1st solo ride after LOTS of club rides

Raffles

I had this evening to myself and I thought I would take advantage of the glorious weather and go out for a 40 mile loop by myself. Since joining the cycling club 2.5 years ago, all the rides Ive been out on have been of varying lengths 40 -75 miles and in the company of a club pack. When we are out on a run, averaging 19mph isn't that hard and tonight made me aware that imo solo rides can require a lot more effort. The solo 40 miles tonight was completed in an average speed of 18.1mph and I was acutely aware of how much more impact the wind has on a solo ride plus the fact there is also no coffee stop . When you are in a club pack your main wind exposure kicks in when it is your turn to take a pull at the front for a couple of miles, and then its back to a lovely draft because you have bodies in front of you deflecting the oncoming wind. Do riders here who partake in club and solo rides also find that a solo ride is a lot more exertion intensive , I haven't been on a solo in 2.5 years and tonight really opened my eyes :shock: . Im going to incorporate more solo rides as I think they would contribute significantly to my overall fitness and stamina.

JayKosta

Correct!
And that is why time trials are called the 'race of truth'.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

goonz

I've found the inverse easier, I do a lot of solo rides and commuting and when I joined a club ride recently found the rides not as difficult. Chainganging still felt pretty tough and something I would need to work on but overall I was pretty comfortable being in the front of the group.

Ed-tron

Interesting Im the other way sortof to OP. I've had my road bike about 6 months. And apart from 2 sportives, cycling on my own is all I know. When I get a job and settled somewhere (hopefully soon!), i'll join a local club. Im looking forward to the companionship, aero qualities, but also the challenge and encouragement of riding with others. Recently I think Im sort of plateauing ability wise, I need the additional challenge that riding with more experienced riders can bring I think.

Grill

You hadn't ridden solo in 2.5 years? Really? I'd go mad...

thefd

Grill wrote:

You hadn't ridden solo in 2.5 years? Really? I'd go mad...

Same here. Group rides are good, but a good early morning or late evening ride on your own is great before or after a hard day in the office.

slowbike

in 2.5 years of cycling (I've had a bike since small, but didn't really ride it) I've only club ridden twice and sportive group ridden once .. so this mornings commute was a solo effort into a 15-20mph headwind.

TheSmithers

I find just riding with my mate easier than riding solo, let alone riding in a pack. When I'm on my own, I feel I'm not going fast enough, no doubt the drag effect, so I tend to push harder. I definitely find riding with others more enjoyable than riding on my own. For me, I get a psychological boost by having some company. It's not just the aero benefit.

Headhuunter

Grill wrote:

You hadn't ridden solo in 2.5 years? Really? I'd go mad...

Really? I love riding with other people, I'd far more readily head out in group than on my own, as long as the group is at or slightly above my level... I get frustrated if it's a slow group which constantly stops...

Riding on your own is tougher in that it's you against the wind/air resistance, but I find that in a group, you often get someone above your level who pushes boundaries beyond your usual, single rider limits. I find that when I'm on my own, although I push myself, it's easy to settle into a comfortable pace at certain points whereas when you're out with a relatively fast group, if you don't want to get dropped, you have to push your limits...

sloppyschleckonds

Grill wrote:

I'd go mad...

Have you met Raffles?

Pumpkin Positive

I've started riding with a club since Feb this year. Most of my riding is now done with the club on Sundays it's the club run which is normally a hilly 60 miles and mid week it chain gang and time trials. I still enjoy a ride on my own from time to time although my average speed is lower.

I struggled at first to keep a consistent speed. I'm a crap climber but I can normally keep my average speed up by descending fast and keeping up a quick pace on the flats. That strategy doesn't work in a group because you're holding people up on the climbs and riding them off your wheel on the flats. Over the last few months I've had to 'up may game' as far as the climbing is concerned and by working flat out on the climbs and recovering on the flats my fitness and climbing ability has improved no end. I'm now an 'average' climber as opposed to a crap one!

My point is that when you ride alone, for the most part, you're blissfully unaware of your weaknesses as long as your average speed is comparable to your peers.

markhewitt1978

Group rides are a lot harder for me as *everyone* drops me on the hills! Whereas solo I'm at my own pace.

bigpikle

A ride on a typical club ride that isnt a balls-out chaingang where everyone is trying to kill each other, and 40-60% of your ride time is going to be spent at recovery pace, and typically the hard efforts are very short and not really long enough to provide a good stimulus for fitness development - a few mins here and there is very typical unless you spend the entire time sat on the front spoiling it for others I have 3 years of power meter data to support that, and other than getting you used to longer rides and saddle time they are of limited 'training' use really.

I still think they have a place, but its the intervals and solo rides that are likely to be much more valuable for fitness and speed development for most people.

Headhuunter

Bigpikle wrote:

A ride on a typical club ride that isnt a balls-out chaingang where everyone is trying to kill each other, and 40-60% of your ride time is going to be spent at recovery pace, and typically the hard efforts are very short and not really long enough to provide a good stimulus for fitness development - a few mins here and there is very typical unless you spend the entire time sat on the front spoiling it for others I have 3 years of power meter data to support that, and other than getting you used to longer rides and saddle time they are of limited 'training' use really.

I still think they have a place, but its the intervals and solo rides that are likely to be much more valuable for fitness and speed development for most people.

Chaingangs shouldn't involve everyone "trying to kill each other", if they do then they quickly fall apart. IME they rely on everyone working smoothly together to keep the speed up....

mikeabanks

I found the same issue as the OP. I really must NOT hide in the group :-(

Grill

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

Grill wrote:

I'd go mad...

Have you met Raffles?

Good point.

@Headhunter- I ride with others 2-3 times per week with the other 3-4 rides being solo. They both have their benefits, but the biggest issue I have with group rides is everyone wants to stop for cake.

markhewitt1978

Grill wrote:

@Headhunter- I ride with others 2-3 times per week with the other 3-4 rides being solo. They both have their benefits, but the biggest issue I have with group rides is everyone wants to stop for cake.

I see no problems with this.

Raffles

markhewitt1978 wrote:

Group rides are a lot harder for me as *everyone* drops me on the hills! Whereas solo I'm at my own pace.

If you are in a group and you know a short sharp and steep hill is looming ( the ones you are probably getting dropped on ) make you aren't right at the front of the pack as there is only one way you are going to go.......straight out the back door. If you have 2 or 3 riders directly in front of you then you will do so much better.

LegendLust

Raffles wrote:

markhewitt1978 wrote:

Group rides are a lot harder for me as *everyone* drops me on the hills! Whereas solo I'm at my own pace.

If you are in a group and you know a short sharp and steep hill is looming ( the ones you are probably getting dropped on ) make you aren't right at the front of the pack as there is only one way you are going to go.......straight out the back door. If you have 2 or 3 riders directly in front of you then you will do so much better.

Mmmmm that's a strange suggestion - the technique to employ if you're road racing is to get to the front of the bunch before the climb, then hopefully as you're getting passed you're still on the back of the group over the top.

Headhuunter

Grill wrote:

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

Grill wrote:

I'd go mad...

Have you met Raffles?

Good point.

@Headhunter- I ride with others 2-3 times per week with the other 3-4 rides being solo. They both have their benefits, but the biggest issue I have with group rides is everyone wants to stop for cake.

Some of the club rides I do don't stop for cake, quick regroup at the top of hills and that's it... Others do. I don't mind a cake stop as long as we're not sitting around too long...