For the first time ever... I got kicked off a group ride for being too fast! HA!

[Bad JuJu]

I think you might have bruised Grumpy Ride Leader's ego.

Yep, that's what it sounds like to me, and what a particularly bruisable and insecure little ego it must be to be threatened by someone getting a few feet ahead of him on a climb.

You speed demon, you!

[Tri Girl]

That's funny! It's all the IM training you've been doing. You're just too fast for you own good, now.
And what a grump. I wouldn't want to ride with him even if I stayed behind him. You probably had more fun on your own anyway- so there!

[smilingcat]

Hi KSH,

sorry to hear about your encounter with grumpy old man. It's OK to take off the front on a hill climb like you did (unless its mentioned before the ride that its not OK). All group leaders should be well aware that on a hill, the group will break up. So it is a point for any group ride to regroup at the top of the hill. And allow enough rest time for the last rider up the hill to recover.

Even with a group of beginning riders, the leader must make it plain and simple, and clear on where to stop and regroup. Group leader always ride with the slowest rider up the hill. He shouldn't be at the lead on a hill climb. Or at the least have one of the stronger rider ride with the weakest to help encourage the last one up the hill.

Allowing stronger riders to race up the hill is a good thing. It gives the stronger rider a reason for the group ride, to push their limit, burn off excess energy and make them feel like the group ride was worth while effort. What is the point of a group ride if you didn't feel like you got a good workout? Maybe for social rides but not on a training ride.

shheeesh. The grumpy old rider needs to check his ego and learn about leading a ride.

Anyway, sprinting off the front on a hill is okay. sprinting off on the flat is bit of a no-no for a group ride. Just my opinion and the groups I've ridden with. Men tend to get their egos bruised when a woman rides in the front. It usually ends up being a free for all race.

oh out of curiosity, 18MPH going up a hill? how steep and how long? and the group avged 14MPH?? yikes.

smilingcat

[mimitabby]

Smiling cat, she's in Dallas. I don't think we have the same definition of hills,
but it doesn't change the story. I've ridden with a lot of grumpy old men, but that one takes the cake. I'm glad you KSH aren't feeling too bad about it.
he needs an attitude adjustment.

[Tuckervill]

There's no way in he!! I would allow him to run me off after that...I'd just stay out in front the whole way--just far enough out front that he couldn't catch me without leaving the group, and just close enough to tick him off. But I'm just stubborn that way. What better way to give him what for?

Karen

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Well, just to present another viewpoint, not saying this is the case here, but....I've been on rides where one person is obviously holding back, jumps ahead a bit and then drops back, jumps ahead again, falls back....sort of like a racehorse bucking at the gate. It can be rather annoying not to mention distracting. A lot of unnecessary passing is imposed on everyone as well.
A friend of ours sometimes rides with us- he is a real fast rider and hates to ride slowly. As we slowly spin our way up a hill, he will zoom up the hill on his titanium bike, mashing all the way, then come back down and ride around us in a circle and zoom backup the hill again. We love our friend, but I still think that's kind of a show-off-y thing to do- making us feel like snails, especially since my DH hangs back on hills out of sweetness, for my benefit. I'd much rather our friend just go on ahead and then wait under a tree for us somewhere.
I guess it's just obvious that KSH needs to ride in the faster group next time!


18mph uphill?-

Smiling cat, she's in Dallas. I don't think we have the same definition of hills

Like, yeah! That would be a flat straightaway over here. Or maybe even a downhill...

[Zen]

somewhere.
I guess it's just obvious that KSH needs to ride in the faster group next time

yup

[Bad JuJu]

A friend of ours sometimes rides with us- he is a real fast rider and hates to ride slowly. As we slowly spin our way up a hill, he will zoom up the hill on his titanium bike, mashing all the way, then come back down and ride around us in a circle and zoom backup the hill again. We love our friend, but I still think that's kind of a show-off-y thing to do- making us feel like snails, especially since my DH hangs back on hills out of sweetness, for my benefit. I'd much rather our friend just go on ahead and then wait under a tree for us somewhere.
I guess it's just obvious that KSH needs to ride in the faster group next time!

I've got a riding buddy who does that "ride circles around you" kind of thing, and I'm not saying our situation is the same as yours, BSG, but with my friend, it's not in any way meant to make me feel snail-like (though, in the interest of full disclosure, I fully admit that I am--snail-like, that is ).

My friend sometimes feels unequal to the faster group, but he's somewhat faster than our small, slower group, so sometimes he chooses to ride with us, but, being a stronger climber, he will occasionally ride ahead a bit then circle around and rejoin us. We know he doesn't mean anything by it--he's just making the best of the situation: not trying to make us go faster than we want to--or can!--but still wanting to get in his own best ride.

I guess attitude has a lot to do with this, and everyone understanding one another's goals. Anyway, just my little two cents.

[Crankin]

I have led a couple of rides where I knew there were a couple of men who could climb faster than me. I told them to go ahead and appointed a friend of mine who I knew would be responsible for keeping them in line until we got to the regroup place. Normally my husband would have been in the front to lead, but he couldn't come those days. Of course, in my club we are required to keep people together and have a sweep who really does stay with the slowest people.

I have been on other rides where I find that we stay together until the climbs. This is with another group that generally has people who average 13-14 and a smaller group who average around 15-16. Even on the climbs I tend to be with the front group and if the leader is someone who isn't as strong on hills, I have had them tell me to go ahead and wait. Most of these riders do not do the climbing I do, and although I am not fast by any means, I find your definition of a climb is very dependent on where you live and ride.