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11 reasons why group rides suck and it's better to get out on your own

Group rides aren't always that great… no really

There are many benefits to riding in a group, as we outlined previously, but there are just as many pitfalls to be wary of.

Getting dropped

group riding pitfalls2

One of the biggest problems with riding with a group is being dropped because someone else is setting the pace. You might be partaking in an organised ride or a social event, the pace is heating up and your legs, well they just aren’t responding, the gap to the rider in front is opening and boom you're out the back on you own.

- Cycling survival: What to do when you get dropped — and how to avoid it

Somebody else setting the (high) pace

group riding pitfalls6

Unless you’re at the front of the group, you’re not in charge of the pace so you often have the choice of keeping up or getting dropped. Riding on your own lets you be in charge of the pace and you'll never get dropped.

You’re not a victim to being half-wheeled or those annoying people who insist on sprinting up every climb, or ride to a set power because their training plan insists on it. Nope, riding on your own means you’re in charge and nobody is going to force you to ride faster than you want to.

- 8 reasons to join a cycling club + how to find the right one for you

Getting covered in mud and road spray

Kinesis Fend-Off mudguards-2.jpg

Riding in a group of cyclists on wet and mud-covered roads without enough mudguards to go around. It's one of the reasons I stopped riding with my local club through the winter, I would return covered in mud because very few people want to ruin the clean lines of their bikes with mudguards!

Some clubs have enforced strict mudguard policies to address this anti-social behaviour. Turn up without mudguards and you’ll be forced to ride at the back if they even let you join in at all.

- 16 of the best mudguards for any type of bike — keep dry when it's wet with guards for race bikes and practical bikes

Crashes are more likely

Tour de Yorkshire 2017 crash in Scarborough (copyright Simon Wilkinson, SWpix.com)

Crashes are more likely to happen in a group unless they are very organised and there’s a shared trust that everyone is riding considerately. I’ve seen firsthand the penalty of riding behind an erratic ride and it’s not pretty at all.

You need great trust in the person ahead to not doing anything erratic like suddenly braking or weaving when you’re following them closely, as you do in a group ride to reap the benefits of riding as a large unit.

- 6 tips for riding in a group — how to be safe at peloton speeds

Annoying squeaks and rattles from other bikes

The only thing worse than your bike making an unwanted noise is another bike squeaking and rattling alongside you. You’re spinning along lovely country lanes listening to the sound of someone’s badly maintained bicycle ruining the ride.

You’re not in charge of the route

smartphone-apps1

Often riding in a group means you have to ride where other people want to ride. Sometimes this can result in you discovering new roads, but it also means relying on other people and their navigation skills. When you ride on your own you can go where you want and be out as long as you want.

- GPS cycle route planning made easy - how to plan and follow a bike route

You can't stop when you want

Need to stop for a coffee and slab of cake on a cold winter ride? You can do that whenever you want on a solo ride, but riding in a group might not permit you such luxury. Even a quick pee stop can be out of the question.

More chance of punctures

flat tyre 4.JPG

The most annoying thing about riding in a group, especially at this time of year, is when someone punctures. Etiquette dictates that the whole group stops while the flat is fixed, but that can mean standing by the side of the road in the freezing cold/pouring rain whilst somebody struggles in vain to inflate a tyre with a pathetic mini pump.

On the flip-side, if you get a puncture and the group disappears up the road you’re left on your own to change the inner tube and then spending the remainder of the ride on your own.

- How to repair a punctured inner tube

Waiting for poorly prepared people

group riding pitfalls7

There’s always someone, everyone knows them, that is just poorly prepared. They turn up late to the group ride forcing everyone else to wait for them, they usually have some sort of mechanical issue due to a badly maintained bike, they forget a rain jacket, food or money for the tea stop, and expect everyone else to bail them out.

You have to make conversation

group riding pitfalls11

In a well-organised group you’re often paired up with people and that means you have to make conversation. That is one of the attractions of riding in a group, and it helps the miles pass by, but there are days when you’re tired and you just want to sit and spin along in silence.

