There are a few similar group rides around me and I avoid them for the exact reason you state. The few times I've seen these folks out on the road, it's a little dicey to say the least. If you want the company with less risk, perhaps inviting a smaller sub-set with specific details (i.e. I'm riding for xx miles at yy pace) so that it's less about moving up a category and more about having someone to ride with you at your pace. When I'm in training for a big race, I tend to only do group rides with folks I know.

Good luck with your training! Those long IM rides can be brutal...

Michelle

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The beatings will continue until morale improves

I've seen one too many accidents in group rides. Two years ago, one guy crashed and died. Heaven forbid if someone caused me to crash because of their poor bike handling skills in a group. I would go ballistic and that's putting it nicely. If my race schedule gets interrupted let alone my A race, IMAZ it's going to be on my own doing, not in a group ride. I avoid them like the plague!!

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"Though she be but little, she is fierce" ~Shakespeare | Powered by HD Coaching | 2014 Wattie Ink Triathlon Team | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Wife and I always found that group rides made us much better cyclists - improved handling skills and the roadies would push in a way that you can never do riding solo. The bike was always my best leg in a tri and I owe that to riding with roadies.

However - be very picky who you ride with. There are almost as many clueless roadies as there are triathletes.

IM training really isn't group riding specific, so not bad idea to back off until its over.

Thanks for your thoughts, guys. I hear what you're saying, cerveloguy, about improved bike handling skills with the group, and normally they're kinda fun. But the risk of getting messed up really is higher than a solo ride. So I think I'll just map out some solo routes out in the country. Never having done this before, I suppose you might want to map through small towns so you'll have a gas station or something similar to a pit stop if you need/want to. Or do you stash your water at a particular location -- say every 25 miles -- and just take an impromptu pit stop to water up?

I'm fortunate to have a nice husband who's come out & picked me up when I've overestimated my abilities & bonked out in the cornfields. But I hate to do that to him.

A little OT, but any other suggestions for the long solo rides in booneyville?

Thanks again,

~~ kate

I do all of training rides alone, for the most part. For one, I like to make sure I'm doing what I need to be doing, and get wrapped up in what others are doing. For two, I just prefer it. And for three, yes...if I am going down, I'd prefer it to bemy fault.

As for riding in the country...most of my rides head out that way. If it's really hot, and I thinkillneed water above what I brought, yes, I try and map a route that swings near a gas station. I generally map out most of my rides over 90 minutes anyway, just so someone knows where I am.

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mmm-mmm-Momo Charms
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That's a pretty good idea about letting someone know where you're going to be. Not so critical for me, I guess. My kids are all grown with kids of their own, and my Road ID has all the info on it. Eventually DH will get wind of a problem. I just make sure my cell is charged before taking off.

~~ k

I am pretty lax about actually notifying people, but I do have the route on my cpu usually...just in case. Then if I DON'T come home, they have an idea on where to start looking for me :D

And by "they" I mean DH. Not many others would be in the search party :p

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mmm-mmm-Momo Charms
Handmade beverage charms, jewelry, and miscellanea
http://momocharms.wordpress.com

Group rides are one of the best ways to improve your cycling times. You will push yourself harder and farther than any solo ride.

If you are concerned about crashing then hang off the back of the group several bike lengths. You'll still push yourself to stay in contact but will be out of the danger zone. Plus, it will help you learn to maintain a draft zone for your upcoming race.

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"Go that way, really fast. If something gets in your way, turn." - Charles De Mar

DH and I train solo or with a very small group for the very reasons OP mentions. And also because it is faster than meeting up with people, planning a ride, etc.

For longer rides when I can't route by a gas station or longer rides in which the stations are more spread out, I have the ability to carry 4 bottles on my bike, and have been known to put two more in my jersey so that I can dump water on my head if it is hot. I view the bottles as the bike equivalent of a drag suit in swimming.

Are there different groups around you? I bet you're not the only one in that big group that's hesitant to bike in a pack. Maybe approach some riders and see what they think - even two or three other people make a difference in a ride. I used to ride alone and I regret all that time I could have been with a group. I started with my husband's group and stayed with them as long as I could - man, the results. I would eventually lose them (I didn't want them to hang back) but I just used the rest of the ride for recovery.

