Club run, got the fecking hump now...

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

Crankarm

Guru
Location
Nr Cambridge
RTFpost:
- They asked him to come along
- They told him the pace would be 17mph
- They said they have a 'no drop' policy.
They then proceeded to not follow both those latter. 'beneath him' doesn't intersect with it.

Perhaps he was riding a lot slower than he claims plus by his own admission he got separated from the group. I bet they did slow for him, but he was too slow to catch them up and so they felt he was just not able to keep up with them. Sorry there are limits to a "no drop" rule and clearly the OP was just too slow. If he was he would have caught the group up and then taken a long turn on the front which would have earned him huge respect. End of.
 

Canrider

Guru
Perhaps he was riding a lot slower than he claims plus by his own admission he got separated from the group. I bet they did slow for him, but he was too slow to catch them up and so they felt he was just not able to keep up with them. Sorry there are limits to a "no drop" rule and clearly the OP was not fast enough. If he was he would have caught them up and then taken a long turn on the front which would have earned him huge respect. End of.
Yeah, and 'perhaps' they saw he was too fast for them so they filled his frame up with concrete and let down both his tyres...
All we've got to go on is what the OP stated.
On that basis, the bunch invited him, then upped the pace and dropped him when they saw he was tangling with traffic.
 
By heck there is some rubbish spouted on this thread. I have been leading club rides for more years than I care to remember and any club worthy of it's name would not treat anyone in this manner. If the OP really was too slow then one of the stronger riders in the group should have dropped back for a chat. During this exchange at least the OP would have the chance to say "you are just too quick for me today" or some such words.
The problem a lot of clubs are finding these days is that new members who are keen to prove their mettle are forgetting that a club run [unless you are in the race training group] is a social ride, they are intent on riding it as if it was a sportive or a bunch of Strava segments.
The experienced riders on a club run, including of course the ride leader like to ride in a tight knit bunch, nothing to prove and all looking out for each other.
If your club doesn't do this, let them know / move on.
 
OP
OP
Pikey

Pikey

Waiting for the turbo to kick in...
Location
Wiltshire
Perhaps he was riding a lot slower than he claims plus by his own admission he got separated from the group. I bet they did slow for him, but he was too slow to catch them up and so they felt he was just not able to keep up with them. Sorry there are limits to a "no drop" rule and clearly the OP was just too slow. If he was he would have caught the group up and then taken a long turn on the front which would have earned him huge respect. End of.

Well thanks for the sage advice. I'll definitely avoid lying in future posts :whistle:
 
OP
OP
Pikey

Pikey

Waiting for the turbo to kick in...
Location
Wiltshire
By heck there is some rubbish spouted on this thread. I have been leading club rides for more years than I care to remember and any club worthy of it's name would not treat anyone in this manner. If the OP really was too slow then one of the stronger riders in the group should have dropped back for a chat. During this exchange at least the OP would have the chance to say "you are just too quick for me today" or some such words.
The problem a lot of clubs are finding these days is that new members who are keen to prove their mettle are forgetting that a club run [unless you are in the race training group] is a social ride, they are intent on riding it as if it was a sportive or a bunch of Strava segments.
The experienced riders on a club run, including of course the ride leader like to ride in a tight knit bunch, nothing to prove and all looking out for each other.
If your club doesn't do this, let them know / move on.

Yeah, I think this is right, just a quick chat would have done it, I'm not proud :laugh:
But I can see how that could be an awkward conversation to have with someone.

At the end of the day I'm still too slow for the fast lot, that's the bottom line, and the way it was handled has knocked the old confidence. I'm sure I'll be quick enough one day, given some work.

But I'll make damn sure I'm never too quick to not drop back for someone...
 

Pat "5mph"

A kilogrammicaly challenged woman
Moderator
Location
Glasgow
Us Belles on Bikes are of course nothing like a proper club, still it happens sometimes that members cannot keep up, usually because they forget to read the level of the ride :whistle:
We would never dream of leaving anybody behind, either one of us rides slowly with them, then we regroup at the coffee stop or we will find an escape route for them if they want to.
On the infamous :unsure: Perth CC Ecosse ride some of us where a right pita :laugh: still we didn't get abandoned :rose:
 

Stu Plows

Coming soon: Bonking on a hill near you!
Btw 18-20mph is nothing. In my Club this would be the pace of the intermediate group. The fast group ride at 24-25 sometimes 27-28mph.
:eek:

In response to the OP, took my chances on yesterday's faster group run, it gave me a real test and I bloody loved it, I'd implore you not to take it to heart and go again next week. They'll see you're serious and respect you for that.
 

alans

black belt lounge lizard
Location
Staffordshire
Went out for my usual run with the club, but for one reason or another I was encouraged to go out with the fast group, rather than the slow group as per normal.

This was accompanied by friendly assurances of, don't worry about the pace you'll keep up, we won't drop you, I'm not feeling like too quick of a run anyway etc... etc... What a great bunch of guys, thinks I, and was glad to be invited to tag along.

Fast group normally averages 17mph, both groups have a no drop policy.

So we set off, and the pace starts to hit 18-20, I kept up (not gonna lie it was hard work) for about 8 miles, when stupidly I fell back a bit and a car jumped in front of me. Couple of guys saw this, it then slows really quickly, almost like a left hook into a farm shop so I have to slow or rear end it.