And one of the beauties of cycling is that it gives you time to clear your head after a busy day in the office or escape home life for a few hours. It can also be a great way to think about stuff, a problem you’re trying to solve at work or you’re seeking inspiration for a new challenge. You can’t do all that if the person next to you is droning on endlessly about training plans and FTP tests.

They start without you

group riding pitfalls4

Group rides often start on the hour and if you miss it by a few minutes you might be riding on your own anyway. Nobody likes to hang around for the one person that is always late. But when you ride on your own you can set off whenever you like and in your own good time, you’re not beholden to someone else’s schedule. Cycling groups usually like to get out early too and if you’re not an early bird riding on your own is not only easier but often your only option anyway.

David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes

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31 comments

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marmotte27 | 2 years ago
2 likes

12) You don't pay attention to your surroundings, the landscape, the route etc.
When you're in a group you chat and always have to look out for other riders, and so very often see nothing of what's around, or at any rate far less than you might have on your own.

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wickedstealthy | 2 years ago
2 likes

Point 1,2,4,6 are all idiotic testosterone related issues. People with small d*** trying to look like a pro. We have some cx Belgian girl riding with us sometimes,  Master rider etc but also some older people.
im  riding solo and in group and in group there are rules set beforehand. We do wait for people having flats and help to quickly get them back, set slower ones out of the wind (half the power needed) wait on top of a hill so the slower ones can catch up. And the faster ones can either do sightseeing or do the ride twice uphill. Coffee stop is always at the end of the ride unless it is a full day. If someone needs to do a stop for some reason he calls out and the front guys decide where its safe to stop. Front guys are held responsible for the group safety. A group of 15 people in Belgium can ride on the road where the cars are. Cars may not break a group when crossing etc 

 

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MrManners replied to wickedstealthy | 2 years ago
0 likes

Groups of blokes doing sport, whatever the sport....always the fkn same...

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John Pitcock | 3 years ago
0 likes

I agree with what was said in the above article.
I am very much a leisire cyclist. I have been on a few social group rides - but on them I need to be alert to what the other riders are doing, I can't go at my own pace, can't stop to admire a view etc. do not have to wait for others with a problem. I prefer to go on my own.
I am also a rambler - it is easier to chat to those around me than on a bike ride. I can stop for a minute to two and easily catch the others up as I can see where they've gone.

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tony.westclassi... | 3 years ago
1 like

They just Talk crap, ALL the time

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David9694 | 3 years ago
0 likes

my worst prangs and mechanicals have been in group settings - not sure I've got the faculties to consider what other riders are doing 

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korblimey | 3 years ago
2 likes

12. Aggressive drivers who behave like morons when they see 2 a-breast riding or a big group.
 

13. Time consuming group coffee stops when you can push harder on your own without the need for a 45 minute cake break and a lunchtime return. Which renders the post-stop ride even more of a plod. 

Gave up on group riding a long time ago. Mainly because of the demands of a young child and the need to get back early. Cycling really is about the escape. And riding at dawn, unbeatable. 

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Colin Peyresourde | 3 years ago
0 likes

Obviously pros and cons to the whole thing. Sometimes it's worth organising people. On a charity ride (London to Paris) I got people to close gaps, keep their speed and do turns of 3 minutes to keep the turnover regular.

Once people got into it they really took to it. Not to say that they were all unseasoned riders, but they all learned something.

The best rides are when you're in two or threes. Obviously pick your ride partners carefully, but you have a legal witness/helping hand/wind break/conversation partner etc. Etc. The key to group riding is about selectivity. Are the riders going to give you what you need? Some people only want banter and riding at a comfortable pace, while others want open mouthed, breathing-out-your-arse, max speed rides from start to finish.

i don't ride primarily to be social, but group rides definitely offer benefits and it's a great skill to learn. Especially off-and-through riding, of pulling off and dropping back.