From a safety aspect, the group itself is very cautious and look out for each other. It's awful being out there alone if you get a flat or if anything happens. A cell phone isn't much comfort to me when I'm stuck 40 miles from anyone that can help me. I've found more cyclists than not just want to ride safely. It's only a few idiots that cause problems.

I guess it depends on what your goals are...if you just want to finish the race and are worried about crashing on a group training ride (before the race) then train alone or with a small group. If you really want to push yourself then training with a group is one way to do that. If you are concerned about safety in a group then stay in the back of the pack, pay attention and don't try to ride aero in a pace line or pack. I see triathletes trying to ride aero in a pace line or peloton and it is just a bad idea. I also see triathletes riding high end bikes without any handling skills or shakey handling skills. They could be alot faster if they trained to ride faster and improved their bike handling as well....

KK

I totally understand your concerns! I have seen some awful things and I choose carefully who I ride with based on this information. One other solution for me was to create a beginners group or 'no drop' ride to teach the basic skills of riding in a group. It is expected that people will need help, go slow, be safe, watch for others. The advantage I have found is this creates an active recovery day for me, builds friendships and cycling buddies, and is a great way to learn new roads.

The other comment I have is that it seems like the issue you mentioned was caused ultimately by a lack of good leadership in the group. Totally fine to do these kinds of things to push people and have a chase, or KOM section, or every speed limit sign contest....but you have to know your route....NO ONE should 'race' over train tracks especially newbies. That is just poor planning and leadership. Teach people the appropriate way to surge and still be safe.

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Hi Kate,
I have completed 2 irondistance races and did all my long rides alone. I have much less resentment from drivers when I am alone and not clogging up the road. I tend to do routes close to home so I am never more than 30 miles from hubby and a potential pickup. I carry a camel back with water and my route has at least 2 pitstops along the way. Yeah, I know I am lucky to have that right out my front door.
Good luck girl! I will try to PM you-
Cayenne

Last time I was able to train for IM I used to do one, long 100+ mile loop. Eventually I changed to 2 x 50 mile loop, using my car (and a cooler in it) as an aid station.

I also made sure that my house knew my route for that day as well as start/stop times and shelter/bail-out spots along the route they could look for me if they didn't hear from me. Would text just before I started and as soon as I finished as well.

Always carried four bottles, which gave me an extra in case I got stuck somewhere in the summer heat.

All my training was solo. Figured that was how I was going to have to race anyway....

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No coasting in running and no crying in baseball

I really like the idea of two fifty-mile loops with my car in the middle as a pit stop. That eliminates a lot of guesswork and assures cold water & appropriate non-gas-station snax. Great suggestion and one I wouldn't have thought of. I do it on the long runs, but the thought never crossed my mind for the bikes.

You guys are great.

~~ kate

The "star-chase" rides will improve you faster than almost anything you can do. You hang on for as long as you can, get spit out the back, limp your way home, then come back the next week and do it all over again.

But I would not recommend them for long rides. In IM training I usually have 4 rides a week. One is around an hour with at least 30 minutes of very hard riding. One is a 50 miler that would compare to a "star-chase" ride. One would be a couple hours of IM pace riding. And the last would be a long ride.

The safest places in a group are at the very front and the very back. And if you are riding harder than you are used to being at the very back makes getting dropped much more likely. As the group accordions gaps will be created and if you can't latch back on you will be on your own.

it isn't so much avoid groups, as it is avoid groups that have people who can't ride in a group.

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I'm beginning to think that we are much more fucked than I thought.

Certainly, plenty of group rides can be douchey and cause accidents. But, riding with other people can help you learn handling skills and practice getting out of the IM comfort zone. I would just go on ones that aren't advertised as people going faster than they can handle -- that's a recipe for disaster.

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kelly dunleavy o'mara
@kellydomara

I prefer group rides during training! I would rather be with a group and have a crash than be solo and who knows how long it could take for somebody to find you if you accidentally wreck yourself.

Wrecks are inevitable, and will happen no matter what. It's part of riding a bike! Riding with the group will make you stronger!

Nope. seen to many crashes, not only caused by bad cycling but by bad motorists. Its a lonely sport. I try to ride with one maybe two people at most. I used to do this Wednesday night group ride and it was white knuckle riding the whole time. Once I skipped, and heard they had a wreck 4 or 5 bikes out 12 went down couple of broken collar bones and stuff. Not good and especially not during my training plan for an A Race.

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