rousseau

Apologies if this is a "threadworn" issue that has been done to death.

I do twice-weekly rides with an informal group. Every spring the de facto administrative leader emails us a ride schedule for the year consisting of routes that are different every week. We hardly ever stick to the scheduled routes, though, as we prefer to let the wind direction on the days of the rides dictate which way we will go, as per the golden rule: headwind out, tailwind in.

One guy doesn't like it when we do this. He can't always get to the meeting place at the scheduled time for work reasons, so on days when he's late he wants to be able to ride in the opposite direction of the route in order to meet up with us and then turn around and ride with us for the remainder of the ride.

The complaining rider in question seems to have a pathological dislike/fear of riding alone, and will only do it when guaranteed to be joining the group very shortly. I think he should just suck it up and let the group do what it wants, but he holds to the principle of his position rather vehemently. He claims that other longstanding group riders have stopped coming out for the rides for this very reason, i.e. being late for the meetup and intending to catch up with us on the scheduled route, but being stymied by us having changed the route ad hoc.

I think he must be exaggerating, as I can't imagine this to be such a major issue for so many riders. In fact, most of the time hardly anyone seems to know where the ride is supposed to be going anyway, so I have a hard time believing that so many group riders are intent on following the scheduled route so religiously.

Having said that, in years past they really did follow the scheduled routes week in and week out, and it's only been in the last few years that they've been blowing in the wind, so to speak.

Do most/many group rides stick to a strict route schedule that everyone has access to in advance? Do you think complainer guy has a valid point?

prathmann

If there's a calendar with specific routes listed then I'd usually expect those to be followed with possible exceptions for unusual circumstances (major road construction/detours on the route, possible storms when the planned route is in a remote area, etc.). I may have decided to come on a given ride just because I was interested in the area covered by the route or because of particular hills/grades and wouldn't be as happy to find the group going somewhere else. Groups with which I've ridden also sometimes have "Show & Go" rides where there is no planned route and the group decides by consensus where to ride - but by designating it as that kind of ride it's clear to everyone from the start.

zonatandem

We led group rides for years.
Listed where and when we started and the mileage and pace.
We would hand out a printed ride sheet showing all turns to all riders.
If you didn't show up on time you had nothing to complain about.

Leinster

My Saturday group always starts with the same loop, then we stop for coffee, some guys go home, and whoever's left decides among us where else we're going. I've had late starts in the past and been able to take the short cut to the coffee stop and catch up. Other guys pick an intercept point when they know they won't make 9am.

Most group rides I know are ad hoc, decision made morning of, because conditions do dictate. We have some shady routes for sunny days and sheltered routes for windy days etc.

I'd say if this one guy can't make the start time on such a regular basis, he should make an arrangement with someone who will be on time to text him which direction they're going before they leave. Problem solved. He might even be able to work out an intercept point.

johnny99

Different groups have different traditions/policies/etiquette. If your friend doesn't like the way your group rolls, he should check out other groups. Not sure how popular bicycling is in your area, but there are a bunch of clubs to choose from near where I live.

TrojanHorse

The tyranny of the minority.

Consider tasing him.

Who cares what other groups do? Yours functions in a particular manner... Although, if you (or somebody) is mailing out routes for the whole year in the spring, and then you never stick to them, one wonders what the point is.

hueyhoolihan

where is Ann Landers when you need her?

SnowCYYCling

The group ride I join has two routes going opposite directions. Decisions are made on the spot based on majority vote, if the group feels strong then its off to hill reps otherwise we do laps. We ride to a secluded area with a pretty huge loop (2km?) and riders can choose to do laps as they'd like, and meet up at a certain point in that loop until everyone is done.

Wind really isn't an issue because its windy 90% of the time, and the ride back is always downhill anyway

Sounds like the garmin live track thingy would come in handy in this situation

patrickgm60

Forget complainer guy; don't you get tired of running into each other every time part of the group turns, and the rest don't?

Smartassiness aside, I wouldn't join a group ride, if the route is going to be a series of audibles. If, OTOH, it's simply a matter of choosing among a few standard routes, then I would be ok, with that. Have complainer guy call or text one of you, asking which route is happening.

dr_lha

One of the rules of our clubs group rides is: show up on time. I think if you can't do that, you don't have cause to complain.

That said, I personally don't like changing the pre-planned route, but it happens anyway. Recently I rode as a sweep for our CC riders, and the leader decided she didn't like the planned route, which to be fair took the group through campus on graduation week, so I understood. We took a much nicer route through the country and it was a nice ride, but that didn't stop one of the members bitterly complaining about it as it ruined their plan to duck out near the end (as the original route went past their house).