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huntswheelers | 3 years ago
1 like

I do both....my ride buddies do too...all our group rides are no set pace, social, no one gets left behind... Winter riding = Mudguards and we all share any spares like tubes.....and we have great conversation from putting the world to rights to the latest cycling news,racing & bike stuff

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clayfit | 3 years ago
1 like

Cycling is like sex.  You can do it on your own, but it's more fun if you're not.

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kenyond replied to clayfit | 2 years ago
2 likes

I dont know with some people id rather be on my own and enjoy it more....

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dreamlx10 replied to clayfit | 2 years ago
2 likes

clayfit wrote:

You can do it on your own, but it's more fun if you're not.

Are you sure it's not the other way round ?

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horrovac | 4 years ago
5 likes

I have done some brevets last year, and I stuck to the group because I wanted the aero advantage and feared I wouldn't make it otherwise (or didn't know the route). Group riding sucks.

1) I haven't crashed in years, with the group I have been involved in 2 crashes in short order, crashing myself in one case (fortunately with no damage to the bike and only a cracked rib and a month of pain for myself)

2) People in the group don't know how to ride efficiently. This screws up my flow, exhausts me, and ruins any aero advantage once it gets hilly. I maintain constant pedalling force whether it's flat, up or down hill, I just shift to keep my cadence and pedalling force and don't mind the speed. Others try to maintain the speed when they reach an incline, quasi pointlessly sprinting up the hill. The first couple of times I thought, blimey, I won't be able to keep up, the guys are simply FLYING up the hill. And then they powered themselves out and slowed to a crawl, so that I had to  break out and go on my own lest I should cool out. Took me a while to figure out I'm actually one of the strongest climbers and the rest just don't know how to ride hills.  When I stay in a group and we reach the crest of a hill, they immediately start coasting, instead of gathering speed. They waste loads of speed and momentum, their pulse goes down, the muscles store a bit of energy so they can peak sprinting up the next incline and power themselves out. Due to the dynamics of this, I kept falling out of and getting caught by the group. In the hills I'd get away, in the flats they'd catch me. But sticking with the group in the flats didn't bring advantages either, because they never maintain the speed properly and oscillate between surging and coasting. In the end I figured out I'd be better just riding on my own, I had the same average speed and felt way less tired than in the group. If I had a couple of people who had a similar style of riding and knew how to do this, it would work, but in practice I never had that.

3) Insufficient mudguards all around, but for a couple of exceptions. On one 400km brevet we were in heavy rain for the last 180km, and it was like having a garden hose spraying dirty water in your face all the time.  I had full guards (albeit a bit short) and one other chap had long SKS (just bought some myself), that's it. The rest had ass-savers or clip-ons. It was ridiculous. I ended up getting out in front and leading until I nearly fell off my bike, just to get out of the constant stream of dirty water.

4) High stress trying to stamp my card, piss, get my bottles filled and some food into me. They'd set off without me half of the time, and I had to chase them.

5) They'd talk to me. I don't mind a little chat, but I'm not terribly sociable. When I'm on a bike I have better uses for my breath than waffling.

The last brevet before PBP was a 600 in two parts. I rode with the group first 300km, overstrained my knee and exhausted myself. The second part I had no group and rode the whole distance alone. My knee was hurting like hell, my arse was sore, I was tired, it was cold and it drizzled occasionally - but it was beautiful, and I still think fondly of it. The group rides I just remember as high stress and hard work. Screw that, I'm doing it alone.

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dreamlx10 replied to horrovac | 2 years ago
2 likes

But apart from that, you enjoyed ?

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Flintshire Boy replied to dreamlx10 | 2 years ago
0 likes

.

LOL!

.

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mdavidford | 4 years ago
2 likes

Riding solo is better than riding in a group because you might get dropped, or left behind if you puncture, or turn up late, and be left, um... riding solo. 

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cougie | 4 years ago
1 like

I think a mix is good. 

 

Group rides will let you discover more route and cafe stops. 

