Party Pace, Coffeeneuring, and Why Slow Isn't Bad
I'll admit that for the first 10 years of my cycling infatuation, I followed the Tour de France and as much racing as I could. In the 1980's, the top winner of the stage and the top 10 of the General classification were listed in the sports page, under obscure sports, back when the physical newspaper was the only way to find out news. I remember CBS showing a week's worth of highlights on a Sunday afternoon and after the tour was over, waiting a couple of months for the magazines to print their stories of the tour.
As I rode more, I discovered that I preferred touring over racing and loved the aspect of adventure over cut throat competition. I still kept an eye on the tour and even arranged to be in Oslo Norway in 1993, while touring, when a young Lance Armstrong won the world road championships.
But as doping reared its head in the late 90's and early 2000's, I began to avoid watching the Tour, knowing in my heart that things weren't right with it. I became enthralled by randonneuring and spent more time working on training for that, and discovering new routes and places on those rides.
Now as I'm further along in my cycling journey, I'm enjoying the slower side of things, that I might have passed over in my misspent youth. As Autumn is upon us now (my favourite time of year) I'm reminded of the slower pace due to the coffeeneuring challenge and a comment I saw about Russ Roca's tag line from his YouTube channel. Russ uses the term "Party Pace" as a way of describing riding without an inherent sense of speed or immediacy. You're having a party and the pace is such that you can continue talking to your riding mates without issue.
I think more of us should try to embrace this philosophy, at least in terms of trying to get more people on bikes in general. By trying to not have everything bicycle related be a race, I think more people would be interested in events and would increase overall enjoyment, and encourage more people to go and try things.
We're incredibly lucky here in the MD/DC area to have the C & O Canal National Park/GAP trail. A trail system that allows you to go from DC to Pittsburgh PA through a wide range of scenery and spaces that is relatively car free/reduced experiences with cars. The trail is set up with free campsites at regular intervals complete with water and toilets and is something that anyone with any bike could go out and do. Is it as "cool" as the Colorado divide trail? To the elite folks of the world, no. But as something that everyone with a little bit of training could go and do, I think this sort of challenge/riding is something that encourages more interest from riders.
Are you a party pace rider or is something speedier your jam? Let us know in the comments, a judgment free zone.
Thanks for the article Scott. I as well was an avid follower of the tour and cycling for me was all about fast group/ club rides. Russ and “Party Pace” has influenced me to the extent that I made the leap and purchased a VO frameset for my Rando build, complete with friction shifters. Enjoy your day my friends.
As a commuter, occasional tourist, and grocery shopper, etc., all of my bikes are geared low and that same low gearing on bikes having smaller diameter wheels makes the gearing even lower. Low gearing makes long, steep hills easier to climb, makes it easier to notice and avoid rolling over small sharp items which could easily puncture tires, and makes rims and rim brake pads last for many, many kilometers/miles. And because my bikes help to maintain my good health I make sure to take the time and make the effort to keep them maintained, which also is a good reason to have more than one bike.
I used to think I rode fast. I didn’t. I used to love to ride fast. I don’t. I used to built up carbon bikes and see how light I could get them. I now build up steel bikes with comfortable components and ride much farther and see way more than I used to. This is partly because of my age and partly because I could not keep up with the people I used to ride with. What I found the last few years, is that long solo rides and long group rides are way more enjoyable than revving your heart rate up for a couple hours and peddling less than 40 miles. I live in a very scenic area and unfortunately, I never cared to take advantage by just slowing down and taking in the beauty around me. I also find that I get more ride days when I’m not constantly recovering from a tough ride. Party Pace!!
Thanks Velo Orange (and @partypace and @ultraromance and @rivbike) for re-introducing me to the joy that comes from riding a comfortable bike outside. Like many others who’ve commented here, I have been riding for 50+ years but after not riding much during the work and children years, I’ve come back to it with a vengeance. I am having so much fun buying $50 bikes and rebuilding them with hundreds of dollars of new old parts that I’m now having more fun than ever.
Party Pace That is about what Tandem pace is for 74 year olds ride about 50 miles to loosen up then eat and take a catnap
I’ll drink to that Ed Pratt has released amazing new video this week that has me stoked ! ! ! for self sufficient off road Camping with my Kris Holm 26 I really liked his Tandem videos because that is what I ride most It allows riders with different ability to share the same experience Tandem is Two Unicycles conjoined with S&S couplingsWe used to ride one 200 k on tandem every month but when the rear admiral turned 70 less distance made more sense
We lost interest with paying to do rides just to have official mileage credit so took 3 years break for covid and only ride tandem
I returned to riding alone on single bike to resume my R-12 rando ride once a month call it a tune up 12 hours of ME Time
with Costco bought Starbucks coffee fresh grind from home in my water bottle my version of “Coffee Nerding”
And on a good day I might spend 2 bucks for a 24 oz Milwaukee Best 130 miles for $2.00 not bad mileage for a freegan old guy
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