Hi everyone. I'm new here!

FireOnTheMountain

Just a new member here to say hello. I bought a road bike a couple of weeks ago and am thoroughly enjoying it so far! I'm going to get a few weeks training under my belt (and get used to clipless pedals!) and then look to join a club for some group rides.

Ill try and keep silly questions to a minimum, but being a complete amateur no doubt I will end up asking a few.

Here is my first...

I've been lurking on this forum for a couple of weeks before signing up! My question is about group ride culture. I have seen people often moan if you get someone in a group who...
a) Bombs away in a training ride
b) Does anything during a group ride that ruins the rhythm ie. putting in random efforts etc.

I understand why you get annoyed with this, especially on a long Sunday ride. However, I come from a running background (don't worry I no longer engage in the sport of the enemy!) but my favorite sessions would always be a set of really fast reps where I would be doing anything to beat my friends and group partners, really busting my gut for every single second. Does this sort of session not occur in cycling groups? Are those type of sessions to be done on your own rather than in a group? Or have I just missed something? Likewise, I always see people commenting on how group riding makes the distance easier because you aren't always on the front. Surely if you want to improve, the easy option is pointless? I ask this question because, whilst my main short term goal is to just enjoy my new bike and the British countryside, being a young whippersnapper of 21, I would like to look into doing some beginner racing in the future, perhaps 2013 season?

Anyway, thanks for taking time to read this, and I leave you with a picture to motivate you to ride every time you think the weather is bad!

team47b

Welcome

Etiquette aside, Some people don't like it if someone is faster/fitter/thinner than they are, just don't start quoting your averages!

Thanks for the photo, rain always makes me smile

thefd

Welcome.

When you ride in groups there will be times that you will be helped out. It is fairly important not to annoy and fall out with those you are riding with. Even in Le Tour De France the pros will make sure they don't annoy and fall out with the other riders in the peloton. There will be times that you can go hard and show how fast you are, but it is not liked if you either never take a stint on the front, or when you are on the front you speed up and slow down - as those following will not be able to stay on your wheel.

You will get opportunities to 'really bust a gut' but if you do this all the time you will not ride as far, for as long as you will if you work with a group. When you come to a steep hill, go for it, bust a gut, but make sure you wait at the top for the group to re-group. until you ride with others you will not know how fast or good you are. You may think that at the moment you could speed away from everyone else - but trust me you will be surprised how fast, fit and strong some of the older riders are!

giropaul

I think that the key to understanding rides is to find out what the purpose is:

A group ride is a ride in a group - it's not a "training" ride as such. For many people it's the enjoyment of riding in company and the banter and companionship. Such a ride does, of course, help with general conditioning. Varying routes enhance the enjoyment of being out in the countryside.

A "training" ride is something different. It's for people who are training (to race usually), and replicates race effort. It is more structured, and usually has a set route so that people don't get abandoned or lost. Often a shortish circuit means that people can get dropped and then re-join.

It has to be said, though, that some groups can just become a "batter" with no point to it - maybe best avoided?