They'll shelter you from the wind a bit more. 

Let you keep a higher pace up. 

 

The key to it all is selecting the right group to go with. 

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Kapelmuur | 4 years ago
7 likes

It's good to read reasons to justify riding on my own when I had thought it was because I have no friends.

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Mungecrundle | 4 years ago
1 like

I've been the guy who has to drop because some days you are just not up for it. I've also been the annoying twat jumping off the front like an over excited spaniel at every chance.

I like the motivation of turning up when I'd otherwise be stinking in bed, but secretly hoping that no-one else does so I can sneak back home where it is warm and dry.

I like being in the company of others even if I say no more than "good morning".

Sometimes it is frustrating when others get punctures until you get one yourself and someone lends a hand.

Sometimes the group works well and there's a buzz about being part of a team riding inches from each other's wheels, other times it just doesn't work and I'll go ahead to warn of cars or drop behind to protect the rear because the group just doesn't feel safe.

But the very best thing about the group ride is the cake and coffee at the end.

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Flintshire Boy replied to Mungecrundle | 2 years ago
1 like

.

Agreed - as long as it's at the end.

.

Cycling newcomer - cannot believe that people get nicely warmed up, and then go an sit for an hour in sweaty clothes, getting cold.

.

Makes no sense to me. The halftime breaks at (say) footie or rugby are not for an hour, are they?!

.

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alan sherman | 4 years ago
4 likes

Another advantage of solo rides is less hassle from car drivers. A solo cyclist is much easier to overtake.

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Nick T | 4 years ago
3 likes

The natural progression tends to be start cycling > get better > join a club > get better > meet some likeminded people > meet some bellends > organise some things privately with the likeminded people > leave the club to avoid the bellends

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Flintshire Boy replied to Nick T | 2 years ago
0 likes

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I'm a bell-end, and I totally resemble that remark(!)

.

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Jimthebikeguy.com | 4 years ago
2 likes

One upside i have discovered, having disliked group rides for ages but just the last week took the plunge, is that the training benefit can be higher. I pushed myself much harder when out with these faster guys. It was admittedly all a bit macho and alpha male for me, but we certainly cracked on.

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Karbon Kev | 4 years ago
4 likes

Done with group rides years ago, way too much faff, far rather ride alone now.

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BadgerBeaver | 4 years ago
2 likes

...or they don't even show up

 

Some "organised rides" are not. Organised, that is. I rode with a club whose Sunday ride was sometimes populated by just me. A bit less likely now we have this social media thing, but it was typical of the contempt a lot of people had for one another. 

When ride leaders were suggested one objection was that that person might be legally liable for crashes. 

Whether that's true or not, it was indicative of the attitude.

 

I've moved on...

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peted76 replied to BadgerBeaver | 4 years ago
2 likes

BadgerBeaver wrote:

...or they don't even show up

 

Some "organised rides" are not. Organised, that is. I rode with a club whose Sunday ride was sometimes populated by just me. A bit less likely now we have this social media thing, but it was typical of the contempt a lot of people had for one another. 

When ride leaders were suggested one objection was that that person might be legally liable for crashes. 

Whether that's true or not, it was indicative of the attitude.

I've moved on...

They sound a right miserable bunch. 

Ref. legal liability ref crashes..  It's a very grey area, but general guidelines are that if a club puts on a ride, then the club may be liable for any claims resulting from accidents, this can be offset with a health and safety report being conducted on the full route and hazards accounted for.  But the long and short of it is that if a cyclist on a club ride causes an accident then an insurance company chasing compo could very easily and legally wipe out a club in one foul legal swoop. 

We try 'not' to organise rides for this very reason, instead we facilitate a group of people meeting to ride together, regularly.. also we don't have ride leaders, we have ride navigators. Nuanced and arguably pathetic, but don't blame us for the nonsense.

