Originally Posted by
cloudysmom
Moving up to the next group is is what I'll probably do and hang on the back and just work to ride myself up to the middle and try not to worry too much about getting dropped because I do really enjoy riding my bike. I'll alsl work in some fast miles and intervals during the week.
Hanging onto the back is much harder than hanging in with the group in the middle. Having people behind you maximizes the draft, and the accordian effect doesn't hit you as hard. Dealing with the surges on the back can wear you down and you end up dropped. Start near the front, and regain that postion any time you stop at a light. Accelerate hard for the first few seconds after a stop to ensure you don't get gapped. In other words, do everything you possibly can to maintain that draft!
Coupling smart group techniques with doing faster intervals on your own can get you that 3mph increase.