We hear from a lot of people on the subject of our various options for group rides. Sometimes it's hard to find a group that rides at your pace, be it fast or slow or in between. Here are a couple tips on how to ENJOY group rides and find the right fit.
Tip one, talk to people. This is the single most important thing. If you want to ride mellow, make an open statement to the group; "I'm riding mellow, any takers?". This works well. If you want to ride in pace-lines; "Are we pace-lining, anyone want to?". Chances are you'll get some folks on your side for whatever your ability level or riding style is. If not, then you know what you're up for.
Group etiquette is another subject to discuss. Some groups signal for every little stone and crack in the pavement out there, some don't. Better safe than sorry, signal for obstacles and you're safe. If you notice you're the only one doing that, maybe you can relax on the signals a bit. Don't cross wheels in a group. Don't make dangerous passes. Don't snot rocket in the middle of the group. Try to obey traffic laws. Sprinting on the bridge is just silly. This is all common sense stuff, just ride safe and...communicate.
Don't get in over your head. Once you've spoken with people in the group and found out you're likely to get shelled, tell them that you'll hang for a while and drop off. Better to drop off than get dropped 30 miles from home with now direction back and no food, it happens.
Patience. If you find yourself in a group that is going much slower than you want to, it's OK. Just relaaaaax and enjoy some base miles that most likely would be good for you anyway.
Group rides are social activities so talk to the people on your ride. If you want to stop, say so. If you want to hammer, say so. If want to buy everyone lunch, thank you.
No comments:
Post a Comment