Group ride

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bruce in SoCal
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Bruce in SoCal

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Yesterday, I rode with a MTB group for the first time. I learned some very good stuff.

1. There are guys who climb way better than me.
2. There are guys who don't climb as well as me.
3. I'm too tentative on many of my descents and have the skill to let the bike go faster.
 
Group rides are great for making you faster...riding alone gives you no perspective on how fast you actually ride.

Unless you are riding with some of the groups I see out there that seem to just drag their feet and stop every 200 ft. :?
 
mtnbikej said:
Unless you are riding with some of the groups I see out there that seem to just drag their feet and stop every 200 ft. :?
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What's wrong with that?????? People ride for different reasons. The fact that they stop every 200ft as you claim and you don't, does that make you better than them? I ride to get outside and enjoy myself. Sometimes I ride fast, sometimes I'm cruising but one thing I don't do is judge other people out riding their bikes.

#4 Group rides can be fun.
 
ChrisPBacon said:
mtnbikej said:
Unless you are riding with some of the groups I see out there that seem to just drag their feet and stop every 200 ft. :?
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What's wrong with that?????? People ride for different reasons. The fact that they stop every 200ft as you claim and you don't, does that make you better than them? I ride to get outside and enjoy myself. Sometimes I ride fast, sometimes I'm cruising but one thing I don't do is other people out riding their bikes.
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Nothing wrong with it.....you just gotta know what you are in for when it comes down to group rides.....been there, done that. Some are into it for the social aspect, some use it as an excuse to hang out. Doesn't make anyone better than anyone else

Personally, I don't do group rides much anymore....I like to ride for myself, so j enjoy the solidarity of it.

The OP stated that some in the group were faster, some slower on the climbs....and he was tentative on the DH but skilled enough to go faster.....so my point was group rides generally make you faster, unless you end up on a very social group ride.
 
Group rides are fun until a renegade party crasher runs you over. No Sh!t, it happened. TomBomb and Rox were both there.

I'm all about sharing the experience with considerate riders, which almost every one of us is.
 
I almost always ride alone, and have since Reagan was in office... Unfortunately I took the Clinton and Bush years off. :D I think of my alone time on the bike as "training time". That's when I'm out there to fight off old age, and beat back the large number on the bathroom scale.

But I'm really looking forward to a few group rides here and there- Like the Rwanda pre-ride coming up. Hint, hint... Anyone who wants to join is welcome for all or part.

Or... maybe a trip to Idyllwild when the plan comes together over in the Trailhead forum. That looks like a fun time.
 
Faust29 said:
I almost always ride alone, and have since Reagan was in office... Unfortunately I took the Clinton and Bush years off. :D I think of my alone time on the bike as "training time". That's when I'm out there to fight off old age, and beat back the large number on the bathroom scale.

But I'm really looking forward to a few group rides here and there- Like the Rwanda pre-ride coming up. Hint, hint... Anyone who wants to join is welcome for all or part.

Or... maybe a trip to Idyllwild when the plan comes together over in the Trailhead forum. That looks like a fun time.
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I used to ride alone all the time, and really enjoyed it.
Now it's typically with others, as I like the social aspect. I think it keeps me young being able to act like a kid at my age.
It's good to spend time with others outside of work.
It's has made me a better rider, no question about it.
My house is way to quiet, so gotta go ride!
It's good for safety to have someone along on the ride.

And of course, I'd look silly riding alone now. I talk way to much and might be mistaken for the crazy guy taking to himself!
Uh, um....hey...maybe I am that crazy guy... :?
 
Danimal said:
Faust29 said:
I almost always ride alone, and have since Reagan was in office... Unfortunately I took the Clinton and Bush years off. :D I think of my alone time on the bike as "training time". That's when I'm out there to fight off old age, and beat back the large number on the bathroom scale.

But I'm really looking forward to a few group rides here and there- Like the Rwanda pre-ride coming up. Hint, hint... Anyone who wants to join is welcome for all or part.

Or... maybe a trip to Idyllwild when the plan comes together over in the Trailhead forum. That looks like a fun time.
Click to expand...


I used to ride alone all the time, and really enjoyed it.
Now it's typically with others, as I like the social aspect. I think it keeps me young being able to act like a kid at my age.
It's good to spend time with others outside of work.
It's has made me a better rider, no question about it.
My house is way to quiet, so gotta go ride!
It's good for safety to have someone along on the ride.

And of course, I'd look silly riding alone now. I talk way to much and might be mistaken for the crazy guy taking to himself!
Uh, um....hey...maybe I am that crazy guy... :?
Click to expand...