Everyone else was really pleased with the new route though, so I still think it was the right choice. Don't let one guy dictate things, IMHO, and I'd ignore the strawman riders who aren't showing up because of his gripe as a figment of his imagination.

intransit1217

I doubt many have left because of the reason stated. Just ride the ride and let him figure it out for himself.

Our rides are set routes with minor alternate routes that everyone knows. So If you want to take a longer ride or a shorter ride, no one loses their undies over it.

Last night the wind was harshing us pretty good and someone suffered a flat. So we didn't go 'round the lake and omitted that part of it due to the two issues.

Sidney Porter

What is the point of sending out the routes if the plan is to not stick to them? Just agree to a meeting time and the knowledge that the route will be determined at that time. sending out the scheduled maps sets the expectation that it would be followed, by not sending you remove that expectation.

RollCNY

Bicycle riding is an individual sport that we do with others. If the guy wants it to be a guaranteed group sport, then he should be there at the start.

cellery

I don't ever expect a large group of people who took it upon themselves to show up on time to wait for me if I'm late. In my experience most group rides vary at least a little from the posted route - I always expect that some kind of devation could happen. And if this rude man who complains has had to do so on multiple occasions then it's obviously lost on him that he should expect that particular group to do ad hoc routes. There was his sign that it's not the group for him.

Carbonfiberboy 

Most ride leaders follow the posted route. However, a feature of group rides is that frequently a break will go off the front. Some ride leaders take exception to that and thus will change the route here and there without notice in order to leave the break off in the boonies by their lonesomes. Their idea is that folks will figure this out and thus create a more cohesive group in the future. I've tried it both ways and prefer to follow the posted route. More freedom is good. Not a control junkie. A big downside of changing the route is that then you can't have anyone off the back which makes it more complicated for the ride leader. There are many different ways to run a ride.

RALPHFELT

To me it sounds like the leader open the door for this guy to complain. Why change the route at all? We have a route that we take every weekend. Doesn't matter about which way the wind is, some day's its at your back other day's it blowing 15+ in your face at the start. We dont change the route at all, you either make it at set time or try to catch up to us. First 5 miles is at a brisk 18mph then we up it at a certain landmark..every time.

happyscientist

When this guy has his whine festivals, does anyone agree with him, or does everyone roll their eyes and wait for him to shut up? If he is the only one in the group who has a problem with this, he needs to adapt or find someone else to ride with.

Alternatively, the newest Garmins let you see where your buddies are, and I am sure there are phone aps that do the same. He could partner up with someone who doesn't mind being tracked, then he can see where the group is and ride to intercept them.

ColnagoC40

We had the same issue, riders changing plans before the start. We no longer post the route, but decide at the meet point. Why can't you folks just send him a text message and let him know where you are headed? Even better, if one of the riders would use Cyclemeter on his phone, any chosen person can see where you have been and where you are on the route in actual live time.

bt

you could try yelling at him

RPK79

This.

rousseau

He only complains to me. Why? Good question. Funny, this year I've started texting him the route if it changes, but he still doesn't like it.

The schedule has been set in stone for years and years, and I think they always used to follow it religiously, but these days it seems more like a suggestion than something that is obligatory.

lyrictenor1

This is simple: he knows how the group usually operates, so he needs to adapt to that. If he doesn't show up on time, then all bets are off as to whether or not he'll be able to meet the group later on what might be the scheduled route.

That being said, these days there's no reason for 1. the group to have a Facebook page; perhaps if the route changes last minute, someone can post the change. 2. one persons in the group to send or post a live track link (someone has to be running a Garmin 510 or the like) so that those who didn't make it in time can see the progress of the group and can try to meet up with the group. Maybe if he'd kindly ask somone in the group to do these things. If not, he's SOL, and that's how it goes.

(edit: sorry, didn't read through the thread... just saw that some people had already suggested similar things)

milkbaby

Don't tase me bro. On the other hand, it might stop him complaining about the ride but start complaining about something else...

I vote that if you're late, you're SOL. And I'm one of those people who is habitually in a hurry or late and have done a number of rides where I thought I'd ride the planned route backwards or take a shortcut to catch the group but missed them. That's on me because if it really was important to me to ride with the group, then I would've shown up on time.

TrojanHorse

Why you? Probably because you're the only one left in the group that hasn't told him to stick his opinion where the sun don't shine.

You text him and he still complains? Go buy him a cheap drugstore watch and tell him to zip it and show up on time.

Seattle Forrest

Is this Critical Mass?

I prefer a little bit of spontaneity and variation in my routes. Makes the ride more interesting. I don't know why somebody bothers to make up a list of ride routes at the beginning of the year if everybody is going to ignore it anyway.

You could use technology to make it easier on your friend, he can have a map on his smart phone showing where the pack is and go find you. Or he could show up on time or find a group that's more to his liking, or just get over it and ride his own ride sometimes.