Get dropped on the A ride or dominate the B ride?
07-30-12, 01:45 PM
#1
well hello there
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Get dropped on the A ride or dominate the B ride?
And please assume for the sake of discussion that it’s impossible to squeeze in more training time, due to a demanding full time job and non stop family obligations.
What’s your preference?
What’s your preference?
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07-30-12, 01:50 PM
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The A ride will serve as a better training ride if you strive to stay with the pack for longer and longer each time. However, it's not that much fun to get dropped ALL the time, so you could do the B ride occasionally as a break. My personal preference is just to do the A ride and toss in a few hills or intervals after getting dropped until you inevitably raise your level.
07-30-12, 02:08 PM
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07-30-12, 02:17 PM
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Why not both? Assuming you're both riding the same course, stick with the A group until you get dropped, then wait for the B group to catch up and lead them for the remainder.
Eventually you'll be fast enough to stay with the A group the entire time.
Eventually you'll be fast enough to stay with the A group the entire time.
07-30-12, 02:17 PM
#7
Throw the stick!!!!
So ride with the A group and get faster or ride with the B group and have slow people think you are fast. Which is more important to you?
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07-30-12, 02:21 PM
#8
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07-30-12, 02:22 PM
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I'd rather be the best of the slow group, but I've better than half a century making under achieving an art form.
07-30-12, 02:26 PM
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07-30-12, 02:44 PM
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I was in a similar situation where i could never make it home on the local fast ride (House of Pain...HOP ride) so i would opt for the 'hop medium' or 'hop light' rides, which are a little easier. But i just stuck with it. Eventually i made it home with the group. which for me was a really big deal. for all the other horses in that ride it was just another saturday morning. I make it home with the group about 75% of the time now on the HOP
So i say A ride most of the time, B ride to restore confidence
So i say A ride most of the time, B ride to restore confidence
07-30-12, 02:53 PM
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I was in a similar situation where i could never make it home on the local fast ride (House of Pain...HOP ride) so i would opt for the 'hop medium' or 'hop light' rides, which are a little easier. But i just stuck with it. Eventually i made it home with the group. which for me was a really big deal. for all the other horses in that ride it was just another saturday morning. I make it home with the group about 75% of the time now on the HOP
So i say A ride most of the time, B ride to restore confidence
So i say A ride most of the time, B ride to restore confidence
OP go with the A ride unless you'll end up even more miserable and deflated than is normal for a road cyclist.
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07-30-12, 02:55 PM
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The problem with the B group scenario is that you trick yourself into thinking your a badass, then when you ride with the A riders you realize how slow you really are. Now, in this situation, you will either realize you need to train harder or you'll get really discouraged. Depends on what type of person you are.
With all that being said, it still doesn't give you an answer. You could go with the above described scenario, and end up in the "motivated" group and decide you want to train harder. In that case you'll start riding the A ride in order to get faster. In this case you would have wasted 7-8 weeks of B rides and would have seen a quicker result by just starting in the A group to begin with. On the other hand, when you decide to transition into the A group and fall into the "discouraged" category the result is defaulting back into the B group. From there, since you're already discouraged from that painful A ride, you'll get dropped from the front B riders, get discouraged again, default to the C group, realize there's no C group, sell your bike(s), drink a few beers, drink a few more, take up competitive water color painting, realize your in the C group there too, sell your water colors, then watch tv and get chunky like everyone else out there.
With all that being said, it still doesn't give you an answer. You could go with the above described scenario, and end up in the "motivated" group and decide you want to train harder. In that case you'll start riding the A ride in order to get faster. In this case you would have wasted 7-8 weeks of B rides and would have seen a quicker result by just starting in the A group to begin with. On the other hand, when you decide to transition into the A group and fall into the "discouraged" category the result is defaulting back into the B group. From there, since you're already discouraged from that painful A ride, you'll get dropped from the front B riders, get discouraged again, default to the C group, realize there's no C group, sell your bike(s), drink a few beers, drink a few more, take up competitive water color painting, realize your in the C group there too, sell your water colors, then watch tv and get chunky like everyone else out there.
07-30-12, 02:55 PM
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However, when you do ride with the B's, be the strong guy who takes long pulls or protects those in danger of being dropped from the B ride. Don't be the tool who keeps attacking the group and disrupting the rhythm.
07-30-12, 03:00 PM
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I can literally smell the testosterone oozing out of some of the "pro A ride" posts
07-30-12, 03:24 PM
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Nowadays I might get dropped by the B ride. But I have always thought that getting dropped by the A ride was a worthy effort. Last time I took that avenue, I got dropped after the ride went about a mile on my first try. After that ride, I generally managed to hold on unless there was a lot of climbing. Those were the best run rides I have ever experienced though, they would almost always set up a double paceline.
07-30-12, 03:36 PM
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The guys on my faster rides will usually try to encourage me to work harder and ride faster. They are supportive, but when I crack I crack and they leave my sorry butt behind. I never feel like I was in over my head, and am always happy to go back for more.
However when riding with a slower group I always get impatient and want to pick up the pace. If I drop them I look like a d bag. If I go at a slower pace I dont enjoy myself, except when I am tired and just wanna spin alone.
However when riding with a slower group I always get impatient and want to pick up the pace. If I drop them I look like a d bag. If I go at a slower pace I dont enjoy myself, except when I am tired and just wanna spin alone.
07-30-12, 03:52 PM
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07-30-12, 04:05 PM
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All things strive, Nachoman. Either you strive to be as fast as the A ride, or those in the B ride strive to be as fast as you.
07-30-12, 04:22 PM
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Depends when you get dropped by the A group.
If you're getting dropped in the first 15 minutes, ride with the B group, as you're not riding even long enough with the group to get a reasonable workout. A 2+ hour ride at a pretty easy aerobic effort is a solid workout, and is far superior to a brief hammerfest of <20 minutes unless you actually are hammering for that entire 20 minute time period, and even so, I think I'd still take the aerobic-paced 2+ hr ride over the 20 minute ride for improvement.
If you're hanging for over 30 minutes, and definitely if you're hanging for the majority of the ride but only getting drop in a late hard segment, stay with the A group. Not just for improvement's sake - it's a lot more FUN to ride with guys who are slightly faster than you than it is to ride with guys who are a lot weaker than you.
If the guys are TOO strong for your level, it's no fun at all since you'll be dropped too quickly.
If you're getting dropped in the first 15 minutes, ride with the B group, as you're not riding even long enough with the group to get a reasonable workout. A 2+ hour ride at a pretty easy aerobic effort is a solid workout, and is far superior to a brief hammerfest of <20 minutes unless you actually are hammering for that entire 20 minute time period, and even so, I think I'd still take the aerobic-paced 2+ hr ride over the 20 minute ride for improvement.
If you're hanging for over 30 minutes, and definitely if you're hanging for the majority of the ride but only getting drop in a late hard segment, stay with the A group. Not just for improvement's sake - it's a lot more FUN to ride with guys who are slightly faster than you than it is to ride with guys who are a lot weaker than you.
If the guys are TOO strong for your level, it's no fun at all since you'll be dropped too quickly.