The rest of the group hammered on, last couple of guys looking over their shoulders. By the time the car driver had moved her fat ar5e the group had crested a hill and I could not catch them.

Remembering the no drop policy and their cheery assertions at the start I carried on, thinking that they might wait at the next junction as they saw what happened.

Did they fu*k...

Cue a solo ride out, solo coffe stop and a solo 45 mile 'club run' (at least it was sunny), not really what I joined a club for...

I'm more angered by the fact that they did this to two newbs in the middle of nowhere a couple of weeks back, one of the guys was new to the area and didn't know where he was. A complaint was made to the club secretary.

Properly p1ssed off, fecking macho bullsh1t.
Rant over :banghead:

Entirely typical of cycle clubs IME.
This practice & other ego-centric attitudes are why I'm no longer a member of any of the local clubs.
I've found other ways to enjoy riding my bike.
 

MikeG

Guru
Location
Suffolk
It's not what your Club can do for you, but what you can do for your Club. If you have only been on a few club rides and have been dropped from the fast group then you have ambitions your legs can't fulfil at the moment. Continue to ride in the slower group but at the front to build stamina and speed and respect or do you feel riding with the slower group is beneath you? Perhaps you are not yet ready to become a Club member? I suspect your new Club does not operate solely for your benefit? Is your name Chris Froome or Bradley Wiggins?

Btw 18-20mph is nothing. In my Club this would be the pace of the intermediate group. The fast group ride at 24-25 sometimes 27-28mph. If you get dropped you wait for the slower group to catch you unless like you, you choose to ride on out of anger you got dropped! So guys in the fast group have to ride really slowly so you can keep up …………………. :laugh:.
You obviously missed the bit where the OP was told there was a "no-drop" policy. It isn't the pace he was complaining about, it was about being dropped after being promised that no-one would be left behind.

Your fast group ride at 27-28mph do they? I know it's flat around Cambridge, but this is faster than professional Tour de France pace. You might like to consider what you mean by "ride at 27-28mph" before you start lecturing someone about how slow they are.
 

outlash

also available in orange
We've had similar problems recently at the club I ride with. People getting dropped, or people not having the first idea how to ride with a group. I sympathise, I've had to take this weekend off because we had someone cause a pile up last week and I damaged my knee.

Did you not give a shout of 'ease up' at any point? I'm not trying to stick up for anyone but the first few miles of a club run is normally a lot of chatter/people catching up and it's possible they may not have seen you getting caught up in traffic. Does the club have a website and a forum? If they do, ask about what happened. I'm betting there was no genuine policy to drop you.


Tony.
 

Rob3rt

Man or Moose!
Location
Manchester
It's not what your Club can do for you, but what you can do for your Club. If you have only been on a few club rides and have been dropped from the fast group then you have ambitions your legs can't fulfil at the moment. Continue to ride in the slower group but at the front to build stamina and speed and respect or do you feel riding with the slower group is beneath you? Perhaps you are not yet ready to become a Club member? I suspect your new Club does not operate solely for your benefit? Is your name Chris Froome or Bradley Wiggins?

Btw 18-20mph is nothing. In my Club this would be the pace of the intermediate group. The fast group ride at 24-25 sometimes 27-28mph. If you get dropped you wait for the slower group to catch you unless like you, you choose to ride on out of anger you got dropped! So guys in the fast group have to ride really slowly so you can keep up …………………. :laugh:.

Average speeds or speeds on flat sections in a working group?

Also what is all this about building respect or that riding with the slower group being below the OP. Former, who gives two shoots about building respect, if you want people to treat you (i.e. refer to you) as one of the "fast lads" then go race, get some results for the club! You don't have to earn the right to be treat in the way in which a ride is "advertised". Latter, there is no where that the OP suggests or even hints that this is the case.
 
Last edited:
Why not go out for another ride with the fast group to see if the being dropped thing was a one off. If it happens again then its a good indication that their no drop policy doesn't exist.

In my experience it's always more enjoyable to ride with others you're comfortable with than to be beasted by some testosterone laden nobbers on an ego trip.
 

Rob3rt

Man or Moose!
Location
Manchester
I'll also add though, all the "testosterone laden nobbers", "macho bullshit" comments grind my gears, do you really think people on club runs beat their chest and announce "we have defeated pot belly by riding our wheeled steads like champions" when they drop someone?

It is usually a case of:
"where is so and so"
"oh he went off the back 5 miles back"
"why didn't he shout up?"
"don't know"
"oh well, lets crack on, to the cafe we ride!"
 

GrasB

Veteran
Location
Nr Cambridge
I'll also add though, all the "testosterone laden nobbers", "macho bullshit" comments grind my gears, do you really think people on club runs beat their chest and announce "we have defeated pot belly by riding our wheeled steads like champions" when they drop someone?

It is usually a case of:
"where is so and so"
"oh he went off the back 5 miles back"
"why didn't he shout up?"
"don't know"
"oh well, lets crack on, to the cafe we ride!"
I agree at some level but at least 2 riders noticed him drop off the back & did nothing. Personally when I've been at the back of the group in a no-drop & noticed someone been gapped I drop off & give them a hand back to the group. I'll also try to make sure weaker riders are in front of me because right at the back is the worse place for a weak rider.
 
Top Bottom