I have a buddy…we shall call him “Captain Unprepared”. Now, the Captain…used to be in good shape, could “hang” with some of the fast riders…but was not strong enough to pull and shake things up. Nice guy, easy going, does not complain - ever. He would (last year) sit in and enjoy the ride. Now, the thing about the Captain is that he ALWAYS forgets something (usually his wallet)…but something, be it a spare, a bottle, calories, shorts, something. I am today about 10 water bottles, and 3 pair of shorts lighter due to lending things to the Captain…that is all cool.
So, this year the Captain is not in the shape that he once was…he called last week and asked where the ride was on Sat (knowing I would be going long). I told him that I was going 106mi, that another buddy was going with and that I would be going slower (less than 130bpm). He invited himself (that is fine)…and Sat morning calls when we were supposed to meet (same bat time same bat channel as ever)…and was then running late. He gets to my house and mentions that he did not have a water bottle on his bike…so, I get him a bottle and put some Power Bar Endurance in it (also took 4 extra Carbooms as I was thinking my two may not be enough anymore). Off we go…ride out was not bad at all…I rode a 100% draft legal ride…stopped at Starbucks and headed back home…
I knew something was up when I was just plain dropping him with out trying at all…I was “JRA” and dusting him…50 miles from home. Now, this would not be an issue but for the fact that for the first 50 he was sprinting Stop Ahead signs (I won them all though), and trying to draft Trucks and stuff…you dont do that I dont think if you are out of shape and going on your first long ride (100+ miles) of the year (In August mind you).
So, about 20 miles from home his cramps start locking him up. We pump him up with Thermotabs, Gu, Coke, and Ice Cream hoping that he would just make it home. I rode next to him, with my hand in his shirt pocket and pulled him for about 10 miles (he was not pedaling at at all) - just to try getting him out of farm land and closer to home…Finally about 5 miles from home, he decideds that he is done sitting on his bike being pulled by me…and wants us to go get a car and pick him up…and of course we do (then I had to run 6 and kinda lost my transition run - oh well)…
So…would you all have just dropped him sooner and left? What would you do about the call I know I am going to get again about this Sat’s ride?
I think it would be pretty cold-hearted to leave someone in the boonies when you know they are in trouble…
However, when he calls I would always just tell him that you are going “hard”. In my group of friends we all know on a day like that if you get dropped, you are on your own…
You know who I am talking about Matt…Sat was a MESS after mile 70, pulled him (by the shirt) from Poplar Grove to Rock Cut. That is where he layed down (even his arms and hands were cramping - you could SEE them)
There’s givers and takers in our society and and the Captain sounds like a taker - always taking but never giving. Not the best person to have around when training, because it lowers the energy levels of you and everyone else in the group. I would say drop him - in the sense that you will no longer ride with him in the future if he continues to be a taker, but don’t just leave him in a tough state on a ride. That’s just inhumane. However, you gave a hint that the Captain may be a humrous fellow, and these types are good to have around, because they can often add a little levity to training, but not if they keep taking, and taking and . . .
I don’t ride groups or have tons of cycling experience in general, but do I have experience with friends, so I’ll throw in. You did the right thing. It sounds like you guys have been friends for a while, and you put up with a little bit of inconvenience to do so, so you must like the guy enough to keep him around. Dropping him in a weakend condition like that would have less than cool for a freind to do, and smacks a little of “I’m too elite for you”.
Now that you have had this experience, I don’t think I would let it go. When he calls next week you gotta give it to him straight. Maybe he just needs a little nudge from somone he trusts to get back in action. If you don’t talk to him about some of this stuff, it will eventually just make you frustrated and could ruin your friendship. Missing one part of one workout because of loyalty to an old buddy is one thing. More than that is on you.
Personally I go on rides with the full knowledge that if I completely crash I’m on my own. If someone is nice enough to stay back and hang with me cool, if they take off cool…I have a cell phone and luckily a wife.
On another note the “Captain” once helped me out in a somewhat similar situation. I was drug out onto an unknown route, early season 70-75 mile hilly ride. Having started out the ride thinking it was only going to be 35-40 miles or so I had no food, one bottle, no cash. By mile 50 or so I was falling behind, crashing had no idea where I was. He hung back and even assisted up a hill.
On the dark side however the second we reached an area where I knew the way home, they dropped me like a hot potatoe…as it should be. The last 10 miles or so hurt and took a long time…but I survived.
this is one of the reasons I ride alone. I refuse to be a burden on anyone, and by the same token it is not my job to look after people who haven’t planned ahead.
But sitting around waiting for some jerkoff who rode too hard in the first 50 and now can’t finish the second 50 properly…sorry, Mommy isn’t going to wipe your arse anymore. For some of these people a long walk home is just the lesson they need.
you get one or two chances, sitting on the pack and just hanging is cool if they are a nice person but setting out repeatedly knowing they won’t even come close to hanging means they should find a new group or just be prepared to be dropped and let everyone know ahead of time that if the group should drop them to just keep going. The group I do some of my long rides with dropped me every single ride for the first year. But in the first half of the ride I learned some great new routes!
Now an occasional bonk, I can see waiting for that but this guy sounds pretty consistantly inconsistant.
I had a friend ask to ride with me one saturday - we hadent ridden together in quite a while. I told him to check his bike over and be ready to ride at 9am.
He shows up at 9am… with 1 flat tire. He has no spare and doesn’t know how to change it. After watching him putz with it for an eternity, I change it. Ready to ride? Wait, He has no liquids… “can you get me a water bottle and a gatoraid bottle?”
We get 5 miles out and blam, another flat tire - he again has no spare so I ride ahead to get him a spare and come back and change it for him again.
At the end of the ride, he is bonking, “can you spare a Clif bar - I have no food”
This yokle never paid me for the 2 tubes, 1 gatoraid or 1 clif bar even though I hinted that I was not his local bike shop.
Next time I am going to make him dig his own grave, plug him and shove him in.
When Cap’n calls for the next ride, “Cap’n, we’re doing an 80 miler at 20-21 mph, spit a lung, call for your sag, whatever, its prep time and we will be laying it down.” What do you think?
At some point if he does not get it, you have to spell it out for him – what your willing to do to help him, what you are not willing to do. Focuse on the former, first, but he needs to hear the latter. If he whines. You know what you are dealing with.
To answer the question – You drop them after you’ve told them that’s the deal.
Well, my slant on it is: If there are more than three guys on any ride that have slept with the same girl, drop them. If a rider poses a clear and present danger to others on the ride, politely help them with bike handling suggestions, tips and pointers. Do this until the risk outwieghs the benefit. If they fail to learn in a manner quick enough to insure everyone’s safety, drop them. If a rider insists on ruining a perfectly good morning with pointless jabber, increase the tempo until respiration takes precedent over conversation. If that doesn’t work, drop them. If a rider comes on a ride and is unprepared with equipment, food and directions- help them on three consecutive rides. Stay with them. Teach them. Encourage them. If they haven’t learned anything by the fourth ride, avoid riding with them again- they have demonstrated an inability/unwillingness to learn. If a rider’s fitness prevents them from staying with a ride, wait for them. A group ride is a group ride. When you do nasty-assed, snot-lockin’, dick-in-the-dirt, balls- out, gut rippin’, bleed through the eyes rides where it is full on Gladiator pace- make it a private affair that only you and the guys who know the rules (there are no rules) are on. Don’t involve innocent parties. Those rides are invitation only. First rule of ride club: Nobody talks about ride club.
