The improvements you seek (better climbing ability and being able to pull longer at the front on group rides) are both a matter of increasing what is commonly referred to as Functional Threshold Power (FTP). Loosely explained, it's the maximum amount of power you can sustain for an hour on a solo ride. There are several different viable approaches to improving FTP.

In my own experience (and there are others on this forum who do not agree with me), group rides are NOT a good way to improve your FTP because so much of the time is spent soft-pedaling, coasting, or surging. When I look at the breakdown of the time I spend during group rides with my effort in the threshhold-improvement sweetspot (just below threshold, at threshold, and just above threshold), there's very little time spent there. For me at least, group rides tend to be lots of coasting and soft-pedaling with some anaerobic surges due to the accordian effect of pack riding.

I would recommend a workout as follows:

- Ride easy for 10 minutes to warm up
- Ride at a pace that's just below uncomfortable for 30 minutes
- Ride at a pace that is uncomfortable to hold for 20 minutes
- Ride easy for 10 minutes
- Ride at a pace that is uncomfortable to hold for 20 minutes
- Ride easy for 10 minutes to cool down

The two "uncomfortable" sessions don't have to be vomit-enducing, especially not at first. The goal is to ride easy enough that you don't have to quit early but hard enough that you're starting to count down the minutes when you get about half way done. It's better to do the 20-minutes stretches in an area where you don't have to stop (ie. no traffic lights, etc).

I think the advice for the short, really hard stuff (ie. 1-minute intervals and pyramids) is more advanced than what you need right now and since your stated goals are to improve climbing and pulling ability rather than becoming a racer, they're not necessary. But that's just me.

I haven't done any structured 1-minute or pyramid intervals all season long. None.

--Steve