Group ride pacing
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Group ride pacing
Just wanted to get some opinions here about organizing group rides.
So I'm part of a large group of riders, but we're not an official club. We organize rides on FB and group chat. The usual protocol is that someone will post a ride a day or two before. It's not necessarily the same person. So, let's say that someone posts a ride for an easy-paced recovery ride. During the ride the speed creeps up to where it's no longer easy. What do you do? Do you start yelling at folks? Do you, as the person who organized it, get to the front and slow things right down? We usually say, for example, easy pace xx kph average.
Some in the group are perfectly happy going at the higher pace. Others who signed up expecting an easy-paced ride are not so happy.
What say you?
So I'm part of a large group of riders, but we're not an official club. We organize rides on FB and group chat. The usual protocol is that someone will post a ride a day or two before. It's not necessarily the same person. So, let's say that someone posts a ride for an easy-paced recovery ride. During the ride the speed creeps up to where it's no longer easy. What do you do? Do you start yelling at folks? Do you, as the person who organized it, get to the front and slow things right down? We usually say, for example, easy pace xx kph average.
Some in the group are perfectly happy going at the higher pace. Others who signed up expecting an easy-paced ride are not so happy.
What say you?
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Maintain the stated pace. If there are guys who want to go faster, let them go. I could never understand why riders chase guys who role off the front on an organized ride with a slower pace. As long as you, the ride leader maintain the posted pace, those who were there for that will stay with you.
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Maintain the stated pace. If there are guys who want to go faster, let them go. I could never understand why riders chase guys who role off the front on an organized ride with a slower pace. As long as you, the ride leader maintain the posted pace, those who were there for that will stay with you.
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Exactly that. Poor form for someone to show up to an easy ride and accelerate because they wanted a harder ride, but no reason to let them ruin it for everyone.
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Maintain the stated pace. If there are guys who want to go faster, let them go. I could never understand why riders chase guys who role off the front on an organized ride with a slower pace. As long as you, the ride leader maintain the posted pace, those who were there for that will stay with you.
#9
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My biggest worry is that I'd eventually be the last guy left in the slower group.
#10
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"Never Apologize or Make Excuses" is my motto, I am an older rider who is not naturally athletic or competitive , with bad knees and ankles to boot. If someone rides with me that is great, if they all vanish in the distance, that is okay too, I can set my own pace and enjoy the ride. I get there when I get there . Ironically on the few occasions when I am out in front, I either slow my pace or loop around and go back to the stragglers Just think about what you are doing versus the person watching television while eating Doritos.
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Also posing a question.
Is pacing an issue in other group "travelling" activities such as running, canoeing, kayaking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing etc.? Is it human nature for the fast people to break out ahead and for the slow ones to be left behind? just wondering
Is pacing an issue in other group "travelling" activities such as running, canoeing, kayaking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing etc.? Is it human nature for the fast people to break out ahead and for the slow ones to be left behind? just wondering
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Also posing a question.
Is pacing an issue in other group "travelling" activities such as running, canoeing, kayaking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing etc.? Is it human nature for the fast people to break out ahead and for the slow ones to be left behind? just wondering
Is pacing an issue in other group "travelling" activities such as running, canoeing, kayaking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing etc.? Is it human nature for the fast people to break out ahead and for the slow ones to be left behind? just wondering
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p.s. -- we have a Tuesday AM "A" ride. It was announced before we headed out that it was an "A" ride at 20mph average for a 40+ no stop ride. As the season progressed and EVERYBODY got stronger the average pace increased to where we would finish at 22mph to 24mph average. Had new people join in and we would tell them that the ride should be faster than the announced 20mph average. They all typically figured that it's SW FL, so flat and no hills, soooo easy to stay with the group and such it will be NO PROBLEM. After some complaints the announcement became Fast group A+ head out now.
Last edited by OldTryGuy; 08-07-20 at 04:57 PM.
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Thanks for all the response.
The group does have a few fast guys. Their ride is not as popular as it was the beginning of the season. Guys who are consistent and diligent about training continued to get stronger, so this particularly semi-weekly ride was initially advertised as a "no-drop steady pace" ride became just "steady pace". Guys who weren't so diligent in their training would get dropped, and then fewer and fewer guys were showing up for it. But if that's what is advertised, then that's fine. You'd expect that if you couldn't keep the pace you'd be dropped.
The group does have a few fast guys. Their ride is not as popular as it was the beginning of the season. Guys who are consistent and diligent about training continued to get stronger, so this particularly semi-weekly ride was initially advertised as a "no-drop steady pace" ride became just "steady pace". Guys who weren't so diligent in their training would get dropped, and then fewer and fewer guys were showing up for it. But if that's what is advertised, then that's fine. You'd expect that if you couldn't keep the pace you'd be dropped.
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We've done this as well. Last weekend's ride we had 15 riders come out, but the pace wasn't advertised, and there was a substantial disparity in the fitness level of the riders. It was darn impossible to keep the group together. Splitting up was the only logical thing to do. Trying to keep a single pace for the whole group would have pleased no one.
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Pirating does happen, but letting him/them go is not as easy as it sounds, especially if I'm at the middle of the back, and whoever is behind the guy surging follows, and so on. You could have several riders just following the lead of the guy at the front. I think I need to just yell more.
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Also posing a question.
Is pacing an issue in other group "travelling" activities such as running, canoeing, kayaking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing etc.? Is it human nature for the fast people to break out ahead and for the slow ones to be left behind? just wondering
Is pacing an issue in other group "travelling" activities such as running, canoeing, kayaking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing etc.? Is it human nature for the fast people to break out ahead and for the slow ones to be left behind? just wondering
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I try to be the rider behind them in a paceline, and when they up the pace, I don't, and have no issue dropping them from the front.
#21
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It works best if there are clear expectations before the ride. Example: A group: 21+; B group: 18-20; C and so on. This worked really well in my last locale as the leaders were held to account (and, more importantly, took responsibility) for enforcing it.
The group I used to ride with in my current locale are a mess because they never did this, so now I mostly ride solo.
The group I used to ride with in my current locale are a mess because they never did this, so now I mostly ride solo.
Last edited by fried bake; 08-07-20 at 11:23 AM.
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We've done this as well. Last weekend's ride we had 15 riders come out, but the pace wasn't advertised, and there was a substantial disparity in the fitness level of the riders. It was darn impossible to keep the group together. Splitting up was the only logical thing to do. Trying to keep a single pace for the whole group would have pleased no one.
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Ride the stated pace. If people want to ride off the front, let them go.
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A stated pace is fine as far as it goes. However, my experience is that this falls apart if the routes are hilly, and combined with whether or not the leader of the ride is a rotated role. You can for example say that it's a 20mph ride, but is that on flat ground? Relative differing abilities in rolling terrain and various climbs. What's the agreed upon pace for 2%, 5% or 8% gradients? How often will you want to stop or slow to regroup, etc? Hard to get away from these issues with groups made up of individuals who don't know each other at all.