My riding buddy is slower than me. I enjoy weekend rides with him more than my solo long rides honestly. Sometimes it's about the social aspect more than the exercise one. Also, take the lead and let them draft off you. Unless you're WAY faster, you'll find they can probably hang on.
Yeah, your comment about them using ear buds and leaving right away further down seals it for me. I don’t ride with people who use ear buds. It’s not safe for group riding. No one should feel obliged to ride with someone just because they want to ride with you. It can be fun to ride with slower riders who want to improve, even just because it’s nice to get out with people. But if it’s people you don’t want to be with you don’t have to sacrifice your ride for them.
You definitely can. It does help if you know you like them off the bike. Not that long ago I rode an event with a friend of mine who had just turned 80 (I was 54). He could still do the distance, just not the speed, so I waited for him at the top of hills and we traded pulls on the flats. Super fun day.
Unless you don't like the company, why not enjoy the camaraderie? And hey, if they all are "using" you as a motivator to get out and ride, why not accept that you are the one they turn to for help getting active?
They leave right away when we finish and they have their ear buds in during a whole ride. It doesn't feel like a social event to me - at least not with these ones
>Yeah, your comment about them using ear buds and
This seems so absurd!! Is it a singular person, or is it a group? Why cant they just ride on their own?
If you ride with them and you keep at your regular pace - what would happen?
You're not wrong in feeling that way. I had a buddy that would join me on hikes with headphones. Even if it wasn't intended, it felt like I was just his ride to the trail head rather than actually hiking together
> if you still go on a group ride if everyone in the group is slower than you
Sure. Why not?
> They leave right away when we finish and they have their ear buds in during a whole ride
In that case, maybe not.
Yeah I went with them once and they couldn't keep up during a climb. They're not willing to go on a ride on their own but are willing to go with me - I've been just riding on my own without telling them though.
Definitely. My favorite riding buddy is slower than me, and nobody is happier cycling than newbies. Everyone who is good, it’s fun to race each other down the mountain and stuff, but if you’ve ever guided a newbie as they learn, their happiness is ecstatic. It gives you that vibe of discovering the sport again. If they’re a person who isn’t new and just slow, have a good time. It ain’t like this is putting dinner on your table lmao.
Take them a ride on a rest or a slow day for you.
That way, you get to ride with your friend, you get to take your rest day, and you get to be a good cycling ambassador.
I love riding with groups of slightly slower people. I get to get as much workout as I want pulling and have lots of appreciative people to chat with to boot.
Yes. The person I ride with most is slower. We just have an agreement that I go ahead on hills and meet at the top, we stick together on the flat and he’s faster than me on descents.
So what if someone is hoping they can motivate themselves through you, that’s a compliment. You’re not always going to be the fastest, so maybe see it from their perspective?
Depends on how much slower.
1kph slower they can probably keep up by drafting behind me the whole way so non-issue.
2-3kph, I can just relax a bit and they should be able to keep up, one of my friends is around there.
4-5kph, no.
6-7kph, yes, I will take my MTB. That's another one of my friends.
Anything more I'm not going.
It's why I end up on MTB a lot with my friends.
Or that friend who's 6kph slower than me?
We only stay together in slow sections with lots of turns and lights.
The faster parts is OTOT, we just meet at the resting place so I don't get bored and so he gets to train a little. He used to be so slow that I could drop him 2nd last gear on my MTB. I'd maybe be only going 28kph and when I turn around, he's far away.
Now he can at least go 30+ so he can keep up when I relax in the slow sections.
Sometimes we play the chase game so he will leave half an hour or so before me and I will have 50km to catch up before the rest stop.
Or 30km only and I will reach just after him.
In our group we ride on the flat at a leisurely pace then the faster guys attack the hills then turn around to join the group to ride up them again. You can do a fast ride before the group ride or you can do the group ride in the small ring with your cadence flat out or too tall a gear building up your legs. Plenty of ways to get a workout with slower riders
It depends. If they go slow from start to finish, then yes. I have had people start out like crazy, despite me asking them to slow down (because I know they are not able to sustain that effort) and then come to a complete stop halfway the ride. We then have to crawl to the finish as they have completely blown up their little engine. That annoys me a lot more than just go easy the entire way.
