Our early season rides are large. People are excited. They chase the people ahead. Our pace groups get shattered and people spend the day chasing and riding alone. That’s not fun. It doesn’t build community. It discourages people from coming back.
** SOLUTION: STOP CHASING! COLLECT PEOPLE. RIDE WITH THEM. **
- Instead of chasing riders ahead, look just behind you. Collect people of similar speed. Ride together!
- Everyone who mindlessly chases blows the ride apart.
- Everyone who looks behind them – and collects people of similar speed – makes it a better day for the group.
SMALL PACE GROUPS (less than 10 riders)
- Look for your group leader! If you don’t see them, stop and wait so everyone can regroup.
LARGE PACE GROUPS
- It’s not feasible or desirable to ride as a blob of 25-40 riders on narrow dirt roads. Help us form reasonably sized subgroups as speed differences become apparent.
- Instead of chasing: Collect people! Ride with them. Everyone will have a better day.
RIDING STYLE:
Keep it steady! We’ll be riding hills and dirt for 4+ hours. Don’t sprint the hills. Don’t drop people on paved sections where pacelines might form.
- Steady = fast.
- Sprint intervals = slower average speed and people blowing up early in the ride.
- If you are FASTER than the group average: WAIT at the top of hills. WAIT before major road crossings.
- If you are CONSIDERABLY SLOWER than the group average: Gracefully let other riders know that you will drop back to the next pace group. No hard feelings, please!
BOTTOM LINE: Everyone will have a lot more fun if they have people to ride with. Stop chasing. Start collecting people. Help make this a fun ride for everyone!