So I get up this morning to do 62 miles at 18/19 pace with a new group that's a little bit of a drive away. Make it there, have a fantastic time. The ride is super organized, about 20 people, double paceline, easier on the hills but fast on the flats, and our average speed ends at 18.9mph.

I'm driving home, and remember a C/B ride that leaves from a location ON my way home RIGHT about 20 minutes before I'm passing it. My legs still feel great, so I decide to do it and get a little more leg spinning in. This ride usually averages 16/17mph.

Except, apparently, when the ride leader is at the beach. Like today.

We start off, I'm OK but the pace is averaging 20ish. After about 15 miles (supposed to be 25), the group has split in two, with me in the front pack and a back pack somewhere way behind. The route is the same everytime with this ride, and they knew I didn't know it, but figured (as did I), that if I were dropped I would just be swept up by the group behind us.

Well going up a hill, we get a fresh leader who decides to pick up the pace even MORE.

byebye.

Problem was that the back group was SO FAR behind, and eventually I couldn't see the FRONT group, that me and one other guy who was dropped missed a turn.

And became lost.

We made it back eventually, and still came in at a 17.6 average (Which shows how fast the start was because man, we slowed waaaay down) with 8.7 miles extra riding.

Grand total? 96.99 miles for me today.

Hey, know what? Getting dropped sucks a**. But I do feel sort of awesome about the total mileage and the fact that I ALMOST was still able to hang in there.

letting yourself cool down and then starting another ride wont have helped. try your damndest not to overestimate your ability.

I would have been happy with the first ride effort and went home to enjoy a cold beer. That's just me.

That's great. I don't care who you are. Also I find myself stronger after a polonged break. So the post above does not apply to everyone..

so who doesnt get dropped?

I drop Lance toward the middle of my daily double century at least 3x a week.

3.1 miles from 100miles? dude seriously at that point make it a nice number and ride it till the counter writes 100. I would be ashamed if I were you

Don't even bother putting on cycling shorts. Get on your bike and do a few laps around the block.

This.

I banged out 18.8 miles today at 18.8mph fixed. I felt like I was blazing. To get to 96.99 miles and then stop so close to 100?

I see that you are only a "member". By the time you're a senior member you will learn that your calculations are is incorrect and you actually did 100 miles. Either that or just round off.
BTW, now you know how us slower riders feel. So the next time you're taking the pull on a pace line, keep the pace where it's supposed to be.

Man, I can't imagine how I'd feel if I got dropped. Would probably go into a deep state of depression.

Luckily that'll never happen.

"Sandbagging - be good to your fragile ego!"

How to seriously get dropped: You're on a large group training ride for local racers, and your (in this case, my) chain falls off the outer chainring, and you're unable to coax it back on with a few pedal strokes. Make sure it happens just as the group splits off into A, B and C groups and all cylinders are firing. It only took 30 seconds to stop and fix the chain, but by the time I got rolling again, all riders were out of sight. I didn't exactly know the turns, and didn't feel like being lost, so I ended up doing a solo 20 miles to the regroup location.

In my case, it is always brake rub. Amazing how it always recurs on group rides.