The following email was posted by one of our fearless leaders. It was sent out to help us all at a time when yours truly lost what few marbles he has for a few minutes. If you're new to the group or will be soon and curious what we're about, no one could put it better(thanks Bryson):
The group of riders on this e-mail is one of the friendliest and most supportive groups I have ever had the pleasure to ride with. We ride for a variety of reasons - some race (road races, triathlons), some want to stay fit, some want to lose weight, some like the camaraderie and fellowship of the group ride or paceline, and some just enjoy the taste of a Venti iced latte at the end of a long ride. For most of us, it's a combination. For all of us, it's an opportunity to get out of the house and onto our favorite carbon/aluminum/steel/titanium steeds for a few enjoyable hours before we have to return to the reality of our day jobs.
As with any group of riders, there is friendly competition among the regular riders, but in the three years that I have been riding with this group I have never seen weaker riders derided in any way, nor have I seen or heard anything which could be called browbeating.
What I have seen is strong riders who will hang back with someone who is struggling, or a large group of riders who will wait for a comrade to repair his punctured tube, or give him the spare tube and CO2 cartridge he or she needs to get going again. What I have heard (when we are riding below our lactate thresholds) is advice freely given by experienced riders, debates about the best bikes and components for different riding scenarios, general friendly chatter within the group and lots of very engaging and funny observations about life, Taiwan and life in Taiwan.
No rider is ever discouraged by other riders, and those who feel discouraged by their performance on a particular ride are likely to receive an almost embarassing volume of advice and encouragement from other riders in the group. I have learned a lot from my YCC friends and teammates and we have had some really great rides together.
In any event, I hope that, notwithstanding the northern latitude and ungodly hour at which we ride, you will be able to join us for a ride sometime.
Best regards,
Bill Bryson
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