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Sniffer replied to peted76 | 4 years ago
5 likes

peted76 wrote:

BadgerBeaver wrote:

...or they don't even show up

 

Some "organised rides" are not. Organised, that is. I rode with a club whose Sunday ride was sometimes populated by just me. A bit less likely now we have this social media thing, but it was typical of the contempt a lot of people had for one another. 

When ride leaders were suggested one objection was that that person might be legally liable for crashes. 

Whether that's true or not, it was indicative of the attitude.

I've moved on...

They sound a right miserable bunch. 

Ref. legal liability ref crashes..  It's a very grey area, but general guidelines are that if a club puts on a ride, then the club may be liable for any claims resulting from accidents, this can be offset with a health and safety report being conducted on the full route and hazards accounted for.  But the long and short of it is that if a cyclist on a club ride causes an accident then an insurance company chasing compo could very easily and legally wipe out a club in one foul legal swoop. 

We try 'not' to organise rides for this very reason, instead we facilitate a group of people meeting to ride together, regularly.. also we don't have ride leaders, we have ride navigators. Nuanced and arguably pathetic, but don't blame us for the nonsense.

The Club is covered for liabilities if affiliated to British Cycling (up to £15M).  Much simpler than dancing on the head of a pin.

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/clubinsurance

Avatar
BadgerBeaver replied to Sniffer | 4 years ago
2 likes

Sniffer wrote:

peted76 wrote:

BadgerBeaver wrote:

...or they don't even show up

 

Some "organised rides" are not. Organised, that is. I rode with a club whose Sunday ride was sometimes populated by just me. A bit less likely now we have this social media thing, but it was typical of the contempt a lot of people had for one another. 

When ride leaders were suggested one objection was that that person might be legally liable for crashes. 

Whether that's true or not, it was indicative of the attitude.

I've moved on...

They sound a right miserable bunch. 

Ref. legal liability ref crashes..  It's a very grey area, but general guidelines are that if a club puts on a ride, then the club may be liable for any claims resulting from accidents, this can be offset with a health and safety report being conducted on the full route and hazards accounted for.  But the long and short of it is that if a cyclist on a club ride causes an accident then an insurance company chasing compo could very easily and legally wipe out a club in one foul legal swoop. 

We try 'not' to organise rides for this very reason, instead we facilitate a group of people meeting to ride together, regularly.. also we don't have ride leaders, we have ride navigators. Nuanced and arguably pathetic, but don't blame us for the nonsense.

The Club is covered for liabilities if affiliated to British Cycling (up to £15M).  Much simpler than dancing on the head of a pin.

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/clubinsurance

 

Good call

Avatar
davidgray968 replied to BadgerBeaver | 3 years ago
0 likes

BadgerBeaver wrote:

Sniffer wrote:

peted76 wrote:

BadgerBeaver wrote:

...or they don't even show up

 

Some "organised rides" are not. Organised, that is. I rode with a club whose Sunday ride was sometimes populated by just me. A bit less likely now we have this social media thing, but it was typical of the contempt a lot of people had for one another. 

When ride leaders were suggested one objection was that that person might be legally liable for crashes. 

Whether that's true or not, it was indicative of the attitude.

I've moved on...

They sound a right miserable bunch. 

Ref. legal liability ref crashes..  It's a very grey area, but general guidelines are that if a club puts on a ride, then the club may be liable for any claims resulting from accidents, this can be offset with a health and safety report being conducted on the full route and hazards accounted for.  But the long and short of it is that if a cyclist on a club ride causes an accident then an insurance company chasing compo could very easily and legally wipe out a club in one foul legal swoop. 

We try 'not' to organise rides for this very reason, instead we facilitate a group of people meeting to ride together, regularly.. also we don't have ride leaders, we have ride navigators. Nuanced and arguably pathetic, but don't blame us for the nonsense.

The Club is covered for liabilities if affiliated to British Cycling (up to £15M).  Much simpler than dancing on the head of a pin.

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/clubinsurance

 

Good call

All our club rides are created as events as I think that is how the BC insurance works, but don't quote me.

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