Group Ride Etiquette - Page 3

Wow, that is a huge speed/distance to keep. That was one of the last afternoon rides this club did for this season, so I'm kinda bummed out about that, but I am trying to read up and get advice from all of you, I can have a better idea for next season.

Thanks,
-Greg

Put in lots of miles before next year's rides start up, and you'll be better prepared for those longer distances and quicker speeds.

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Mike Magnuson, author of Heft on Wheels, went from something like 300 pounds to 180 with his group rides. he also went from always being dropped to always leading. ex two pack a day smoker, ex drinker and now full time bad ass at the age of 39 when his book was published.

ride in the front next season.

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If you're going to curse out other riders, do it in French, it's more "legit"

If I ever so much as contemplated a group ride, then this thread sure has put it on the back-burner.

Looks like in most cases the operative phrase is Compete-compete-compete

I will stick to solo riding.

you and me both. too many sour puss riders with sorry and snobby attitudes because they've owned bikes longer than you have and there's more of 'em. that's not what i want from my riding, and they're not really even there to help you.

i hate the looks i get when i show up. all of them hide behind dark glasses and name brand equipment that is too high end for the lot of them as a collective.

and gawd forbid you make a mistake or don't know thier rules from the beginning, there's hell to pay then! whatever.

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If you are new to group rides, view them as a learning experience. Try several groups to find the one you are most comfortable with. Every group is different.

Very good advice.

I prefer to ride solo, mainly because I want to ride when I want to ride, and partly because I'm an onery old anti-social geezer.

If you like riding with other people and you can work it into your schedule, I say ride with as many different groups as you can. It'll increase your riding experience and I think it can really help keep you from getting into a riding rut.

Couldn't meet the speed criteria today. Or let me rephrase that. I didn't want to meet the group speed criteria today.

Here is my write up for today's ride. Link

Today was a hammerfest and though those can be fun, I wasn't interested in digging myself a deep recovery hole. I wanted to leave enough so that I can train tomorrow and the next several days. Like Dave and others have mentioned I also decided that I wanted to be something different than just a "weekend warrior."

Greg, I can tell you have a good attitude about progressing. Just surround yourself with others that have a good attitude, train consistently with some sort of plan, be a lurker on this board and get to know who on this board has good advice offerings (Dave, frenchy, Alex and others), try to make friends with some of your local guys that can turn out to be good mentors and you will be up front of that group next season.

To the others, there are all sorts of groups. Some have stringent rules because we have witnessed broken collar bones, extensive road rash, cracked ribs and expensive gear damage because some cyclists just don't want to learn group etiquette. Those of us that generally ride at speeds in the 20's are not that snobby, we just prefer not to get hurt if possible by someone who pulls a bone head move.

Our club has a number of levels that are indicated by average speeds. I fall into the B group (I think I would have to be a Cat-3 to be in the A group), but there is the C group that are very happy riding at a much slower conversation pace.

Of course riding solo can be just as sweet and I enjoyed my solo miles after bailing out of today's group.

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What felt rider said is correct. Not every group ride is a hammerfest, and I've yet to encounter those so called "snobs" that are supposed to populate group rides. If you decide to ride with a group, it is your responsibility to find out what kind of ride the group does and to have the skills to ride safely in that group. Fast groups tend to have experienced riders, so if you decide you want to ride with the fast group, you'd better be sure you have the group skills, and speed, to ride with that group. It's completely within the rights of the group to tell someone they don't have the experience to ride with that group yet. It's a safety thing.

There are lots of groups riding around where I live. After all, Tucson's a huge cycling city. The vast majority of those group rides are non-competitive.

