Originally Posted by
az_cyclist
You hear about A, B, and C group rides. I am curious as to what everyone feels the average speeds for these groups are. I belong to two clubs in north Phoenix. One club has two groups, more or less A and B groups. The A group is published as race pace, while the B group publishes 20 mph on the flats. For the B group, the average for a 40-50 mile club ride will be 17 - 18 mph. The other club has just one group, and the published average is 15 mph for a 50 mile ride. I would call this a B or C ride.
What are some other opinions?
Opinions about what? There's no regulation about what constitutes a fast or slow ride, it depends entirely on those who lead them. If a particular club advertises an A ride as, say, 23 mph, that's what you should expect.as AZT says, the average may be lower than advertised - many people have trouble distinguishing between the mean, the median and the mode - but you shouldn't join unless you are confident you can maintain the advertised pace for a reasonable period of time.