I take my turn out front and then pull out, while drifting to the rear I hear the voices of younger and stronger riders complimenting me on my turn and it makes me feel great. With heart pounding and lungs gasping for air, those words of approval trigger an adrenaline rush that causes the older adult within to momentarily vanish and the legs and lungs of more youthful years to reappear for yet another turn at the front.

What say you, does it get any better than that while you're out there on a club ride?

Nope.

My 35 year old son did a 100+ mile ride a couple of weeks ago. He had a fellow pull their group for 97 miles @ 20+ mph. They call him the "Mule".

Mrs. Grouch and I used to belong to a tandem club called the Mule Team (Missouri Union of Longbike Enthusiasts). We still have the jerseys. Now he wants to borrow one for the next time he does a ride with that group. I like it.

What is best in life?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PQ6335puOc

Good pulls aren't hard. Keep your line straight, your effort constant, and call out any obstacles. And remember: your pull isn't finished until you're on the back and recovered. One of the most common mistakes made by newbs is to pull for too long.

Yup. Wipe yourself out on a good long pull and drift back only to discover the new leader picks up the pace. Before you realize what's happening you've fallen off the back and are too wiped out to reconnect.

Two weeks ago, last time I went on the Saturday morning bike shop ride, I was in a small pace line. My turn at the front came and I kept the pace going, but hammered on intensely. After a mile or so, I look behind me and there was nobody there! They were at least a half-mile behind me. Hmmph! So, I just kept going and maybe even upped the pace a bit. I was a peloton escapee and no way was the group going to catch me within sight of the finish line. I was going to win that stage of the Tour de High-desert. I did end up getting the number two ranking on a Strava segment. Could have had the KOM, if i knew it existed. Not bad for an old, out-of-shape, wannabe.

Well . . . it turns out that, unbeknownst to me, the shop ride now has three groups, the beginner group, (or the short route), an intermediate group, (medium length route), and the hard-core fast group, (longest route). Before, they only had the two groups, and having been dropped within a quarter mile when I once went with the fast group, I always rode with the slower group. I should have gone with the new, intermediate group . . . not the slow group. My balloon was burst. Oh well, I did have a good ride.

Congrats on busting your lungs and getting some approval from the group! Good day,Oldtryguy!

Hearing, "Good pull," is indeed one of the sweetest moments in cycling. Oddly, the two times that I got a push to get back on and then finishing with the group were equally satisfying. The two sides of the same coin of working as a team on bikes I suppose.

Sometimes I really pity those folks who loudly proclaim, "I don't see the point of riding in groups."

Whenever somebody tells me "nice pull" I always think they're being sarcastic

I do not find "nice pull" that gratifying. The group expects everyone to pull their share "of what they can do". Do all the riders who do a similar job get a "nice pull" compliment? However, I take my compliments as I find them.

I go out of my way to compliment riders on being a great wheel to follow. That means: keeping a steady pace, riding in a straight line, being in the right place relative to the wind and terrain, smoothing out gaps, riding close to the person in front.

What about (how do I say this) having a large wind shadow?

..and I will admit to getting insults the year I rode a bent and found myself in some rough pace lines. They told me I was useless.

omg..........................

If you have to take turns doing this "pull" thing on group rides I don't wanna go. LOL, I have never been on a group ride but I hear you have to keep up or else. I guess you can only show up in a very light weight and fast modern road racing bike or get left behind. My "good for everything bike" would not be up to the job, nor would my 1977 Raleigh 10spd.

I used to do my fair share when I was as young as the paceline and their bikes were as heavy as mine. Now it's all I can do just to tag onto a passing CF paceline for a short distance and suck the rear wheel of the last rider until I irritate them enough to pick up the pace and drop me.....I swear I think cyclists are faster than we used to be along with the fact that I'm usually slower for longer.

Love it!

In my case it would be the engine, but the one time I tried the group thing (charity ride) it was all the meandering and skittishness.

Later on I would have pulled, but the little groups all tended to run off and leave me.

I never have to worry about still being there by the time I would have worked my way to the front anymore.

I remember my first training ride with the fast boys decades ago. It took all I had to hang in that pace line, I was nervous as hell. after some time I found myself 3rd from the front and I started to get more nervous. When the front guy pealed off, I was now second. At that point I was hoping the lead rider would never pull off. He of course did and there I was leading the cat 2/3 boys out towards one of the sprints. I'm sure I pulled faster and longer than I should have; I was spent when I pealed off. As the long pace line passed me one racer boy I knew told me "good pull". He knew I was very nervous and it felt good to hear the support. I think I was so beat I could not even catch the wheel of the last rider in the line.

I learned, I got better and started racing and I remember that encouragement and thanked him for it. A year of so later, that same guy led me out on a break on that same weekly ride and I won my first training ride sprint.

On our club rides now I never fail to thank a person for a good pull.