I really wanted to try the pilot, but the bike shop said they couldn't get one in till August (this was in May) so I never got to try one.

A hard ride for me is A) a race, or B) a race effort group ride (40-50 miles with hills, 20-23mph avg, with sprints). I would like to be able to average that without drafting by spring, but at this point I'm just waiting to see what my genes are like.