Quick question

[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.