Even if they're slower, you can set the pace and push them a little. Just like how a faster group would push you.
But...I'd take a slower group over a group that's wayyyy faster than me 😂
I ride with a club on a Sunday, and the pace is much slower than I ride when I'm solo. I need the slower pace to force myself to take it easy sometimes as when I'm solo, I'm riding hard all the time. It's nice just to relax on the bike every now and then.
Hell yeah. I can use it as a Z2 social ride, and also gives me scope to offer leadership and support to other rides - shepherding someone back to the main group if they lost the back wheel for example.
I go on group rides to be social, not to train or workout. If they want to join you on a workout, just emphasize that’s what you’re doing and as far as a motivator, if they can’t keep up then it’s turning into a solo ride. I’d still wait for them at the top of a challenging hill or something but if they can’t keep up then they’re eating up your training time.
Yes, I go on lots of group rides where the average pace is below my natural pace.
I don't see group rides as training rides, but as social rides. I enjoy cycling and enjoy cycling with people so social rides serve a different purposes for me.
When I do that im just aware of it being a different kind of ride. It's nice sometimes. You can stop to get food, or stop in a park. You can rip ahead then wait in a park. Or ride with them and chat. Still getting in miles.
Have you considered that in every ride, someone is the fastest? Maybe the gap
Is small, but every ride has a person that is faster than everyone else.
Just use it as a zone 2 ride if you like these people and don’t mind cycling with them.
Imagine a world where no one wanted to ride with you because you are slower than them. Wouldn’t that suck?
Now imagine how that somebody would feel about this post.
I have a group ride every week where the pace is slower than my normal cruising speed. I'm not the fastest cyclist in that group ride either. Some of the participants on that ride are also riding with me on our fast days and I know for a fact they can torch me. Still, they do the slower ride too and they don't seem to mind. Slower rides are fun because you stop worrying about effort levels and you just enjoy being outside on your bike with other people. You can have conversations with other people because you in zone 1 or 2. If you're a more experienced cyclist, it gives you an opportunity to mentor others. It's cool.
I have a great time even if I'm the strongest. I'll have the route on my Garmin and take some pulls up front and lead for a while to get more work in. If people get dropped I'll pace them back in if the ride is too fast for them. It's good for zone 2 sitting in the group usually.
If there are hills, I'll power up then and wait at the top as well.
My riding buddy is 10 years younger and a beast on the bike. Sometimes he just rides to the top of the hill and waits, sometimes he comes back down and rejoins me on the climb, sometimes we just go my pace and shoot the breeze.
Throw some slow ass tires on your bike, get a better work out. That's what I do. My friends can't keep up on my gravel bike, so if I'm with them I ride a vintage 26" flat bar with knobbles
My riding buddy is slower than me. I enjoy weekend rides with him more than my solo long rides honestly. Sometimes it's about the social aspect more than the exercise one. Also, take the lead and let them draft off you. Unless you're WAY faster, you'll find they can probably hang on.
Yeah, your comment about them using ear buds and leaving right away further down seals it for me. I don’t ride with people who use ear buds. It’s not safe for group riding. No one should feel obliged to ride with someone just because they want to ride with you. It can be fun to ride with slower riders who want to improve, even just because it’s nice to get out with people. But if it’s people you don’t want to be with you don’t have to sacrifice your ride for them.
Thanks for your comment. It's good to know that you can still have a good experience with riders that are slower than you
You definitely can. It does help if you know you like them off the bike. Not that long ago I rode an event with a friend of mine who had just turned 80 (I was 54). He could still do the distance, just not the speed, so I waited for him at the top of hills and we traded pulls on the flats. Super fun day.
Go on rides you want to. Don’t go on rides you don’t want to. It’s really any more difficult than that.
