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May 2, 2005
What do 50 adults do on bikes together on a cold night in the state park?
Tonight was the first night of the Saint Paul Bike Racing Club Beginner's Racing Program (BRP). For almost two hours we learned about various techniques for riding in a group. We practiced bumping into each other, taking turns at the front, signaling, etc. It was a good class! In spite of the cold everyone showed up.
I rode my bike there, but I was really surprised at how many people dished out the dough to pay for a State Park sticker for their car so the could drive to the class that teaches how to ride. There were several people who rode their bikes, but the majority of them drove a car with their bike on the rack. I don't know if I can draw any conclustions from this but it just struck me as odd. I am getting the impression that there are many bicycle racers that are not bicycle commuters. Maybe it was the cold tonight, or maybe everyone is just too spread out. I rode my bike for a half hour to get to class tonight. I know that when they start extending the rides outside of the park and adding miles to our training, I'll still have to ride at least 7 miles to get home. But that's ok too.
The class itself was really good and I already feel more comfortable riding in a large group. This does take practice to get comfortable doing it. For the first night of class I give this 2 thumbs up. So far so good. I'd recommend this to others who want to try bike racing.
Posted by carl1236 at May 2, 2005 10:02 PM | Cycle Racing