P
Prometheus
Guest
I rode my second century 2 weeks ago in Dublin, Ga. All in all it was a great ride. I made
significant improvement from the first century I rode some 7 months ago, and our local riding hero
finished it in 4 hrs., 15 min. Our local club had about 4 riding groups of different levels. I
picked the third group, and we started a 13 man pace line. I hung on with them for about an hour,
but lost it because people we were overtaking started trying to hang with our line.
Basically, we overtake someone. Then, they try to hang on to the end of the line. It may have been
two or three in their group. For a couple of miles they could keep up. Then, the gaps start opening.
Of course, they could hang together on flats and down hills, but the gaps start up hills. This
started breaking our original group. At one point, I decided the gap was getting too big, and I
passed the outsider on an uphill, but that essentially burned me out. I hung with my group until the
next hill, but then I lost it. Told the guys behind me to go on when I couldn't hold the gap closed
on the hill, I had enjoyed being a part of it to that point.
It was a great launch for my century. We had averaged around 19.5 up until that point, and the group
held that most of the way. I finished slower, but enjoyed it anyway. What would you all have done?
Do you let people in your lines??? When do you decide to dump the outsiders?
significant improvement from the first century I rode some 7 months ago, and our local riding hero
finished it in 4 hrs., 15 min. Our local club had about 4 riding groups of different levels. I
picked the third group, and we started a 13 man pace line. I hung on with them for about an hour,
but lost it because people we were overtaking started trying to hang with our line.
Basically, we overtake someone. Then, they try to hang on to the end of the line. It may have been
two or three in their group. For a couple of miles they could keep up. Then, the gaps start opening.
Of course, they could hang together on flats and down hills, but the gaps start up hills. This
started breaking our original group. At one point, I decided the gap was getting too big, and I
passed the outsider on an uphill, but that essentially burned me out. I hung with my group until the
next hill, but then I lost it. Told the guys behind me to go on when I couldn't hold the gap closed
on the hill, I had enjoyed being a part of it to that point.
It was a great launch for my century. We had averaged around 19.5 up until that point, and the group
held that most of the way. I finished slower, but enjoyed it anyway. What would you all have done?
Do you let people in your lines??? When do you decide to dump the outsiders?