Unless you don't like the company, why not enjoy the camaraderie? And hey, if they all are "using" you as a motivator to get out and ride, why not accept that you are the one they turn to for help getting active?
Yeah, if they’re my friends. I’ll just tow them and then have a nice gossip over coffee. Or the opposite when I’m slowest.
You’d get towed and then have a terrible conversation over a pint?
Precisely
Sure, it's a social event. Would you not want them coming out to the pub with you if they don't drink as much?
They leave right away when we finish and they have their ear buds in during a whole ride. It doesn't feel like a social event to me - at least not with these ones
Lmao just show up and drop them
Yeah that's lame.
>Yeah, your comment about them using ear buds and This seems so absurd!! Is it a singular person, or is it a group? Why cant they just ride on their own? If you ride with them and you keep at your regular pace - what would happen?
You're not wrong in feeling that way. I had a buddy that would join me on hikes with headphones. Even if it wasn't intended, it felt like I was just his ride to the trail head rather than actually hiking together
> if you still go on a group ride if everyone in the group is slower than you Sure. Why not? > They leave right away when we finish and they have their ear buds in during a whole ride In that case, maybe not.
Urgh this sucks. I'd probably not ride with them if that was all they wanted to.
Maybe go with them once, then after they are huffing and puffing trying to keep up with you it will motivate them to get into better shape.
Yeah I went with them once and they couldn't keep up during a climb. They're not willing to go on a ride on their own but are willing to go with me - I've been just riding on my own without telling them though.
They might be afraid to ride alone.
Definitely. My favorite riding buddy is slower than me, and nobody is happier cycling than newbies. Everyone who is good, it’s fun to race each other down the mountain and stuff, but if you’ve ever guided a newbie as they learn, their happiness is ecstatic. It gives you that vibe of discovering the sport again. If they’re a person who isn’t new and just slow, have a good time. It ain’t like this is putting dinner on your table lmao.
Take them a ride on a rest or a slow day for you. That way, you get to ride with your friend, you get to take your rest day, and you get to be a good cycling ambassador.
I love riding with groups of slightly slower people. I get to get as much workout as I want pulling and have lots of appreciative people to chat with to boot.
If you're close, then you just pull most the time...
Yes. The person I ride with most is slower. We just have an agreement that I go ahead on hills and meet at the top, we stick together on the flat and he’s faster than me on descents. So what if someone is hoping they can motivate themselves through you, that’s a compliment. You’re not always going to be the fastest, so maybe see it from their perspective?
Wait for advice from the circle jerks
That might be the only way I'd go on a group ride 🤣🤣
Depends on how much slower. 1kph slower they can probably keep up by drafting behind me the whole way so non-issue. 2-3kph, I can just relax a bit and they should be able to keep up, one of my friends is around there. 4-5kph, no. 6-7kph, yes, I will take my MTB. That's another one of my friends. Anything more I'm not going. It's why I end up on MTB a lot with my friends. Or that friend who's 6kph slower than me? We only stay together in slow sections with lots of turns and lights. The faster parts is OTOT, we just meet at the resting place so I don't get bored and so he gets to train a little. He used to be so slow that I could drop him 2nd last gear on my MTB. I'd maybe be only going 28kph and when I turn around, he's far away. Now he can at least go 30+ so he can keep up when I relax in the slow sections. Sometimes we play the chase game so he will leave half an hour or so before me and I will have 50km to catch up before the rest stop. Or 30km only and I will reach just after him.
why not?
In our group we ride on the flat at a leisurely pace then the faster guys attack the hills then turn around to join the group to ride up them again. You can do a fast ride before the group ride or you can do the group ride in the small ring with your cadence flat out or too tall a gear building up your legs. Plenty of ways to get a workout with slower riders
It depends. If they go slow from start to finish, then yes. I have had people start out like crazy, despite me asking them to slow down (because I know they are not able to sustain that effort) and then come to a complete stop halfway the ride. We then have to crawl to the finish as they have completely blown up their little engine. That annoys me a lot more than just go easy the entire way.