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well if in houston, there are two main groups that do the group ride thing, those being South West Cyling Club or SWCC and North West Cycling Club. i've ridden with both on numerous occasions and albeit the snobby group riders that think they are the best thing since chocolate milk i've encountered reside at mainly one of those, all group rides have numnuts involved. the president or vice president of swcc is good people, older and gentle guy with some class. i smoked his ass too!

now swcc is 56ish in length while nwcc has some elevation change, not much, and the average miles put down is about 42. nwcc is the most sociable of the groups and all involved are tough, even the older women just out for a ride. swcc goes over to nwcc to ride moreso than vice versa if that gives any of you a clue.

and there are group rides from west oaks mall on the weekends, bike barn and west end bikes throughout the week so if any of you are visiting this might be of some use to you.

maybe i shoulda put this as "group rides where you live" in a thread for all who travel with their bikes..

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Thank you, and thanks to all of you who have given me great tips on everything (you know who you are (and who are NOT )) Your blog name sums it up the best "Cycling Addiction". Those are some nice rides, I hope to make some trips futher up north next season around NH or Maine. Even Vermont would be beautiful, but I got a long way to go to ride mountains.

Thannks again, I'm sure I'll be picking your brains some more soon.
-Greg

no problem Gregg, any time.

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Sorry if this seems to be butting into the thread...but I think my questions/experience are relevant here.

I've been training for a century group ride all summer. Most of my rides were solo, except for about 2. Those two were the first that I really ever rode with other people for any period of time/distance/speed. On those two rides I pretty much hung in the back...or we fanned out 2-3 wide on the road to visit (not very busy roads). When I did get ahead of them for my pull (mainly on the climbs), I tried to do what I've read here..."Keep at the same tempo/effort and pull off after a few minutes". I would do that, look back, and they would be down the hill. I'd "soft pedal", let them catch up, feel bad, then just cruise in the rest of the way on the back, so we would stay together. Then, I'd feel bad that I hung on the back.
So...this weekend I finally had my ride. Rode with the same group, but we added a few more riders (both experienced and beginner). The first day we got all spread out, I started with the slower group...but made my way up chatting for a bit with everyone I passed, until I caught the "leader" of our team. At the rest area we waited and grouped up again. Wash, rinse, repeat...for most of the day until the weather got really bad, some of the group made a wrong turn, etc...only 3 of us finished together. On day two, today, another rider and myself took turns "taking care of" the slower riders...while letting the rest of the group ride ahead at their pace. I finally got my turn in the lead...one guy (he was one that took the wrong turn on day 1...so I wasn't able to ride with him much) was able to keep up to my comfortable pace. He is a very experienced rider (been all over the US and Europe) so, I did inform him that this was only my 3rd group ride. In the first little bit, when it was my turn to pull...I'd end up riding away from him, soft pedal, etc. So, on my next pull, I "backed off" just a tish, so that I could "do the work". But, he'd come right back around me. Finally, it ended up being him in the front and me going from his side (so we could talk) to me hanging on the wheel (to let cars pass, etc). At the end of the "hardest" hill (that he paced the whole way)...he thanked me for 'A Great ride...I like it when someone pushes me'. I said, confused, 'Your welcome'. ...?

Wow...long winded...Anyway, I guess what my point/question is...
Is there any way to learn to pull...without actually getting in a group? Maybe riding a specific speed/cadence/tempo, no matter if you could push harder??? Sounds weird...?
Also, could it be that some people would rather just pull? Having someone "stronger" push them, instead of pulling (like the guy at the end of my day 2 ride). Or was it possibly that he felt that I wasn't experienced enough...and he just figured he would be safer being in front?

Again, sorry for butting in, but thanks

Rocket Man, you're question is a training question, so I think you'd get some good answers if you posted it in the Cycling Training section here.

As for getting spread out on climbs, what you saw is pretty normal. It happens on descents, too. When you do your century, you'll probably ride with a few groups before you settle into one that is comfortable for you. The same will happen on climbs. You won't want to pull, however, for the whole century. In fact, if you end up in the right group, you won't be able to pull the whole time.

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Sex is horrid
Pain is Fun
I cut my fingers off
One by one