You're not supposed to talk to yourself? It's how I make it up most of the big climbs!
 
As I said in my original post, the ride was my first group ride, i.e. I always ridden alone. I really like riding alone. However, I also enjoyed the group ride. I don't think we pushed each other, but we provided examples for each other. And, there was a social aspect to it.
 
I ride alone and with various groups. I tend to push myself the most physically when I'm by myself, but I do less of the fun stuff (avoid the more technical stuff and half-ass jumps).

The more XC oriented group I ride with makes me hate life and wish I wasn't rolling on 26x3.0 tires w/ 8" of travel. Even on flat ground, I feel like I'm pedaling uphill trying to keep up.

The more freeride oriented group stops and chats at the top of the hills for 5 minutes at a time. Rides the same distance as XC group take literally twice as long. It sucks getting eating alive by bugs, but there's usually someone who REALLY needs the rest.

The more drinking oriented group ends up riding straight to the nearest bar or we just never make it to the trail.

I suppose our definitions of group rides may differ as well. More than riding in groups and alone, I prefer riding in pairs with one other person at a similar skill/fitness level. We push each other and take those risks either of us wouldn't alone. Like Ryu and Ken from Street Fighter.
 
Chris P - chill dude - you sound like me.

It's well documented here and elsewhere that I don't like riding in large groups (say more than 7). Large groups invariable ruin the flow and annoy other trail users. Large group rides take 30-100% longer. Staging, waiting, bathroom breaks, mechanicals, decision points, disparity in skills and styles - it just makes for a clusterf@@. That said, I love riding with a few buddies or even a few strangers. I've met some lifelong friends on the trail. Give me a nice group of 4-6 who are stoked to be outside and riding and who encourage each other - and I'm in. Fit, courageous women too, please!

Egomaniacs, STRAVA junkies and Type A racer boys can go on beating themselves. I want no part of that.

However:

[youtube]QyTyjQbvylg[/youtube]

<a class="postlink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyTyjQbvylg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyTyjQbvylg</a>
 
herzalot said:
Chris P - chill dude - you sound like me.

It's well documented here and elsewhere that I don't like riding in large groups (say more than 7). Large groups invariable ruin the flow and annoy other trail users. Large group rides take 30-100% longer. Staging, waiting, bathroom breaks, mechanicals, decision points, disparity in skills and styles - it just makes for a clusterf@@. That said, I love riding with a few buddies or even a few strangers. I've met some lifelong friends on the trail. Give me a nice group of 4-6 who are stoked to be outside and riding and who encourage each other - and I'm in. Fit, courageous women too, please!

Egomaniacs, STRAVA junkies and Type A racer boys can go on beating themselves. I want no part of that.

However:

<a class="postlink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyTyjQbvylg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyTyjQbvylg</a>
Click to expand...

^^^^x2!^^^^
 
I very rarely ride in groups these days but I can safely say I would not have the skill/endurance level I have now if group rides had not pushed me harder when I first got into MTB.

In fact, I think I'd probably be a shuttle monkey now if the group rides did not force me to develop my climbing legs.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
I don't mind riding with anyone from total beginners to fast people.

I've only been on one group ride and it was a lot of waiting, resting, etc. Then when the downs came, it is basically like riding with one other person as you are following them the whole time.

I'd go into a group ride with the mindset of it being a social event more than anything else.


If I want to push myself on a climb or on a loop, I find that I feel more comfortable doing it solo. Then, I can adjust routes, pace, etc.. at my leisure. When I went 100% on Cholla, I got to the top, turned right, and went home. If I was riding with someone else, I would feel it only respectable to save some effort for the rest of the ride instead of cutting it short like I "had" to do that time. (This mentality is probably why I suck at climbing as I just want to do enough to get by instead of putting forth effort - I am trying to change and ride stuff that will force me to give it my all)

I do enjoy riding with a couple of people as it's fun to talk with people while being outdoors and even give each other some riding advice.

Sometimes, it's nice to stop and smell the flowers. With a small group, you can spend time smelling the flowers, while large groups you actually plant, til, sow, and grow the flowers, and solo rides - you just run the flowers over.
 
I almost exclusively ride solo. Mostly because I don't want to hold up everyone else; but also because if I happen to be the faster one on the ride (rare) I don't want to wait. I've discovered I'm not very sociable when riding unless I force myself to be. Like when someone else knows the route and I don't. :oops:

But mostly I try to figure out the route ahead of time in case I just can't hang.
 
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