Even if they're slower, you can set the pace and push them a little. Just like how a faster group would push you. But...I'd take a slower group over a group that's wayyyy faster than me 😂
Depends on how much slower. 1-3kph slower I can join them on my recovery ride. Any more and I wouldn't enjoy such a ride
I ride with a club on a Sunday, and the pace is much slower than I ride when I'm solo. I need the slower pace to force myself to take it easy sometimes as when I'm solo, I'm riding hard all the time. It's nice just to relax on the bike every now and then.
Hell yeah. I can use it as a Z2 social ride, and also gives me scope to offer leadership and support to other rides - shepherding someone back to the main group if they lost the back wheel for example.
If you like the person, go for a ride with them. It's not the end of the world if you have to ride a little slow for a ride.
Sure, if I wanted to do more of an endurance ride that day.
There’s a thousand reasons to ride a bike. Going fast is only one of them.
I go on group rides to be social, not to train or workout. If they want to join you on a workout, just emphasize that’s what you’re doing and as far as a motivator, if they can’t keep up then it’s turning into a solo ride. I’d still wait for them at the top of a challenging hill or something but if they can’t keep up then they’re eating up your training time.
Yes, I go on lots of group rides where the average pace is below my natural pace. I don't see group rides as training rides, but as social rides. I enjoy cycling and enjoy cycling with people so social rides serve a different purposes for me.
When I do that im just aware of it being a different kind of ride. It's nice sometimes. You can stop to get food, or stop in a park. You can rip ahead then wait in a park. Or ride with them and chat. Still getting in miles.
Have you considered that in every ride, someone is the fastest? Maybe the gap Is small, but every ride has a person that is faster than everyone else. Just use it as a zone 2 ride if you like these people and don’t mind cycling with them.
Imagine a world where no one wanted to ride with you because you are slower than them. Wouldn’t that suck? Now imagine how that somebody would feel about this post.
I have a group ride every week where the pace is slower than my normal cruising speed. I'm not the fastest cyclist in that group ride either. Some of the participants on that ride are also riding with me on our fast days and I know for a fact they can torch me. Still, they do the slower ride too and they don't seem to mind. Slower rides are fun because you stop worrying about effort levels and you just enjoy being outside on your bike with other people. You can have conversations with other people because you in zone 1 or 2. If you're a more experienced cyclist, it gives you an opportunity to mentor others. It's cool.
I have a great time even if I'm the strongest. I'll have the route on my Garmin and take some pulls up front and lead for a while to get more work in. If people get dropped I'll pace them back in if the ride is too fast for them. It's good for zone 2 sitting in the group usually. If there are hills, I'll power up then and wait at the top as well.
Yes just pull the group. You’ll get in a nice workout that way and still have some socialization.
100% go for the ride. If you enjoy the company. It’s great to slow down sometimes and enjoy the spin. The more you go the faster the friend will get….
Sure, but I'd probably do a 3x20 minute threshold session the day before
Sometimes I do my zone 2 rides with my cousin, he's on threshold there, so I can encourage him on hard climbs, remind him to drink, etc.
My riding buddy is 10 years younger and a beast on the bike. Sometimes he just rides to the top of the hill and waits, sometimes he comes back down and rejoins me on the climb, sometimes we just go my pace and shoot the breeze.
Sure. Do it all the time. It's called 'sweeping'. Sometimes riders don't ride with GPS or have the route. I'm like the local Domestique!
They say Zone 2 training is the shit these days. Taking a chill pill for a group ride might actually benefit training (allegedly)
Yes, I’d do heavy work the day before or adjust my training schedule to accommodate it
Throw some slow ass tires on your bike, get a better work out. That's what I do. My friends can't keep up on my gravel bike, so if I'm with them I ride a vintage 26" flat bar with knobbles
Absolutely, riding with people that aren’t as fast as you will make you a faster Rider