Being slow on the bike isn’t a bad thing, by any means. If you’re a beginner, this is the most fun time, as you're learning new skills and seeing major improvements in short periods of time. (For even better results, check out our Complete Book of Road Cycling Skills.) And if you’re a more experienced cyclist, you’re probably content with your pace, having honed your skills over the years. Plus, it's all relative—chances are your "slow" would be considered fast when riding with a different group. But no matter your definition of slow, there are a few things only those of us who have fallen off the back a few too many times know to be true.
The Heartbreak of Watching the Group Fade Away Over the Top of the Climb
In any group ride, no matter how casual or friendly, hills almost always get ugly. Someone (you know this guy) is going to hit the gas and start picking up speed; before you know it, everyone is racing up the hill. Well, everyone except you. You’re just watching them fade into the distance, and realizing that either a) you’re going to have to go as hard as humanly possible to catch back up or b) you might be riding home solo.
Misrepresented Times to Destinations
There’s nothing worse than the lie of “it’s just a 15-minute ride” from the fast guy who genuinely thinks there must be a time warp or wormhole in the road for you to ride your bike home that quickly. We’ve all been there: stuck on a group ride that seems never-ending, and every time you ask, "How much longer until we’re done?" the answer remains, "20 minutes."
Your Bike Isn't Malfunctioning, You Just Wish it Was
Stopping to check if your brakes are rubbing five times a ride is normal. (And no, they never are.) The same goes for the flat tire you think you have, the chain that isn’t lubed and is clearly slowing you down, and the headwind that’s blowing in both directions. The possibilities for why you’re going slow are limitless, but the reality is that it’s probably just your legs.
If you do get a flat, here's the best way to fix it fast
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The Myth of a "Regroup"
We’ve all been here: You’re out with your friends on a group ride, on the trails or on the road, and everyone hits a hill or a section of trail at his or her own pace, and then waits at a designated spot to regroup. As the slow one in the crew, you’re the last one to make it to the stopping point. And when you get there, they start rolling again before you’ve even come to a stop. Or, as cyclist Rob Simmons puts it, "For slowpokes like me, the phrase 'Rolling Recovery' is fighting words at the top of a climb.” Why can’t they just give us a minute?
RELATED: How I Finally Stopped Saying Sorry
Feed Zones are a Mixed Bag
Riding in a fondo-style race? Cyclist Dean Campbell points out that you usually get the good portions at feed zones when you stop to refuel. That’s often because volunteers are hesitant to give out big helpings to earlier riders, hoping to make sure there’s enough for everyone—but by the end, they’re trying to get rid of everything. But the flip side is that some races and rides run out of food by the time slower riders come in, or are already packing up.
Other Riders Are TOO Happy to See You
If nothing else, you get to know that you’re making another cyclist’s ride a lot better just by showing up. "I know that someone else in the group is secretly very happy that I’m there because it gives them an excuse to ease up more than they might otherwise allow themselves to,” says Ontario-based cyclist Hélène Barrette. "They suffer less, thanks to me. I still hurt though, but hey, at least someone else is happy!"
You're Going to Be Out There a Little Longer
But, hey—is that such a problem? After all, more time on a bike is more time on a bike. The wind in your hair may not blow as fast, but it’s just as satisfying.
RELATED: Why Riding Makes You Happy
