Group Rides with the Big Boys
#126
Senior Member
Nice. But group rides....?
I did one group ride with friends and one mega event with the fixed gear: never again. The ride with friends wasn't bad - actually, in many ways it was fun - but what I had a hard time with was people in front not maintaining speed up rollers or the way they'd coast prematurely - I'd start creeping up on them and just did NOT want to lose any of that precious momentum by braking in any way. It wasn't so difficult, effort-wise, it just drove me bananas. If it's not too spirited or serious-pace-liney of a ride, I don't mind if a friend brings his fixed gear. I just don't like to ride directly behind him - he likes to skid, and sharply swerve, and it freaks me out.
The mega event was a NYC Century - the distance and elevation were not the challenge - the killer was all the stopping and starting at intersections and such.
I did one group ride with friends and one mega event with the fixed gear: never again. The ride with friends wasn't bad - actually, in many ways it was fun - but what I had a hard time with was people in front not maintaining speed up rollers or the way they'd coast prematurely - I'd start creeping up on them and just did NOT want to lose any of that precious momentum by braking in any way. It wasn't so difficult, effort-wise, it just drove me bananas. If it's not too spirited or serious-pace-liney of a ride, I don't mind if a friend brings his fixed gear. I just don't like to ride directly behind him - he likes to skid, and sharply swerve, and it freaks me out.
The mega event was a NYC Century - the distance and elevation were not the challenge - the killer was all the stopping and starting at intersections and such.
I think it helps that the ride was flat as a pancake.
#127
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I gotta say, I've been doing what you recommend for 20+ years and it works like a frigging charm. Took me a couple years to figure that out. That said, the last 2 or 3 weekend rides I'll lead, 3 to 4 weeks before a target endurance ride, will be increasing length group rides in similar terrain to the target ride, then we'll taper. That'll show up any weak spots and maybe repair them. We'll take breaks about every 30 miles on those rides.
"I always say" that if one is in decent riding condition, one can ride a century on any given day, no problem. OTOH, a 10,000' century will demand a little more respect.
"I always say" that if one is in decent riding condition, one can ride a century on any given day, no problem. OTOH, a 10,000' century will demand a little more respect.
#128
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We occasionally see track bikes on the River Ride. Every one I've seen has been fitted with a brake and ridden by an experienced roadie/trackie. No big whoop.
#129
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One minor specific downside that I've noticed from our group rides: the crit riders we've spawned have come back and said, "I'm starting all over. Nothing that we did prepared me for crits, except gaining some endurance and decent legs." I guess it's almost all anaerobic efforts and recovery from same. Never ridden a crit myself. The crit riders basically quit the group and spent all their time on specific training.
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Last edited by Carbonfiberboy; 09-13-18 at 08:23 PM.
#130
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when I started racing, everyone road fixed gear in the winter in a 72 inch gear. We would go flying down hills. It is amazing how fast your legs can go when you relax
#131
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Group rides aren't a chance to seek validation from strangers, not sure where you're getting the idea that this is a primary motivator for group ride participants. For me, it's primarily about socializing and getting a better workout than I would on a normal solo ride. It's also a chance to test my fitness against much faster riders...
I particularly like joining new groups, either a short drive away or when traveling,. This summer, while in SoCal, I joined two Saturday morning "A" rides. Tough workouts, both, got dropped on one of 'em, but met new folks, discovered new routes. Love it.
#132
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I total 10 min and the other two guys total 10 min. So, if you exclude hills where the line doesn't matter, three of us end up pulling for half of a 75min group ride.
We try to take smaller turns and cycle through, but ends up more and more people start skipping turns and taking shorter ones so that we end up on front a lot. I think a lot of people can "hang" in an A group ride, but can't lead.
If we hold 22ish mph up a false flat, the fitter guys are right on the wheels but usually we'll start to gap about 5 to 6 people who can't do the power even in the draft up a little rise.
The road race I did, people want to conserve energy so actually found that better.
We try to take smaller turns and cycle through, but ends up more and more people start skipping turns and taking shorter ones so that we end up on front a lot. I think a lot of people can "hang" in an A group ride, but can't lead.
If we hold 22ish mph up a false flat, the fitter guys are right on the wheels but usually we'll start to gap about 5 to 6 people who can't do the power even in the draft up a little rise.
The road race I did, people want to conserve energy so actually found that better.
#133
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I total 10 min and the other two guys total 10 min. So, if you exclude hills where the line doesn't matter, three of us end up pulling for half of a 75min group ride.
We try to take smaller turns and cycle through, but ends up more and more people start skipping turns and taking shorter ones so that we end up on front a lot. I think a lot of people can "hang" in an A group ride, but can't lead.
If we hold 22ish mph up a false flat, the fitter guys are right on the wheels but usually we'll start to gap about 5 to 6 people who can't do the power even in the draft up a little rise.
The road race I did, people want to conserve energy so actually found that better.
We try to take smaller turns and cycle through, but ends up more and more people start skipping turns and taking shorter ones so that we end up on front a lot. I think a lot of people can "hang" in an A group ride, but can't lead.
If we hold 22ish mph up a false flat, the fitter guys are right on the wheels but usually we'll start to gap about 5 to 6 people who can't do the power even in the draft up a little rise.
The road race I did, people want to conserve energy so actually found that better.
#134
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The fast group rides are great for getting speed in the legs and also getting your eye in. You can use them to your advantage when preparing for racing. I.e. practising how to hold a wheel in different wind conditions, rolling turns without overcooking it, and pushing yourself further by having stronger riders to compete against. Having said that, they're a once a week or fortnight thing. For ultimate gains, you're best of blending group rides with properly structured training.
#135
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chicagogal and cnicholls: Absolutely. Getting comfortable in the pack, learning to judge a good wheel, reading the wind. All super-valuable skills. Underappreciated, really.