mike9903

I rode in the Lone Star chapter of the MS 150 over the weekend and I had a blast. The first day was right around 90 miles and I loved every minute of it! My one problem is that I tend to not be very patient when I get in a group that is not going quite fast enough for my liking. I will come up on a group announce my presence and kind of wait to see what the pace is and it always seemed to be just a tad to slow for me, so I would pass them up and search for another group. Well I never found a group and I ended up doing the entire ride solo, which really sucked because at some points there was a pretty strong head wind. I guess that I am just not patient enough; I knew that I was wasting a TON of energy riding on my own, but every time I would take off.

Will you guys typically stay with a group if they are going a little slower than you like or you do what I do and take off in search of another group?

The second I found a group and we were able to maintain a pace of 20 mph for 60 miles!

Doggus

The group you will be happy to go along with, you will never catch if you start behind them.

mike9903

As I was typing my post I realized that, to bad I did not think of that while I was riding. WHAT AN IDIOT!

jschen

It depends. If it's a group I intended to ride with, I don't care what speed we average. If I'm faster, I might go ahead and stretch my legs once in a while, but I'll for the most part stick with them. If it's a random group of riders that hooked up because of comparable speed, I don't feel bad about moving on if I decide I would like a different tempo.

munkyv22

+1 if there is a group with a decent pace, I say hang for a while and share the load. Then when you get to the hills, break away and look for the next group.

JayC

Translation: Crank it up to 400W and teach them a lesson!

55/Rad

The key is to ride with the slower group and enjoy it until the faster group comes up from behind.

superdex

I always seem to end up in no-mans-land like all the time. The fast trains are too fast, and the slower groups shatter on every little roller (nevermind the slower groups don't really work together). So I'll tag along for a mile or two on a fast train here and there if I feel up to it (go ahead, call me a wheel sucker) , but I'll end up mostly riding solo.... Though this past weekend in Moab I had every chance to ride and help in a decent group (six riders) who were cruising along at 18-20mph. I was so blown up from earlier in the ride I couldn't even hang on to that. Ugh

mike9903

As normal rad, BRILIANT (<---said like the Guiness commercials!)

waterrockets 

Yeah, start earlier, just tool along at 85% of your normal century pace. When a group catches you, hop in. If they get caught by someone else, and you feel like it, hop in that group.

And so on...

In your situation though, there's no way I would stick with the slower groups. I'd put my solo breakaway fantasy kit on and go chasing for a few hours.

aham23

drop'em like its hot. later.

cuda2k

I too end up in no mans land a fair bit of the time too. Esp on hills where I tend to pass the same riders who pass me on the way back down. Or like in the case of a ride last month, when I'm battling 20mph headwinds on the second half of a ride where I had to stop to help a change a flat at the beginning of the ride. I knew the faster riders were long gone and the slower riders were going too slow to do me any good staying in their draft.

Lucky07

I had the same problem until the last Charity ride I did (50 miles). I was going a bit too fast for slower groups and too slow for faster groups.

After about 10 miles of riding in no man's land, I did what Rad suggests above and latched onto a slower group for a few miles. I took my turn pulling (and nudged them a leeetle faster ). When a faster group passed I latched onto them. I rode with that group for most of the route. Finally, that group dropped me in the last 10 miles. I couldn't keep their pace indefinitely, and no amount of sprinting on my part could close the gap.

I did wind up riding about 20mph average. Easily the fastest I've ever ridden over any longer distance. Finally discovered the joys of a paceline!

mike9903

That is exactly what I did, I put my Floyd face on and took off. I was even pouring water bottles over my head (I ran out after one becuase I did have a SAG with a billion water bottles for me )

Riding in a fast pace line is a blast, but I think by riding and battling the wind by myself only makes me a stronger rider. I got my fast pace line fun in the next day by averaging 20mph for 60 miles anyways!!!!