My apologies to the roadies...

Being a triathlete, being female, or riding up on a tri bike are not exactly the best ways to make friends on an all male group ride, and being a female triathlete on a Cervelo...I have had to and continue to prove myself on many group rides. One guy, who worked at a bike shop in the next town over came up to me on my first ride with this particular group and was actually trying to tell me how to ride my bike. I am a little hot tempered at times over certain topics and this is one of them! Long story short, he got dropped and went on to ride a few extra miles.

So why all the grief? Why do Roadies have to be such ass holes towards triathletes? This has always bothered me and I recently got my answer when I met a new group of cyclists. Among the group was someone who is an extremely experienced triathlete, much more so than myself so one could easily assume that at their level of experience, their bike handling and riding skills would be near flawless. I was very mistaken.

This person was all over the road. The concept of riding the line was lost in translation from a few inches off the white line to anywhere between the white and yellow lines, and really anywhere. And communicating with other riders, forget it. Although I may be a little over sensitive due to my wreck a few years ago I was scared to death to get anywhere near that rear wheel.

And then probably the number one complaint of the Roadie...Aero Bars. I will admit that I do get into aero position from time to time on group rides, but it is usually with someone I am very comfortable riding with, I am at the front of the paceline, or I am no where near the guy in front of me. This person, later realizing was also new to the group drafted almost the whole time on their aero bars. Riding the wheel of the person in front of you not knowing anything about their riding style or capability isn't exactly a safe position to put yourself in, or the group for that matter.

So to my Roadie friends, I apologize, maybe you do have a little bit to gripe about when it comes to triathlete cyclists, but cut those of us who do know how to ride a break.