Quick question

[kelownagirl]

What does "no drop" mean on a group ride?

Thanks,

Barb

[kiwi girl]

It means that they will wait for the slowest rider - ie nobody gets dropped off the back of the ride

I have heard mixed reports though with some rides as to whether they really mean this if you are 'slow' by their standards. If you are thinking of joining a ride it might pay to check. However some groups (like one I rode with a few times this year really do mean it - and they are great for you to get a first taste of group riding).

[Geonz]

You definitely want to check, though a big hint is what the advertised speed is on the ride. If it's 10-12 m ph or something like that, then it probably really is a "no drop" ride becuase they're already going slowly. These are often truly social rides where folks cruise around and chat with each other.
If it's 14-ish or more (the higher it is, the more likely they'll drop people), then in my experience *some* people will hold to that "no drop" but it goes against all the other messages their bodies are sending to their mind when they're warmed up and ready to ROLL.
Your best bet IMO is to find somebody to go *with* you because you're more likely to be seen if there are two of you, and if you do get dropped you won't be alone. (Whenever I tried a faster ride I had at least two comrades and I tended to have overtrained for the advertised speed, which is not necessarily connected at *all* with the real spped.)
Another reality is that to have an "average" speed of 15 you spend (at least on this terrain) you have to be able to *cruise* for a time at 17-18.
So, the answer is [like anything else] "It Depends!"

[li10up]

I've found that talking to Alpha-males of the group before hand and asking them, "This is a no-drop ride, right?" helps alot. It puts it in their minds before they even start that they may need to slow down or wait for you. Around here they usually just wait at an intersection so you know which way to go. Or sometimes they'll have someone come back and ride with you. I always imagine them drawing straws to see who gets stuck with the slow girl.:)

[bikerchick68]

I ride with a social group that has a "no drop policy"... if there is someone new there that hasn't ridden with the group before the group leader ensures that they are not left behind... sometimes that means circling back and riding with them... if they know you well and know how strong you are sometimes they'll drop you. But there are places they stop for a few minutes and if someone doesn't show up they'll circle back for them... their goal is to be sure everyone rides in safely... and isn't left to simply fend for themselves...this group is fabulous... there is no attitude copped if we need to wait for someone... everyone is riding just for the sheer joy of it!

when I was a new rider this sure made my riding feel safer, both mentally and physically... and now that I'm strong enough to keep up, I appreciate the no drop policy as it truly encouraged me to ride with others... which in turn made me stronger as I REALLY wanted to be able to keep up with them! I'm always happy now when I get the chance to ride with someone new and encourage them to have a love affair with cycling... :)

[bcipam]

No drop mean just that. The ride will group at certain designation points along the route to make sure everyone is together but it doesn't necessarrily mean everyone rides together, at the same speed the whole ride. Also check and make sure the policy is definitey "no drop." In my club "no drop" means they wait for you, if you can keep up. In other words, if you lag behind, you are on your own.

[li10up]

No drop mean just that...In my club "no drop" means they wait for you, if you can keep up. In other words, if you lag behind, you are on your own.
Then what does the "no drop" mean? Sounds to me like they drop you. If everyone can keep up then dropping someone isn't an issue. ????? Definitely confusing, IMO.

[li10up]

I ride with a social group that has a "no drop policy"... if there is someone new there that hasn't ridden with the group before the group leader ensures that they are not left behind... sometimes that means circling back and riding with them... if they know you well and know how strong you are sometimes they'll drop you. But there are places they stop for a few minutes and if someone doesn't show up they'll circle back for them... their goal is to be sure everyone rides in safely... and isn't left to simply fend for themselves...this group is fabulous... there is no attitude copped if we need to wait for someone... everyone is riding just for the sheer joy of it!

when I was a new rider this sure made my riding feel safer, both mentally and physically... and now that I'm strong enough to keep up, I appreciate the no drop policy as it truly encouraged me to ride with others... which in turn made me stronger as I REALLY wanted to be able to keep up with them! I'm always happy now when I get the chance to ride with someone new and encourage them to have a love affair with cycling... :)
Sounds like a great group! How long did it take before you were able to keep up, more or less? I quit riding our Thurs. night group ride because I was ALWAYS last. It was embarrassing. I decided to try to get stronger on my own first. But now I'm wondering if I should just keep riding with them - maybe that would force me to get stronger faster than just riding on my own. What do you think?

Edit: Oh, I just thought of another question. For those of you who are always at the front on group rides, tell me honestly - do the strong riders resent the slow folks a bit? What's the general consensus? I really don't want to ruin anyone elses ride just because I can't keep up their pace.

[bcipam]

Normally most Club rides are divided into groups - very fast, fast, medium, slow and very pokey - just works out that way. There are Clubs out there that generally run their "no drop" rides on the slow to pokey group 'cause it's just easier to keep the group together. If you are in a group where riders are averaging 18 - 22 mph and you can only manage 12 - 15 you can imagine its hard to keep the group together without someone doing alot of waiting. Ansd its just not fair to keep anyone waiting like that. Anyway, know the Club, know the group, ask question about what "no drop" means to them. I did a "newbie" ride (I was one of the leaders) on Saturday and we split the group into 3 and within the 3, made sure it was a no drop. That means stopping and waiting for everyone to catch up regardless.

