Originally Posted by
Gladius
Our club is having some growing pains on its Tuesday Night ride. We get a wide variety of riders, from the local racers to the novice cyclists. Currently we split into two groups, a "no stop" group and a "no drop" group, however the latter group has such a wide variety of fitness levels that it becomes totally fragmented. We do have a sweep at the back that makes sure no one gets completely dropped, or that anyone with a flat has someone that comes along that can help.
My club has the same variety and we don't mind completely fragmenting during the ride. The Wednesday night rides regroup eventually at one of the local watering holes, and the Saturday rides ramp up in "seriousness" throughout the season, but we stop along the way to regroup.
Admittedly, our club leans more to the "social" function than a race-prep team, but there are plenty of strong riders who like to go off the front and hammer it between stops. I've gotten a lot faster and stronger by riding with them.
