When people take up cycling for recreation or competition, group riding is usually one of the first aspects of the sport they encounter. Formal and informal group rides can be found just about everywhere people take to the road. Biking with others is a great way to add to the enjoyment of riding as well as complement your training. There are, however, several drawbacks to be aware of or to avoid while riding in groups. Here are several keys to enjoying group rides as well as some pitfalls to avoid.

Group Think
There’s a tendency for the group to follow the lead of a few individuals riding in the front. This is not always negative. A newer rider can learn a great deal by observing and learning from those with more experience. If, however, those at the head of the ride set poor examples, it’s easy to go along and pick up those bad habits for fear of losing the group. If the group runs red lights, makes dangerous moves through traffic, leaves behind those who can’t keep up or unnecessarily takes extra lanes on the road, it’s easy to get sucked along for fear of either not keeping up or rocking the boat. Always remember that it’s your responsibility to be a good steward of the sport. Just because the group acts a certain way does not make it right. The easiest way to avoid negative group think situations is to pick your riding partners carefully and make sure they share the same perspectives on traffic laws, safety and looking after other riders’ safety.

Group Etiquette & Safety
With every rider you add to a group, there is an increase in opportunities for problems and safety issues. It’s important to trust that every person in your group can handle his/her bike and follow group etiquette. Many riding accidents occur due to riding close to one another and can often take down and injure other close proximity cyclists. The larger the group, the more opportunities for accidents. It’s wise to first learn group riding etiquette and methods for yourself, then make sure others riding with you have similar knowledge. If you’re more experienced, it’s your responsibility to try to teach newer riders how to ride safely in a group. Nothing ruins a season faster than an injury from a bike wreck, so it’s wise to do everything you can to minimize your risks.

The Needed Push
A distinct advantage of riding with others is that it can help you elevate your riding quicker than training on your own. By riding with those slightly stronger than you, you’ll be forced to dig deeper to keep up. Also, if you’re riding in a group of equal ability, you’ll find that the right type of group dynamics can help you ride more consistently. Throughout a ride, you will go through periods of feeling strong and then not as strong. Riding partners can help keep the pace and effort steady when you’re not feeling as strong. Simply, tuck in behind a friend and stick with it until you feel better. When riding alone, if you aren’t feeling great, it’s easy to let your effort level drop. Good riding buddies can help avoid this problem.

New Routes
Riding with new people not only gives you the opportunity to learn new perspectives on training, riding, and nutrition, but you can learn new roads and routes. Even if you’ve been riding the same area for years, there are always new roads to discover. Riding with others is a great way to tap into that knowledge and add to your route repertoire.

Enjoyment
There’s no way around it; we’re social animals. It can simply be more fun to train with others. Group rides are a great way to enjoy riding by introducing a social component to the sport. Whether the plan is to ride hard or easy, you have others for conversation or to share in the suffering.

Drafting and Races
Keep in mind that riding in a pack is much easier than riding solo because of the drafting effect. When you sit behind another rider, it’s possible to save up to 30 percent of your energy. If you are a competitive road cyclist, then its good to practice riding in a drafting environment. If you’re a triathlete, then you need to remember that you won’t have a draft on race day. Those who always ride in a group where they can save energy by drafting can have a rude awakening on race day when they have to ride 30 percent harder to achieve the speeds they’re used to moving. If you’re not used to pushing yourself alone, then you may have a mentally difficult time on race day. Group rides are fun, but by incorporating some solo riding into your training, you’ll better prepare yourself for the solitary feeling of pushing yourself on race day.

Remember Your Goals
A group ride’s mood and pace is set by its members. You should always keep in mind your riding goals when deciding whether to ride with others. Rides can be fun and leisurely, very intense, or anywhere in between. It’s best if you can find others aligned with your riding goals. Nothing is more frustrating than looking for an easy, fun ride and some Muppet keeps pushing the pace. It’s also just as much a problem if you’re training for a competitive race, planning on riding hard, and having a group annoyed that you’re the one pushing the pace on a recovery ride. A solid training day can be wrecked by stopping too often or riding too easy. Also, your recovery can be undermined or your enjoyment of cycling ruined. This can be avoided by finding a group aligned with your goals. This will help you keep the hard rides hard and the easy rides easy.

If you keep all of these aspects of group rides in mind, you can use them to not only make you stronger, but you’ll enjoy the sport more while staying safe and being a good steward.