[kelownagirl]

Thanks for all the responses! I am a newish rider, riding a mountain bike with semi-slicks, on the road. I ride with my hubby who's an avid biker and he seldom "drops" me, haha, but I haven't ventured out with any club rides just yet. On my MTB, I can maintain about 24-25kmh (14/15mph?) unless there are lots of hills. I noticed a local group ride that advertises no drop and an "easy" pace. Guess I'd better make a call before I try to join them. Or wait until I buy a road bike and can go faster...

Thanks again,

Barb:D

[Geonz]

It's a real "it depends."

SOme "no drop" rides really, really are.

Others say they are, they'll ***swear*** they are ... but they have simply forgotten or just can't believe that someone can really, honestly, go 11 mph without falling over. Once a ride leader on our "monthly all-member ride" refused to tell me the turning point of their route - I asked him *three* times - because no, really, they weren't going to drop anybody... yea, except us. The other folks turned around and went back... I caught up and had a few words, though I am not sure they were comprehended. (Something about "I think they thought you meant "together" like it says in the dictionary.")
On the other hand, other people rode with me for probably a hundred rides and I didn't even realize they were going slower because of me. My first ride, I was never in the back; they took turns rotating around (I had no idea of drafting or anything) so that I was behind somebody to block the wind, but still not "last." It wasn't until I got a lot faster that I realized they were just as happy going 16 as 12... but perhaps that's the difference, the people who need to go 19 or 20 have trouble finding happiness below that point. If you don't by the equipment to go that fast, you can push along and get the exercise and stay social (or carry your blender and ice and produce with you :-))
But unfortunately you can't tell by *asking.* Otherwise sincere and honest people will say "oh, we don't go that fast..." I think they believe it...

[SadieKate]

More discussions here.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=3970&highlight=show+blow

[Brina]

I have not ventured out on a group ride yet. Our lbs website mentions two rides. Each has the average speed of the ride posted. The slower of the two is listed "no-drop", but is faster than I feel comfortable committing to on my first group ride. I would feel guilty holding them up by riding significantly slower than the posted average.

[Geonz]

Do the fast folks resent the slow ones?

It depends :-) Here's what I've seen from the front end, though usually if I'm there I'm totally focused on keeping up... but in the parking lot before and after...

If they've dropped them, no. They just don't matter.
Resent... probably not the right word for it. Sometimes there's impatience, especially if somebody is out there going slower than everybody else, and they've been riding for a while and they're just not getting faster. (I try to figure that the person not getting faster is **more** frustrated by that than a newbie, and sometimes it works ;-)). Sometimes it's just arrogance. Slow people aren't worthy of our concern.

Some resentment if somebody's out on a fast ride on a slow bike - where if they'd just get those bloomin' thinner tires they could keep up fine, but somehow they don't really believe that.

Some resentment if the person is a WHINER. As in, put the energy into your pedals!!!

Some resentment becuase they can't really believe anybody *can't* go at that easy pace they were doing. This is the one that drives me nuts. If you're slowing down to 15 and think you're being so all-fired nice, why the *(*&( can't you just slow the rest of the way down to 14????? No, you TEASE people, and then you're all impatient because you're chomping at the bit. THey want to nominate me for sainthood for being able to do it (ride with slow people). Shift that "wannagofastwannagofastwannagofast" thing in your mind and tell it to come back tomorrow. (It's easier to do if you have a "goslow" bike, well, and you don't have that need to DO YOUR BEST all the time. Sometimes a lazy demeanor is a good thing :-) because sometimes it really isn't about YOUR BEST)

And sometimes it's defensiveness - if you've sworn your group doesn't drop anybody, but um, you just did, then you have to find a reason for it. So it must be the slow rider's fault, somehow. However, fact is that it's at least physically easier for a fast person to ride slowly than for a slow person to ride fastly.

[SadieKate]

The only time I resent a slow rider on a "no drop" ride (besides a whiner) is when there is a posted pace for the distance and terrain and they can't/won't keep to that pace.

In other words, the rider who can zip along at 16 mph on a short flat ride should not show up for a group ride that is expecting to ride the same pace but over a hilly 50 mile course. Conversely, I also resent the rider who rides faster than that pace and gets irritated with everyone else for lagging behind.

As Geonz said, the pace is important but you have to compare it to the terrain and distance. If you can meet all of those criteria, join the group. I personally would talk to the club officers after the ride if you do ride at the stated pace/distance/terrain and the stated "no drop" policy is not met. They'll loose membership because they'll discourage too many people or they need to be sure the ride description is changed to correct people's expectations. The club's officers/ride coordinator will know which leaders consistently don't follow the rule.

[bcipam]

Just an FYI most cycling clubs don't have "no drop" rides. In other words, you ride at your pace and hopefully the pace of some other riders, but someone, unless its a friend or you have some agreement, won't be riding with you. As a new rider that means you may be riding alone until you can maintain a normal pace or at least the pace of a group of riders. There are some plus and minuses with this. Unless you are comfortable riding with a pack, it's best to start out alone or in small group until you learn to hold a line and maintain a steady consistant pace. Most experienced riders, seeing you be all squirrelly on the road, will take off and leave you because its dangerous to ride with someone like that.

I would definitely look for a club that offers "newbie" rides or slow paced rides to just get the hang of riding with a group and then when you are comfortable, try hanging with the pack. That's usually the goal for me - to get strong and fast enough to ride with certain groups and folks within the club. At first I rode alone alot, now I'm usually in the main pack.