You know, aside from the pesky restraints of geography, about 80% of the posters on this thread could make up a pretty fun B group ride IMHO. Just wait up for me when you all stop.

superdex, great post! love the imagery! i've been there as well..course, my outcome was a bit different from yours. after being dropped, lost, orphaned, forgotten, i caught up to the group at the next stop sign...and they let me hang, tag along, bungie cord with them. maybe because i'm a chick? course, that is what all my guy bike friends tell me: "they would never do that for a guy!"...so, maybe if you pad your jersey a bit, they'll slow up and let you follow along; think it'll work?

Thats funny CycleMagic...

There is a huge winter group ride out of Joe's Bike Shop in Baltimore. A female cyclist friend wanted to try it. This ride is usually mellow but sometimes, the big boys get a hankering to hammer and so they do. So I show up with my friend and we fall in with about 50 other cyclist. Well, some don't want to do the whole 4 hour stint and turn off. We hang with the long ride. Soon we are way out in Harford County on gravel roads. My friend is doing well for the first hour and a half untill we hit the real steep hills, then she can't hold the pace. Since she is my guest, I hang with her. Guys keep looking back to see where we are. On the flats I tow us back to the back of the pack, only to get gapped again as she can't hang on the next hill and so it goes for about 40 minutes. When the group (all male) decides to head for home, the stop and wait for us. When we catch up, they all congradulate her and shield her from the wind and noodle up the hills the whole way home. Every week the guys would ask about her....

see how nice you guys are to us? that is what keeps me coming back for the group rides. i did, however, feel guilty for keeping the big boys from breaking the sound barrier that day, but once they offered to let me tag along (I'd offered to take my own, familiar route and let them fly), i tried like hell not to fall off or faint and...most importantly, to not complain.

cheers!
Liz

Specifically in the Hallmark youth care parking lot. That is the first set of buildings west of 288 with green roofs. Come on out if you can make it. Looks like Blackberry from C-ville is joining with us.

I can tell you them dudes ain't riding here in WV. I dare them to average 15 miles an hour on these hills.

Is 27 miles and hour the reading on the computer when they stop riding or on the flats. I will garantee it won't say 27 mph if they come ride here in WV

Looking forward to it. Just don't spit me out the back like a wood chip. And if you do, leave a trail of bread crumbs.

None of the above. Uh guys, this happens, all the time. Even in a recreational "A" ride that's no-drop, not to mention in the semi-organic race training rides we have here.

I'm sure there are plenty of guys in whatever state you live in that can do this, too. Although we are the best here in Ohio -- -- those aren't top-shelf numbers. And we've got guys (ok, one guy) here who will attack when the pace is in the low-30s (and unless someone goes and gets him, it'll stick -- solo). Find it "hard to believe" all you want; you're more than welcome to come out here and check it out all you want.

Edited to add: Granted, this ain't West Virginia. Our rides are mostly on flat-to-rolling terrain, but they're loops, so whatever wind you've got pushing you at one point is hammering you in the face at another. In SE Ohio, where the hills are short but extremely steep, you're a stud to average anything north of 17 on a ride of any real length. And, of course, the guys lanuching attacks on the flats in the high-30s aren't the same guys putting up the big numbers down in Hocking County....

I don't see why you guys dispute his numbers. A lot of training rides are as fast as races.

Back in the early 90's when I raced more, I was the MD/DC N. VA district road race held in southern MD. The course was mostly flat with a few little dips at stream crossings and a couple of small rises - all big ring stuff. Average speed for the front was 27.5 MPH for.....75 miles! I was 37 at the time, but did the open race because the masters was way shorter and not worth it. I hurt so bad after that race I could barely walk for 3 days.

In a shorter race at Columbia Gateway, average at the front was 30 MPH for 25 miles. There are a lot of fast people out there, but if you don't race or hook up with the fast training rides...you will never know.

It happened to me too last night, however it wasn't because I can't keep up with them ( I always do otherwise) but rather because you can't show up with any kind weakness to this hammerfest rides and expect not to get dropped. You better be fresh and ready to put it all in the line or else. Unfortunately for me last night I didn't feel good, not to talk about the heat!, but didn't learn this after 15 miles into the ride,
had no choice but to pull the plug and drift my way back home. It can happen to the best of us if it's not a good day.
To the OP, you'll get better, I guarantee you that, don't get discouraged.

Corsaire

well said. i think alot of people who don't race don't realize just how fast some training rides are. regional and district champions all have to train, and i'm not sure why it seems unusual that a ride can get that fast.
and by the way, i'm racing that same road race championship in maryland tomorrow..

superdex, I'm cracking up over your story. Not that you were dropped, but how you described it. 27mph for 7 miles would smoke my sorry b*tt. I'm still trying to drop 20 more pounds before I join the local rides. Maybe I should just get out there and do it. At least I won't be the only rider dropped like a hot rock in a hot rock dropping contest! Damn that's funny.

I didn't mention this originally because it doesn't matter to me (dropped is dropped) but there were two women in the group. It just gets better!

