Originally Posted by
Bald Paul
Everyone is entitled to their own opinions.
"Many people want to keep it simple and just ride as it pleases them."
True, but not all people find riding solo is what they enjoy. Personally, I've adjusted my speed down to stay with a slower rider, sometimes just to converse, sometimes to give a little encouragement. If I ask "how are you doing?" and get "Okay, I'm fine, you go ahead" then I'll leave them to ride alone.
"Why do people want to ride hard on group rides and even challenge each other? Because it's impossible to ride as hard by one's self as one can when presented by a challenge to ride harder. It's a health and fitness thing. You want to ride strong, you have to ride with someone stronger. That's really the basis for most group rides. And going on a group ride to converse with your voice is a really bad idea. That means riding abreast which is not a good idea at all. On a path, you take up too much room and on a road, you force vehicles to increase their exposure time to the oncoming traffic, plus you're distracted. It's exactly as dangerous as using a phone while driving. On a ride, you talk with your bike, which many times is more expressive and interesting than casual conversation. Riding abreast is generally forbidden on group rides around here unless one is passing another rider."
Believe it or not, there ARE actual 'social rides' that people participate in. If you wish to participate in a group training ride, that's fine. Oh, and during those social rides, people will actually converse with each other in the normal manner, rather than talking with their bike (what the heck is that, anyway? Can I just use a translator app on the phone?) Riding abreast - at least around here - is the preferred method on a group ride, and is perfectly legal. The idea is to force vehicles to wait until it's safe for them to pass, rather than trying to pass too closely while other vehicles are coming the other way.
"Of course it's a whole 'nother story if one doesn't see cycling as a sport but rather as a recreational activity like fishing, walking, or photography."
Imagine that.
Counting event rides, I've been on maybe 1000 group rides. We have the largest bike club in the country here, last I checked it was about 13,000 members. I've never been on a ride like you describe. Maybe they exist here, I don't know. For sure, no club ride leader is OK with riding abreast, and yes, it's perfectly legal. What you say about making cars wait? Really? Cars pass as soon as they think they can, even if that involves forcing an oncoming car off onto the shoulder or making them almost stop. So far, I've never had to defend against a head-on happening right in front of me, but that's always on my mind and built into my reflex library. I shout at riders who bunch up on short climbs where the cars have no ability to see up the road.
Along those lines of thought, I've read many posts on BF where riders advocate "taking the road." I have a riding buddy who advocates same and he's been hit twice by passing cars. Both times, the car changed lanes into him, having lost track of his location. That would not have happened had he been riding well to the right. He's the only rider whom I know who advocates same and the only one who's been hit. I'll do that on a 2-lane bridge with heavy traffic, but that's the only time. I have an endoskeleton, cars are exo and it's steel. I try to stay out of their way.
Whether we realize it or not, we are always talking with our bike, informing other riders about our ability, experience, and expectations. That's just something one should be aware of. One wants to become a sought-after wheel, aware, smooth, steady, and safe. IME every group ride is a training ride. There's always some way to improve on something which isn't present when riding solo. I'm totally an awareness and safety freak. Cycling is dangerous enough when one is paying 100% attention to what's happening. My group motto is, "We emphasize safety and cooperation." We have social time after the ride.
I'm still leading group rides almost every weekend, though I'm seldom on the front anymore.