Originally Posted by
caloso
Are you riding at the back? If so, you're more susceptible to the accordion affect when the group surges. If you're able to move up into the top half, you may find that it's faster but easier.
It's not just the accordion either. If you are hanging on for dear life and the guy in front of you is doing the same and blows, he has to pull out which leaves a hard gap for you to close. If I'm hanging on the back of a real fast group, that's usually the way I lose them. So be realistic about your fitness. Don't mess things up in the front if you can't hang, but don't ride at the tail end either if you think some other guys are worse off.