Beneficial Ear

Tomorrow I've scheduled for a 30 mile ride to one of my fav restaurants - but for everyone else its more like a "beer run" (they do make their own beer, which is faaaantastic but I will be abstaining).

So 30 miles of what will probably end up being closer to 8-10mph + a few breaks given forecasts are for a headwind in the order of 15-20mph. The pace was originally broadcast as 12-16mph... which is definitely a "slow" pace as far as I'm concerned.

I just went clipless a few days ago and today is the first day that I got the cleat placement right, I imagine there are some drills that will keep me going slow but working hard? Maybe mix that up with stuff specifically for form? I dunno, any ideas would be great.

Machka 

If it is going to be a slow, short ride to a restaurant ... just relax and let it be a slow, short ride to a restaurant.

Enjoy the company of the other riders. Look at the scenery. Take pics. Post them in the Weekend Ride Reports thread after the ride (https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...-January-12-13)

If you want to get a workout in, do some intervals or hill repeats before or after the ride.

seymour1910

Just an easy social pace, get into a nice easy gear and enjoy the ride. You will more than likely meet new people and get a story or two. Faster rides will always come. I say just enjoy a nice social event.

fstshrk

Seeing that you went clipless a few days ago, I think you should focus on staying upright more than anything else. Don't follow anyone too closely, leave room to stop and unclip.
Practice clipping in and out while riding.
Believe me you don't want to fall because you forgot to clip out ;-)

hhnngg1

Unforunately, if your desires are that divergent than the group, it's probably best you do your own thing.

I'll be dead honest - I have very limited time to ride outdoors. It's a luxury for me to get one outdoor ride a week on Sat AM, and I usually have to pay a babysitter good money to allow me the option. (I ride nearly every day, but it's usually at 4:30AM on a trainer for 60-90mins.) With that time crunch, I'm not on social hour. I'm out to ride and train, and likely hammer it on the climbs. I LOVE having company, either faster or slower and don't mind a reasonable regroup, but if the group is out for a leisurely social ride (happens surprisingly frequently during the winter season here in Norcal when a lot fewer show up), I know I won't fit in and I'll take off on my own.

Otherwise, the suggestion of doing a hammerfest solo hour before the group ride is the best bet. I've done 90 min trail runs with 2000 ft of climbing immediately preceding a slower-paced group ride that I felt like socializing and it worked out fine even at the slower pace.

Beneficial Ear

Well, I'll have a 5 mile ride after I leave the restaurant, and a 13 mile trip to get to the meetup point.

I was going to call the 13 mile beginning a warmup and the 5 mile sprint the coup de gras - this sprint is one of my fav routes to take - goes right to a good friend of mines house/the neighborhood I grew up in. I plan to load it into Strava when I get a hold of a Garmin.

The social aspect will definitely not be lost ... but I want to make the most of my time regarding fitness as well - even made today a light day to make sure I was ready.

Beneficial Ear

The more I imagine the ride taking place, the more reasonable this method becomes. But it does seem like there is *something* positive in regards to fitness/form that I can draw from a low speed/social ride.

As far as my own thing... I'll be hammering the return trip on my own route the next day - its got a few good hills and miles of straight flats without stopping at every block city traffic bs... this I look forward to, and its one of the reasons I signed up for this ride

I feel so *so* natural clipless, I've not had even one minor issue in the 60 or so city miles I've traveled in the few days I've had em. Chalk it up to obsessive research and the focused mindset that I love falling into while cycling?

Machka 

"Falling" ... being the key word in your comment.

Rowan

Put the bike into a high gear and use it like a single-speed. If there are hills, traffic lights, stop signs, don't change. Use it to practise clipping in and unclipping and to increase leg strength.

Alternatively, stay in a lower gear than you would normally use and spin. Keep spinning, stay in the same gear, and go as high as you can and stress your cardio system.

