Originally Posted by
practical
Thanks for all the great advice. It's good to know that this is an issue that other group rides face. Just to clarify, this group is 50-plus in age (not number). Age is not an indicator of speed - many of the older riders are the faster ones as well. I assume that they have ridden for many years and keep it going pretty well.
The goal of the group is fitness and friendship (community) so biking is an ends not a means. We organize Easy, Moderate and Challenge rides so as to make sure we have rides for all abilities but I want all riders to feel welcomed and valued even if they're a slow rider on a Challenge Ride. I never want anyone to feel like they don't "belong." There is a bike club that sorts and ranks riders into speed categories and that feels like a way of excluding rather than including people.
I am proud of the fact that we have at least 12 members who started on a cruiser or hybrid bike and have "graduated" to a road bike over the past few years and now go on rides that they never thought they would ever do. This year we will have over 10 riders who will ride in a century and few years no one had or believed they could. Designating leaders and sweepers I think will be the key. The leader will hold the faster ones at turns and this will help us re-group and build a group identity.
Thanks again for your advice.
Do you have some of the faster, longer distance riders dropping out of your group? Or do they do other private group rides during the week that are more challenging?
I see you are in Vermont -- I assume you have hills on most rides. Lots of climbing makes it even more difficult to accommodate casual riders along with stronger riders.
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My local club usually has speed groups with a leader for each group. Most of these are careful to not lose or drop a rider, either counting riders at the turns (for under 10 riders), or using a sweeper rider that stays with the last rider in that group. They wait at every turn, but the wait is usually quite short.
Sometimes the speed groups are only 1 mph average speed difference, but that's enough to turn what was supposed to be a conversational ride into a hard effort challenge ride at the faster pace. And riders can drop back if the group is too fast that day.
Some rides follow the same route every week, and are either out-and-back or spraypainted turn markings. These spontaneously split up into many small groups with no ride leader.
And there are "the ride will go at the pace of the slowest rider -- no set speed" rides. Some of these are just another speed group, but these rides are usually a shorter distance. If I was a
new rider on a hybrid bike, I think I'd rather ride with a group like this, instead of seeing
everyone waiting for me at each turn.
I don't feel excluded by the riders that are way faster than me, I don't usually ride with them, but see them at the social stuff after the rides. Same with the easier paced riders, too.