Originally Posted by
rizz
There's also a lot more to group riding them simply power and weight. Are you drafting effectively (i.e., between 6 and 12 inches off the next rider in front of you) and are you allowing gaps when accelerating, decelerating or doing corners? If you allow gaps, you're going to end up with all the wind in your face and you'll have to work twice as hard. 17-20 MPH in a group isn't much at all, really, especially if you aren't pulling.
True. Normally when I am by myself on the route I rode yesterday with the club, on the flats I run 18-20 mph, sometime even less. With the club yesterday on the same stretch in a pace line I ran 22-24 mph and I was on the hoods, not even in the drops. I was amazed and it felt like I was just crusing along, I was'nt really appying that much effort either, at least not the same amount that I use when I am alone. I was spending a lot of time hitting the brakes to actually slow down to keep from running over the guy in front of me.