Group Rides or Solo

NewDiz - 2010-09-24 11:36 AM OK, been riding a whole three months here and working hard to to build up skills for a group ride.  So let me just throw this out there.  If all the tri's I will ever do are "drafting illegal" then what's the benefit of a group ride?  I hear about how roadies are pretty snobby, and I see some of that at my LBS, but from what I've read and people I've talked to, it's all about getting to that group ride setting and hammering each other.  

I realize you're gonna get some value from training with them because of the competition that pushes you to train harder, but in the end, is learning how to ride with a group gonna benefit me when all my races will be "TT" style?     

briderdt - 2010-09-24 12:05 PM Your solo speed will improve a LOT more training with groups than trying to grind it out solo. Also, similar to motor pacing, getting comfortable with turning over a big gear, and going FASTER than you would in a race, goes a long way towards increasing your race speed.

NewDiz - 2010-09-24 12:20 PM OK that makes sense, thanks.  I wuz thinking along the lines of what the miliatry says, i.e., train like you fight, or in this case, train like you race.  But it sounds like a group setting forces you to up your game, which is value-added, so I can see why it makes sense to do it.  

tri808 - 2010-09-24 2:05 PM

Agree with everything said so far.

If you only own a TT bike, check with the group if it's okay for you to ride with them.  Every group is different...never assume. 

I don't buy the "train how you race".  It holds some meaning, but people take it too literally.  If that was the case, we would never do intervals, we would never swim in pools, and we would never do any weight or resistance training.  It is important to make sure you are comfortable with the aspects of racing...but the goal of training is to simply make yourself stronger in a way that will allow you to race faster.