Originally Posted by
hammond9705
+1 The way to get faster is to ride with fast groups. Hang on as long as you can, and come back next week and hang a little longer.
While this is true, it's not necessary to hang out with jerks just because they're good training partners. I pick the shops rides that I do because it means that I have to push my comfort level to keep up with them, and on the climbs I'll get dumped off the back; but I know the group will be there at the top of the hill when the last of us stragglers makes it up there.