coasting 

My sunday ride included a 5 man chase after a fast guy who blew past us at the lights. We were strangers at the lights but we were all determined to chase the fast guy down and we did it together. There were even the usual hand signals and taking turns at the front and not one word was said between us. It was an unspoken understanding.

Why do we instinctively chase? Are we dogs at the greyhound track who see the mechanical rabbit and can't help ourselves? Are we not better than dogs?

JuneHawk

Beats me. I was supposed to be with the slow group this Sunday. About a mile into the ride I looked ahead and the so called slow group had left me in the dust. I was already going at about 19pmh so not necessarily snail slow. Well, I never saw them again. Thankfully someone just as slow as me and I stuck together and we had a wonderful ride. I guess "slow group" (all men except for me and this other girl) decided they wanted to race. WTF? If you tell someone you are leading the slow group, stop being an a$$sclown and maintain a speed people in the slow group can maintain for 30 flipping miles! They never even bothered to turn around and I'm sure they most have realized they lost riders.

coasting 

That is terrible. Was it a no drop ride? it probably was if it was the slow group. poor show.

opie

"No Drop" is such a laugh. I just started this year and needless to say my first few rides I got dropped like a bad habit which I expected. A couple of folks waited for the first 8-10 miles or so and that was nice of them but I went in knowing the route and knowing how to get home. It wasn't a big shock. Even on the recovery rides around here the last 20 min or so of the ride is always a race it seems.

Grumpy McTrumpy

because you don't do enough real races to understand the value of staying "in zone" when not racing.

JuneHawk

I fully expect to be dropped by the fast group. That would not bother me at all, I know I can't hang on for long. However, when you say you are leading a slow group, don't get itchy and take off leaving every man for himself. I know that slow is relative but in a slow ride you have to expect to have a wide range of riding levels and most likely very few will be in the 20+mph for 30 miles category. It just rubbed me the wrong way. Thankfully it was not my usual group and from the stories I've heard since, it's their MO.

Needless to say, I will not be riding with them again unless I KNOW others from my usual group will be there as well.

coasting 

that's just white noise.

roadiejorge 

It depends on what type of ride I'm on, if I'm doing recovery then I just focus on doing that regardless of who passes me. If I'm on a hard ride then I don't mind putting in a harder effort chasing a faster rider down to make the ride a little more fun.


It doesn't hurt to find out a little about the group before going on a ride because some don't stick to their "no drop" policy when most of the members can keep a pace that might be too much for new riders. Posted ride speeds are another thing I see seldom followed because a 19mph posted average pace ride can quickly become an impromptu race. The group I ride with does the smart thing on large rides that often have new riders: certain members choose to ride with the uninitiated and everyone else can take off and do their thing so we end up with an A and B ride.

patentcad

Uh huh.

Caracalla.

you and the stranger bikers are bored, that's why. so did you have coffee and strawberry cupcakes with them after the chase?

patentcad

Fixed.

patentcad

These guys really all do think they're peaking for friggin Paris Roubaix. Seriously.

jdon

Testosterone

coasting 

we never said a word and we split up once we got into town. we never did catch that fast guy. i nearly puked. i was holding on at the back and i couldn't believe they were actually taking turns pulling. when the guy ahead flicked his elbow, i nearly just gave up but i did my bit.

Johnny Law

რადგან მისი კარგი თქვენთვის, რატომ სხვა

slowandsteady

Apparently not.

coasting 

i was once caught up in a club ride. there were about 20 guys in the same club outfit and i always see these guys out training in small groups or alone. this one time the 20 strong crowd swarmed around me and all over the road and i couldn't help but chase them. i kept getting funny looks from them but if they didn't want me hanging onto them, why don't they ride faster and drop me?

roadwarrior

It's like fantasy football. It's the closest most people will come to the real thing.

roadwarrior

You got it. It's hilarious. And they always seem to do this when the person in front has no clue they have become "the hunted"...LOL...

jdon

You do what to dogs and chickens??

crhilton

Group rides are very difficult to run, especially slow ones because people grow, get faster, and still come to the ride but want to go faster while others want to go slower. Every now and then a new rider comes and wants to actually go quite slow.

I think it's best to post estimated average speeds. This way you know what they mean by "slow" and you have a hard fast number to yell at people who start picking up the pace: "I said 14 average, not 14 climbing!"

Creakyknees

that's not a ride, it's a track-stand competition.

patentcad

It's not nearly as pathetic as any level of professional bicycle racing below the UCI of course. Even the UCI is rather sorry by pro sports standards. Fat benchwarmers in MLB make more than the top stars in all of pro cycling.

patentcad

Now you're on the Pcad BF Terrorism Watch List.

The Weak Link

That's why they call us "the Human Race".


No problem.