I remember how excited I was the first time I went on a group ride with some friends from work. It was a rite of passage, an important milestone in my progress as a rider -- I graduated from riding alone, commuting back and forth to work, to riding with a group.
How exciting to ride with a group. To spend a day riding for the sake of riding.
It sounds wonderful, and adventuresome.
I remember the first twinge of regret on that trip. I remember seeing an interesting site along the way, which I wanted to explore. I remember asking Bob, over the sound of our idling engines, at a stop sign. Which way should we go?
I remember being overruled. Instead of the wayward trip, we took the twisty road more travelled.
I was willing to forgo my choice in destination, in favor of companionship.
I continued to ride with this group, once or twice a year.
It wasn't until a few years later that the clash in our riding styles really came to a head.
All along, as a rider, I have had a bad back, but despite this limitation have ridden across state lines, even from Indianapolis to Huntsville in a single day. I am able to overcome my bad back by nurturing it. Simply stopping to stretch every 60 to 90 minutes allows my back to stay healthy.
But surrendering my riding style to accommodate my friends riding style, I rode for three hours without a break. Not familiar with the territory, having no notion of our route, I dared not disengage from the pack, though my screaming back begged for relief.
Finally I had no choice but to break off. When we finally took a break, I separated from the group, and limped home with frequent stops to rest my aching back.
I won't do this again.
I'd rather ride my own ride, at my own pace.
