Bike Vacations and Group Rides

I was on a Bike Vacation with my Local Bike Shop (LBS) (Crofton Bike Doctor) recently.  If you haven't taken a Bike Vacation, you need try it out.

My LBS trip was to Tucson, Arizona and we enjoyed some excellent weather, excellent riding and best of all I got to ride with new people. Starting a trip with strangers and ending it with friends is the best - especially when your expanding your biking network. Most excellent.

We had five rides scheduled over five days - nothing too crazy, but more than some folks get to ride in a normal week. Now there is a difference between enjoying a ride and enduring a ride - so make sure you condition yourself prior to your bike trip.  Look at the area you're going to be riding and get a sense of the routes you'll be riding (distance, climbing, temperature, etc).

While you can't do a lot of conditioning for temperature - you can do a lot for getting ready for the distances and climbing you'll enjoy on your trip. Heck, you can even get your butt ready for the trip by getting more rides in over consecutive days - A Happy Butt Makes For A Happy Rider,

Now if group rides and pace lines are intimidating to you - that's okay.  Most people that ride bikes want to share what they love and nothing is better than being in a pace line and sharing knowledge, chatting about stuff and making fun of ugly socks.

If you don't have the time or money for a Bike Vacation or if you're not sure a group riding is for you, but really want to try out some new routes and this group riding thing - then check out the shop rides your LBS has. The other great resource are local riding groups. They're always friendly to newcomers. Two Anne Arundel County groups that have regular rides of varying distances and paces are the Annapolis Bike Club and the Severna Park Peloton.

If your Local Bike Shop offers Bike Trips - even if it's a day trip - you should really take a chance and try it out. You'll get to ride in new places, ride with new people, and most important get to ride your bike!

Oh, and don't hesitate to drop into a Local Bike Shop when you're out and about.  I was geographically challenged and ready to bonk last summer when I stopped into The Cycle Mill over in Ellicott City last summer. They got me hydrated, gave me directions and made me feel really welcome before I went on my way.

In closing, thanks to Ernest, Aaron, and Mike of Crofton Bike Doctor putting on an awesome trip and ensuring we all had a good time. 

P.S. Show Your Local Advocacy Organization Some Love.  They're working hard to make things better for all riders and can always use some help. So if you're in Anne Arundel County check out Bicycle Advocates for Annapolis and Anne Arundel County (BikeAAA) - They're even on Facebook.

P.P.S.  Small Business Saturday is next weekend - show your Local Bike Shop some love!