,
finish the ride in spite of equipment problems and a lack of cycling
experience, and they did show an interest in spending more time on their
bicycles. If they don't address the bike maintenance issues, and if they
don't maintain a pace that is at least closer to the group's pace, you might
be justified in discouraging them from riding with you.
--
mark

03-07-2005, 09:24 AM

"Claire Petersky" wrote...
> They'd like to join us again next week, but I know we'll have some faster
> paced riders for sure next week, and I don't know exactly what to do. One
> thought is to try to con my husband into ride leading with me -- I just
> don't know if he wants the responsibility. We can split into a fast group
> and a short group. Sort of silly with so few riders, but it's one way to
> tackle it. The other possibility is to discourage them from riding with
us.
>
> Do you have thoughts about this?
>
> Also, as a sort of postscript, we ran into (not literally) Dane Jackson
> along the way -- met him in the bike tunnel. It's always fun to see
someone
> you know as you ride along. With this weather, though, *everybody* was out
> there on their bikes. It was pretty amazing.
>
>
> --
> Warm Regards,
>
> Claire Petersky

Is this a fun ride or a training ride? What's the advertised pace, if any?

Giving the slower group a head start as another poster suggested is an
excellent idea. The faster group should be able to function on their own for
at least part of the ride, being a ride leader does not (IMO) require
hovering over each and every group member like a mother hen, and a group
ride doesn't not necessarily have to ride in close formation for the entire
ride.

If they show up next week, a few kind words about the benefits of bike
maintenance and bicycle specific clothing from the ride leader might be in
order, if they haven't already taken care of these issues. Did you talk to
them about this when they expressed an interest in coming back?

With a little encouragement and helpful feedback, this family might turn out
to be a fun bunch to have around on your group rides. They did, after all,
finish the ride in spite of equipment problems and a lack of cycling
experience, and they did show an interest in spending more time on their
bicycles. If they don't address the bike maintenance issues, and if they
don't maintain a pace that is at least closer to the group's pace, you might
be justified in discouraging them from riding with you.
--
mark