Group Riding & Triathletes
How to get the most out of your long rides by sticking with your team

by Conrad Kiffin

The BTC's Saturday long rides are first and foremost "group rides. Why would you want to be a part of a group ride?

Party on Two Wheels: Riding is simply more fun when you have other people to share it with– that alone makes it easier to go faster and further. For many of us, triathlon becomes a lifestyle of getting up early to train, and that means there's not a lot of time to stay out late and party with friends. (Hey, let's face it, is there a better way to meet a fit guy or gal?) That's why group rides are so important – they become a social outlet where you can gab with old friends and meet new friends. There's another special secret that many triathletes have not tapped– groups can move much faster because of the power of the draft. Thanks to pacelining, weaker cyclists can ride with stronger cyclists and move at the same pace while stronger cyclists can take advantage of the interval training workout by taking turns on the front… but more on pacelining in another article.

Improve your technique: On group rides you can learn from better, more experienced riders and improve your cycling technique. Just like swimming, cycling is partially a skill sport. But unlike swimming, many triathletes ignore the skill component of cycling because bike handling isn't as important in a triathlon as it is in a bike race. What many ignore is the fact that sloppy cornering or a tentative descent can cost valuable time in a triathlon. By riding next to stronger riders, you can see how they handle their bikes and learn from them, following their lines around corners and gain confidence that you can go faster downhill.

Bike handling skills like pacelining and cornering aside (which can certainly be improved by group riding), group rides are the perfect place to learn about effective training techniques because by riding next to someone you get a chance to talk to them. You'll also learn new routes to break up the routine.

Safety in numbers: Riders who aren't so handy at changing a tire can take solace in the fact that in a group of 10 people, there's probably someone who can help you out or at least lend a cartridge of air. But more importantly, cycling, especially on roads with traffic, is dangerous. There are many stories I could share with you about cycling accidents - one of my elite cyclist friends was hit twice while riding (both times he was alone); the triathlete who endoed over her aero bars and had to go to the hospital; the man I found splayed out in the middle of Route 501 after he had a heart attack and his group ride dropped him. These stories highlight why having a group to look out for each other is so important.

On the BTC's long Saturday rides, we help each other when someone gets a flat or drops a chain. And yes, that means that sometimes we stop and wait. It certainly means that riders are expected to keep track of what's going on behind them, staying aware if someone had a mechanical or suddenly bonks. If this happens, don't immediately drop the rider and speed ahead – fall back, find out what's going on, and let the group in front of you know what's going on. In addition, there are times when everyone stretches their legs and the fast guys hammer and the slower folks see them fall out of sight. This is fine, but before it happens it should be communicated to the group. We're talking general politeness here, really.

The Golden Rule applies to these rides: Treat others as you would have them treat you. Maybe you're super fast and win every race you enter. Congratulations. Maybe there was a day many years ago when you weren't the fastest cyclist around. OK, maybe it wasn't cycling. Maybe you were trying to follow your big brother and you got lost because he was too fast for you. Do you remember that feeling? That miserable feeling of being last and worrying that you're lost? On every ride there is a last person. Think about how they feel getting dropped before you dust them. Hey, you might even find that if you spend a little time with that person giving some positive encouragement, you'll feel better about yourself. That's what the BTC group rides are all about. (Oh yeah, and you might find out that the new "slow lady" is the CEO of a company you'd like to do business with). I'm not saying you have to babysit anyone, but if you're the strongest member of a group, you have a responsibility to strengthen the weakest link.

One last note: most ride descriptions will provide a general prediction of the average speed of the ride. The average speed reflects a variety of factors. A social warm-up lasts at least 30 minutes and the pace will be slower this time than the rest of the ride--the last half of the ride tends to be faster than the first. Obviously, speeds drop going up hills. We may go 22 mph on the flats but 10 mph on the hills. That's why it's not to much to ask for the group to work together - the slower riders are not that slow compared to what the faster riders have been warned that the pace will be. Most club members average between 17 mph and 22 mph in races, and the rides that I lead are meant to focus on this group. If you average 22 mph on a 50 mile training ride, don't come out on a ride advertised as averaging 16 mph expecting to ride your normal pace. If you're fast and do join the group (and we hope you do), do it as your recovery ride and as a way to give back to the club, don't expect to ride your typical pace. Similarly, if you rode your last Olympic distance tri averaging 15 mph, you're probably not going to go out the next week and average 16 mph on a 50 mile ride, so be aware of your appropriate pacing. That said, we really hope to expand the number of ride options available in the club and are always looking for experienced ride leaders to organize slower (and faster) paced rides.

Conrad Kiffin leads the Saturday Long Rides. Every week he provides a general description of the coming ride - interested riders are instructed to email him for details.