Sorry, All for not posting the minutes from the last meeting. Crazy busy! (yeah, yeah, yeah).
Last night we had our Wednesday night ride and I pretty much came to the conclusion that it's time to label that as something other than a "Beginner" ride. If you've been to the website lately, you'll see we're working on better addressing the various levels of riding by "categorizing" rides:
http://stlrevolution.com/clubrides.html
We have 4 rides that we "sanction" right now, with the help of ambassadors that have agreed to host rides. These four (ROAD) rides should cover all levels:
1. {EASY to STEADY ROLLER} Saturday/Sunday morning in Forest Park (this is NOT yet a weekly event, since Carrie usually runs it and if we're traveling to a race, it's just not happening). Riding 101 (as we've coined it) is somewhat of an instructional ride to reacquaint riders with the bike or equipment upgrades (like clipless pedals, etc.). It's also a place where a rider can learn to feel more comfortable riding with other people and building a base fitness in a safer environment than open roads.
2. {EASY / STEADY / ROLLER} Tuesday afternoon/evening ride leaves from Lafayette Square and head to the Riverfront Trail.This is mostly flat with the majority of the ride taking place on a trail (away from traffic). It's a simple out and back where you can do as much as you're comfortable with. Our friend, Audrey, has agreed to run that ride (which leaves from her house on the Square) and she's said the pace is pretty easy. If you've been apprehensive about joining us on the Wednesday night ride, this one's a good place to try and pick up your pace and increase fitness in a safer environment.
3. {STEADY to HIGH ROLLER} Wednesday night is our flagship "NO DROP" ride where we will go at the pace of the slowest rider; we expect to consistantly pedal without "taking breaks" but want to ensure every rider finishes with another rider or coordinator. Since we've had so many "regulars" on the rides this year (which is GREAT!), the pace is steady and can be high for beginners. Generally, it falls into two distinct riding groups. We'll always make sure no one is left behind, but we've been told by many first-timers that the hills are quite challenging and we recommend a good fitness level before committing to this ride.
4. {HIGH to ROCK-n_ROLLER} Monday night at 370 and Elm (St. Charles) is a good ride to test and build fitness. It's a FLAT and often windy course that goes along paved (farm) roads in North County. There is a fast ride that leaves at 6pm; on days that we term "Intermediate" we'll ride with women that want to improve pack riding skills and fitness. It's a 25-28 mile course that, even on intermediate days, a rider should expect to average no less than 18mph. It's a great place to test yourself.
We really want to encourage all riders and love to teach; recently the Wednesday ride has been quite challenging for newer riders and it's our sincerest hope that no one leaves that discouraged. Feel free to let us know what you think about any of the rides above. We need feedback to ensure we're doing what we set out to do ("Put simply, the club exists to help inspire women of all ages to ride for competition, recreation, health and fitness.").
I know we need more MTB rides, but on the road, what else do we need (besides consistancy on the 101)? Help us help you (and your friend that you're trying to convince to start riding)!
-c
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