Learn the Tricks to Fit Into Any Road Group Ride
With most road riding clubs, the main activity is the group ride.
Learning the etiquette of a group is important to both your enjoyment and being invited back.
If you are new to a group don't be afraid to ask questions.
Pay attention to what the stronger riders do.
Make note of their gearing, cadence, when they eat and drink, and how long they pull on the front.
Practice emulating the better riders and those skills will soon be yours.
You will find that strong riders are also smoother at things like bike handling and pedal stroke which saves them energy.
Find a group that rides your pace While it can help your speed if you ride with people faster than you, too much of a good thing is bad.
Find a group that rides your pace and you can work on a lot of cycling skills you can't when you are just dying to hold on.
You can work on attacks, paceline riding and close riding when you aren't completely red-lined.
Each ride has a flavor Find out what the goal of the ride is before it starts.
If it's a race simulation, you may find yourself dropped in the middle of no where.
If the goal is a long, steady aerobic ride, no one is going to appreciate you attacking all the hills.
If you know the plan going in you won't be surprised.
Pay attention to your pulls at the front Don't take long pulls on the front if it drops the pace of the group.
Long pulls with a strong group will often have you getting dropped as you over cook yourself early in the ride.
Keep your pulls short enough that you keep the pace of the group up and you can recover between them.
Even if your pulls are short, nobody will have a problem as long as you are smooth and keep the average up.
In any group some riders are stronger than others and spend more time at the front.
Don't jump the gun Most groups like to start the ride with a 20-30 minute warm-up.
If you start with a blistering pace from the start you won't be making yourself popular and will probably set yourself up for getting dropped with the strong riders up the pace later in the ride.
Until you get to know a group don't assume because a ride starts slow it will stay that way.
If you aren't a strong climber, start climbs at the front Starting climbs at the front of the group will allow the stronger riders to pass you will staying in contact with the group.
Don't blow up trying to stay with the mountain goats as you may do it for the first or second climb but at some point you will blow up.
It's better for the group to have to ease slightly after a climb for you to get back on, than ride really slowly because you've exhausted yourself.
Don't make every ride a race Group rides tend to be at a higher pace.
You need some steady, easier rides each week to allow recovery.
If every ride is hard you won't recover enough to make progress.
If you must go on a group ride, choose a slower group for a few rides per week to allow adequate recovery.
Learning the etiquette of a group is important to both your enjoyment and being invited back.
If you are new to a group don't be afraid to ask questions.
Pay attention to what the stronger riders do.
Make note of their gearing, cadence, when they eat and drink, and how long they pull on the front.
Practice emulating the better riders and those skills will soon be yours.
You will find that strong riders are also smoother at things like bike handling and pedal stroke which saves them energy.
Find a group that rides your pace While it can help your speed if you ride with people faster than you, too much of a good thing is bad.
Find a group that rides your pace and you can work on a lot of cycling skills you can't when you are just dying to hold on.
You can work on attacks, paceline riding and close riding when you aren't completely red-lined.
Each ride has a flavor Find out what the goal of the ride is before it starts.
If it's a race simulation, you may find yourself dropped in the middle of no where.
If the goal is a long, steady aerobic ride, no one is going to appreciate you attacking all the hills.
If you know the plan going in you won't be surprised.
Pay attention to your pulls at the front Don't take long pulls on the front if it drops the pace of the group.
Long pulls with a strong group will often have you getting dropped as you over cook yourself early in the ride.
Keep your pulls short enough that you keep the pace of the group up and you can recover between them.
Even if your pulls are short, nobody will have a problem as long as you are smooth and keep the average up.
In any group some riders are stronger than others and spend more time at the front.
Don't jump the gun Most groups like to start the ride with a 20-30 minute warm-up.
If you start with a blistering pace from the start you won't be making yourself popular and will probably set yourself up for getting dropped with the strong riders up the pace later in the ride.
Until you get to know a group don't assume because a ride starts slow it will stay that way.
If you aren't a strong climber, start climbs at the front Starting climbs at the front of the group will allow the stronger riders to pass you will staying in contact with the group.
Don't blow up trying to stay with the mountain goats as you may do it for the first or second climb but at some point you will blow up.
It's better for the group to have to ease slightly after a climb for you to get back on, than ride really slowly because you've exhausted yourself.
Don't make every ride a race Group rides tend to be at a higher pace.
You need some steady, easier rides each week to allow recovery.
If every ride is hard you won't recover enough to make progress.
If you must go on a group ride, choose a slower group for a few rides per week to allow adequate recovery.