Work you way up and back on the group, if they get strung out. Play socialiser. When you get to the back, sprint back up to the front (if the coast is clear, of course). Then repeat as required. But be discreet about it -- don't make yourself out to be a showoff.

Offer to be lanterne rouge, or sweep. Dwell at the start for a few minutes, then play catch up. When they regroup, do the same. You might ride by yourself for a while, but catching up can be a real challenge if the group gets a pace on. And be prepared to help out anyone who drops off by pulling them back up. Or to help fix a flat.

Do some one-legged pedal drills. You will soon discover the dead spots in your spin, especially now you have clipless pedals.

BykOfALesserGod

High Cadence practice.

Beneficial Ear

Looked up one leg pedal technique and came across this site:
https://adventure.howstuffworks.com/o...efficiency.htm

Which also has arc drills which sound great.

I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep pace and do the one leg pedal drill, but if so it sounds like it could possibly help power/form/balance all at once in this context. If I'm reading/imagining it right, I *have* to unclip the other foot and get it totally off the pedal... it seems totally key to the exercise.

Should still be able to chat along the way, maybe even find someone who will do some of the drills with me/doesn't plan to drink until the room spins either.

Great ideas, I will definitely be using them

calamarichris

It's hard as h311 to turn off your inner racer/fred. Wish you'd given us a little more heads-up; I'd recommend reading the recent Grant Peterson book.
Riding a skinny-tires bike that puts your torso in a horizontal position, slowly is painful; maybe you can switch bikes with someone else present? Or borrow a beach cruiser?
If you have to ride your carbon-fiber TDF-wannabe bike, at least wear your walkin' shoes and just coast.

surgeonstone

Ride circles around them...literally. Ride slow chat etc, then sprint out a mile or two, circle back and recover with them a mile or two, repeat as needed. As long as you are not being arrogant and show that you are enjoying there company, everyone should be happy. I do this my nephew when he is visiting, ne races for his college team, when he's up I tell him to take off when he wants and get it out of his system.

Garfield Cat

Imagine you're riding the last stage of the TdF (Champs Elysses) and everyone is talking, drinking while riding, and having fun before the sprint around the arch of Triumph. And then as you approach the favorite restaurant, you turn into the human missile from the Isle of Man and sprint like crazy to the finish.

simonaway427

Take the day off, turn of your training brain, and enjoy the social aspect of this ride

youcoming

I've done many of these rides, you could just enjoy it or stay in you small chain ring the whole time and just spin along, you could just pick nice relaxed gear and on hills pound away then drop back to group. This time of year for me in Canada anything outside is a bonus and I just use it as a means of building some base.

pmt

I've done some 200k rides with slower people by using the 34T chainring only; I tweaked the shifting a bit so I could use nine out of ten cogs in the rear. I got to practice a lot of good spinning and chasing after descents.

eja_ bottecchia

Nice!

hsh101

Grab a hybrid or mountain bike, ride on platforms... that will give you more of a workout on the ride.

But, most of all, just enjoy the ride for what it is.

RJM

Just Ride!

jrobe

Hopefully they will drop you somewhere along the way. It is a party ride and you would be a dud to be around.

Maybe you just need to learn how to enjoy life a little.

Dainbramage

Work on high cadence form - try and keep up with everyone in the slowest gear you have
Cardio - spin like crazy as long as you can
Single leg climbs - just like it sounds... only climb with one leg on the pedals, remember to alternate legs
Sprinting form - adjust rear brake so it will drag like crazy, shift to the big ring, stand up and mash. ok just kidding on that one unless you like replacing pads

mrvrsick

Although I have tried it with very close friends, I would vote a definite "NO" on the one-leg efforts, some might be offended.

High cadence training during, hill climbs or intervals before/after: very effective.

LowCel 

Don't be "that guy". If you don't want to ride with them and enjoy it at their pace then skip the ride.

hsh101

So, the ride was yesterday... how did it go?