Show up for group ride - but dont ride with the group

[EPIC! Stratton]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

We have one rider around here who frequently attacks from the group, and often rides solo in front of the group. But he does that even if he doesn't know the route. On occasion, he ends up missing a turn while off the front. The next time we see him, he complains that we didn't catch him before he missed a turn. Anyone else see the flaw in his thinking?

If he doesn't know where the ride is going, he doesn't belong in the front. If he can't handle that, it's his problem.

[bcroslin]

Originally Posted by EPIC! Stratton

If he doesn't know where the ride is going, he doesn't belong in the front. If he can't handle that, it's his problem.

We always have a good laugh at the jackasses that show up to blow up our rides and then miss turns. Anytime it happens we make sure to go a little harder. Let them get lost for all we care.

[Peter P.]

Originally Posted by Bob Ross

Right...but the problem is what if everyone in the group is looking for "their" workout? Suddenly you have as many agendas as you have cyclists. Great way to split the group apart, even if that's not your intention.

It takes a substantial amount of discipline just to hold a group of cyclists together; it takes an incredible amount of discipline to hold a group of cyclists who are all intent on getting their workout together. The easiest solution -- short of joining a team -- is to get your workout solo, and then work on your group skills when in a group. Doesn't mean you won't still get a workout...but your agenda has to be subservient to the needs of the group, or else you're being selfishly unfair.

Originally Posted by Mark McM

We have one rider around here who frequently attacks from the group, and often rides solo in front of the group. But he does that even if he doesn't know the route. On occasion, he ends up missing a turn while off the front. The next time we see him, he complains that we didn't catch him before he missed a turn. [/BAnyone else see the flaw in his thinking?

Originally Posted by Black Dog

The problem is that a group of cyclists is just a group of humans on bikes. Most group rides suffer from the issues that have been raised here. Ignorance, selfishness, disparate agendas, ego....they are seem to transfer to the bike and in many cases the bike ride acts as an amplifier of these characteristics and not an attenuator. The best group rides have one thing in common, they are about the group first and the individuals second. Until folks are willing to subordinate themselves to the ride all the silliness that can take the fun out of a ride occurs. It really comes down to everyone knowing what terms of the ride are (whatever they are does not matter) and accepting and following those terms. So few rides are truly explicit about the terms of the ride.

Those are the three best observations in this thread.

We had a guy in our club who would always decimate rides and not care about those who couldn't hang. He'd frequently ride off the front while the remainder of the group would quickly agree to ditch him by taking the next turn...he STILL didn't get the hint.

We had another rider who, while being a nice guy, would deliberately place himself out of the draft, off the back of the pack, so he could "get his workout without compromising effect of the draft." We used to 'eff with him by ramping up the pace so it was either draft or get dropped.

[Red Tornado]

Wasn't going to post anything else on this thread, but last night a guy shows up to the ride with his tri-bike. Basically he did his own ride in parallel with the group. He started out riding on the left side of the group. I think someone finally advised against this because he went to the back and stayed there; looked like far enough away where he was out of the draft. The guy really didn't disrupt anything, he just rode along with us but at a distance.
A few guys were concerned that he might try to come around and out sprint us at the end since he wasn't pulling, but he didn't - and I didn't expect him to. He was basically pulling himself around the whole time. Seemed like he was pretty strong. We did gap him on the hills but as soon as it flattened out he was right there again.
I think he made some people nervous being back there, but he didn't bother me any. I would prefer guys like him to ride the way he did instead of infiltrating the pack not knowing how to ride in a pack.

[AJosiahK]

Originally Posted by Peter P.

Those are the three best observations in this thread.

We had a guy in our club who would always decimate rides and not care about those who couldn't hang. He'd frequently ride off the front while the remainder of the group would quickly agree to ditch him by taking the next turn...he STILL didn't get the hint.

+1

Group rides are about the group, and no individual should think differently. Each can have their own agenda but that has to rotate around the group.

[Rnaymik]

Slightly unrelated, but...

I did a big "spring classics" training ride in RI last year. maybe ~40-50 of the 100+ registered people showed up as it was pouring rain. Went with some friends and all decided to take the 40 something mile route rather than than the 100k. Well, a few miles in the Race CF team guys decided to break away FAST. I thought "I'll follow them!" I was in pretty good shape (for me at least) then, but only hung on for 15 miles or so. Got dropped and solo'd for ~25 miles or so. Around mile 40 I'd realized I must have missed the turn off for the shorter route. "····." I stopped a few times after wrong turns, but nobody was coming behind me as far as I could see. I was feeling pretty good, so I pushed on as hard as I could, and eventually caught the CF guys again. Well, one of them had a flat. Pacelined back in the pouring rain, and finished maybe a half hour after most of the shorter route folks made it back.

Anyhow, my fitness is so far gone at this point, I'd just eat something and wait around for the next group If I got dropped in the same situation.