My heartrate was pegged, and I knew I was in trouble when we stayed above 20 for any of the inclines. I did everything I could to not yo-yo the wheel in front of me (who was spinning along at 110rpms or more. Just sick), and I just popped. Not having my computer wouldn't have changed that, but I do see your point. It was along the lines of "holy crap I'm working hard [glance down] 27! No F$%(*&ING wonder!"

ahh, it'll be funny to recount it next week with those guys--if they remember that I was out there

I have to say I am skeptical about many of the speeds being bandied about is this string. I guess I didnt realize that most of the amateurs can roll out of bed and average speeds exceeding the European pro peleton. I guess I have a lot more training to do. I would be curious about how these speeds compare to the one day classics average speed. So, if it is true I guess three things differentiate pros from the rest of us.

1. Distance: The ability to average 27-32 miles per hour over 210+ km.
2. Terrain: The ability to maintain their average speed regardless of changes in vertical.
3. Recovery: The ability to do it day in and day out.

If these are not true I look forward to seeing an increased American presence in next years Tour DAY France, including several members of this forum. Good Luck! You all probably run a 4.3 40 too, but only on a hand timer!

BTW, my club ALWAYS waits at the key intersections for stragglers even if it is a hammerfest. Especially if the speed is higher than advertised. Im surprised that most don't seem to.

I'm thinking Yup. #2 being an important one, as that's where strength and power/weight come into play.

I was an average sprinter in high school and ran 4.4s [duck]

who says that all training rides only have amateurs? some are filled with local pros, ex-pro masters and espoirs.
but yes, the main factor is the distance and consistency. most american races are short and fast. the european peloton is staggering because it can hold those speeds for incredible distances and still make it to 45 mph in the sprint.

Well Johnny dont be. Remember many of these guys are only doing 30 or so mile loops, no stops. Throw a few stops in there and the ave takes a huge hit. With a fast rotating paceline thats a little over an hour. Pro's do that for 4+ hours, HUGE difference. Remember, we can ALL put out the same watts as a pro, we just cant do it for as long and THAT is what seperates us.

My personal note, we have a lot of tandems here and many of the local riders hold records for the Furnace Creek 508 (death valley race of 508 miles). So the tandems are training for the race and I tag along, did 1 x 100 yard pull early on and told them thats all they were getting from me, then I sat in and hung on. At 22 miles in we had a 26.7 ave (this is with stop signs etc). Stopped and ate breakfast then finished the training ride. 89 miles with a 22.4 ave, this included another stop at around 75 miles. Now I'm not even close to a racer so it can and does happen all the time. (flat ride, total <500ft gain)

The average pace of this years TDF was 25.88 MPH. If you took out the first hour of each stage when there is a lot of softpedalling going on, it would be more like 28 MPH or more. Thats over mountains for crying out loud!!!

No one is "rolling out of bed" to do this. I've got 6K miles in so far this the year, and there are a lot of guys here who ride a heckuva lot more than I do. I know people who will hit 25K miles this year. No s***.

And I never claimed (nor has anyone else, yet) that these speeds are sustained over Tour stage distances, or "day in, day out." We're talking about weekly racing training rides. Stuff in the 30-50 mile category. Big, big difference....

By way of background, I do a lot of ultra distance stuff and I ride with the racers (and started racing myself this season) to get some good speed work in so that I can crank up my rolling average. At the National 24-Hour Challenge this year, I rode with the leaders to the first checkpoint at 35 miles. My computer declared an average of 23.7mph, and that was on a rolling-to-hilly course and counts stops and starts at traffic lights, etc. Although that's a big number, keep in mind the leaders went on to ride more than 450 miles that day (I finished with 394). There are a lot of very fast nonprofessional (i.e., recreational, amateur, whatever) riders out there.

If I can get my lame arse out of the rack in time, I will be there too.... 8:05 AM start... hour and a half drive.... ugh...

ouch thats early. i dont' race until 1. i think.. good luck

If you are doing the Pro-1-2-3 race you will be in with my clubmate Chris Beck and a pile of other LSV/Kelly guys... keep the rubber side down..

Ok, just one last number to compare - TTT at the Tour. 67.5 km (42.2 miles), winning team (Disco, of course) did 1:10.39, for 57.3 km/h (35.8 mph). Last team (AG2R) did 53.6 km/h (33.5 mph). Aero bikes, the whole thing. The first 40 kms on the flat, with a tailwind; last 20 kms a bit more technical, some rollers, crosswind. So if your mid-week rides maintain 33 mph no sweat on 40 miles runs, there are a lot of pro teams waiting to sign your group on.

Mind you, from what I read here, a lot of the "group rides" being mentioned in the thread actually seem like high-level amateur/semi-pro training sessions, and that kind of pace is quite possible at that level - perhaps not over 40 miles, but certainly over some extended periods. Not quite what one would expect of the local bike shop "let's get together on Wednesday night" ride, though.

Good thread, fellas.

Here's the way it has worked for me for many years. When I first start riding with a new group that I like I get dropped pretty quickly. The next week, I get dropped again. The next week, the same. etc. etc. BUT, one week, just like magic I dont get dropped. And from then on, I hang with them. It is the best feeling, but takes a lot of patience. And I've pretty well eradicated my ego on a bike. If I'm dropped, no big deal.