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Old 07-15-19, 02:27 PM
  #2826  
zigmeister
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Originally Posted by patentcad
I've been participating in hard core rides like this for 20 years. And I'd have to strongly disagree with two points:

• If you can't pull through, you pull OFF. This 'pull through even if it kills you' nonsense is absurd, simply because if the rider who fails to pull through is unable to - well then all the frantic flailing around trying to catch the 30mph wheel in front of him - the one that he didn't have enough snot to reach in the first place - is only going to make the inevitable gap that is created LARGER. And if you want to 'Yell' at the offender, that's your adolescent perogative. Get a clue. If that dude pulls OFF he's done you a favor by keeping the gap 20 yards instead of 50. And if you're too weak to close a 20-50 yard gap maybe YOU'RE the one who has no business being on that ride. Nobody likes it when the guy in front of them lets a gap open up. But that is strictly YOUR problem. Hey, the poor guy who just allowed it to happen is about to get DROPPED all together. Look at it that way. Isn't that penalty enough?

You 'must hammer until you're at the front'. Yeah, OK. What do you do to those who don't? SHOOT them? Bring a big clip cowboy. As always, Titanium bullets please.

• You're advising people in a 30mph paceline to make sudden moves around bumpy pavement? The last time some idiot did that our local 30mph ride a couple of months ago he nearly took DOWN the 5 guys behind him. If you can avoid pavement smoothly, predictably, you do. If you can't, you ride OVER it and HOLD YOUR LINE. Spare us the whining about your $1500 Zipps. Get a trueing stand.

God, that's the most elitist crap I've ever read.

ELITIST ELITIST ELITIST.

Zieg Heil mein kleine Road Nazi : ).


Thanks for this post...sounds a lot like one of my local weekend rides where there are a lot of mostly fast Masters racers/riders. There are some former Pro and a mix of Cat 1-5s. Most of these people I see at the 35+ Masters races. So already, you know there are going to be 50% of the group that isn't going to want, or be able to do pulls at 30mph. Even with a stop sign and a few corners where we slow, it is 26+mph avg for 25-30 miles. People are red lined on this ride all the time. Then, when people pull off or refuse to pull through the pace line and move over to the left side people coming back off the front due to the crazy pace, or won't pull through and just want to sit on the wheels in front...which is like 75% of the group BTW, here comes the usual 4-5 people yelling at them about sucking wheels, not taking pulls etc. Or, they just like to target some people for jumping roundabouts, when 4-5 people do all the time. But one is their buddy wearing the same club kit...but choose to yell something dumb to the person they don't know about being dangerous jumping the roundabout...when it is done safely, piece of cake, it is nothing and done very safely and you avoid the bad bike handling around the curve...hence why I do it.

When you have some guys like a former State RR and TT champions, or US Pro rider in the group that can simply ride from the back of the 40-50 person group, and go to the front and hammer along at 30-32mph for seemingly miles, then string everybody out redlining people...you should expect that a big portion of the group is never going to pull, if they do, it isn't going to be pretty and of course, things start to get messy, unorganized...and then yelling commences. For us, it is like 4-5 people that seemingly are always starting nonsense with some people. This includes a woman or two. I thought woman were supposed to be the more sensible of the sexes? Guess not..Type A personalities with them I guess as well.

I can go on and on about this one local ride...if it wasn't such good training, I would be out of there. But it really is getting to the point, and maybe their entire end-game of these people, to get rid of people they don't like on this ride for whatever reason...including not pulling through at times, which of course those same people sit in and don't pull themselves plenty of times when it gets going bananas on the ride.

It is a combination of the fast pace, people not pulling through, and the worst part of that, the attitude of some people that really make it a not very fun ride anymore.

So many people, estimate 15%, no longer show up to this ride because of the nonsense/dangerous crap that is going on at time, like running this one stop sign always....then the stop sign runners like to jump/take off and use it as some attack point and the rest is chasing for 2 miles to bring it back together. Dangerous, childish etc...it is a training ride. Go down the road 3 miles to another group ride, not racers mostly, but still a good training ride/speed/tempo, the ride and people are a complete 180 degree...friendly, chatting, making conversation even if strangers/new to the group. But this Master/high-level big portion racer group...what a difference in people/attitudes with some of them.

I know, I'm the problem and I'm going to get yelled at.

Last edited by zigmeister; 07-15-19 at 02:32 PM.
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