This is a thread about athletic performance. It is understood that not everyone is interested in this topic so keep in mind that participation here is optional. For those who are interested however...

I think it important to do group rides once in a while, if only to measure oneself. I'm talking about the big boy's ride, guys who are a little above your ability, the ride that scares you a little.

Saturday I did such a ride. Performance was respectable; I finished with the group, took some pulls and wasn't the last one up the hills. But it taught me a lot, or at least reminded me of things I had forgotten.

For example, on a 2 mile climb with two strong riders off the front, one rider held back. About half way up, when the main group started to fade, when people started shifting to the smallest sprocket and a few stood to climb, the rider who held back did the exact opposite. He shifted to a harder gear, passed the main group and bridged to the front guys. The move was beautiful in execution and yet crushingly demoralizing. Thinking about it Sunday I was reminded of what I already knew - stay calm, don't overreact at the bottom of a climb and save most of the effort for the top.

This is just an example.

Back in the day, before GPS, we used to go out with groups on routes we didn't know. That gave us two options; 1) keep up or, 2) be lost in the middle of nowhere and limp home. We tried keep up no matter how much it hurt.

Not sure what my point is. Maybe I just felt like saying this. Maybe I should resolve to do a group ride at least once per month. Maybe others will recount how they learned or became stronger/faster through riding with the faster groups. Whatever. There it is.


-Tim-