The Herd Mentality:

Are Group Rides Bad for Your Fitness?

A couple of months ago I was on a group ride chatting with a friend who was bemoaning the trend of structured training and working with coaches, citing that it has decimated the hard group rides that were once thriving in our area.   Now, it seems that everyone trains alone because group rides are too unstructured for their training programs.   Conversely, he observed that when he first returned to racing 5-6 years ago we had hard group rides from Fort Worth every Tuesday and Thursday and that he correspondingly made large fitness gains.   What I neglected to propose to him was the probability that since he had just returned to the sport, any intense training would bring significant progress.  

He may have been correct that structured training and coaching has had a hand in reducing attendance on group rides, because coaches often discourage clients from them.   In order to address a particular client's needs, a coach must control as many variables as possible in the athlete's training.   The most significant variable in a group ride is the whims or agendas of individuals within the group and the way in which the group responds to these individuals.   The simple reality is that almost any group ride is unofficially a race.   Sometimes it may be two or three short races—the race over the hilly section, the race to the convenience store, or the race to the city limit sign.   Each “race” may have different features that favor different riders.   As a result, the climbers, time trialists and sprinters might all get their opportunity to shine.   In this case, individuals will tend to train their strengths, ignore their weaknesses and as a result risk becoming a “one trick pony”.   On the other hand, it may be one long time trial as the local cat 1 disappears up the road and the group gets decimated in the pursuit, making it no longer a group ride.   Some group rides are predictable; some are not.   You may meet up with one of these rides expecting a death match, only to find that today it was a stroll in the park, or the reverse could happen.  

The unpredictability and the tendency for testosterone to override intelligence on group rides can make them very difficult to incorporate into a structured training plan.   This is why many coaches tend not to like them.   Highly structured training carefully sequences specific workouts, many of which do not tolerate variables well.   It is meant to improve the athlete's weaknesses while allowing them to capitalize on their strengths.   To do this perfectly, however, would require the athlete to do the vast majority of their workouts on an indoor trainer, where resistance can be controlled without the intervention of wind, hills and bad pavement.   This doesn't sound like an appealing proposal to most cyclists, however, because it would eliminate everything that brought them to the sport in the first place.   If we wanted to train in a sterile environment, we would have chosen an indoor sport.   Another problem with controlling all variables is that when race day arrives, the conditions aren't likely to be perfect.   We must consider that a major part of bike racing involves adapting to unfavorable conditions.   The variables are usually a deciding factor in who wins a race.   If it's 100 degrees and you're not adapted to the heat, you'll melt like a Popsicle.   If it's windy and you've been only training indoors, you might just get blown off of your bike.   I can say that just in the last few years, I've experienced both of these problems in spite of training in the elements.

Training alone outdoors, according to your structured plan, may seem like the best option at this point.   You adapt to the environment while getting your structured workout.   Something would still be missing.   The fittest cyclist rarely wins the race.   The variable of pack dynamics is still the most common deciding factor in races.   The best way to capitalize on it is to practice. The chaos of riding in a group of individuals, each with their own agenda will undo even the strongest riders if they haven't learned to thrive in this environment.   Additionally, for many, there is a limit on how far you can push your own body while training alone that can easily be exceeded with the motivation of a group.   Unless you're by far the strongest rider in a group, the others can collectively push you beyond your known limits.   Even for those days when you need a long, easy ride, if you can find a disciplined group to join, the camaraderie can help pass the time and miles.

Attending the wrong group ride on the wrong day, depending excessively on group rides for your fitness, or not knowing when to part ways with the group and do your own ride can all be a liability.   However, for keeping the fun in your training, sharpening your skills and reaching beyond what your body can do or tolerate, a measured dose of group riding is indispensable.   The most important factors for incorporating group rides into your training are:

•  Knowing the nature of local group rides and choosing one based on whether it can be compatible with your training needs.

Do your homework by asking those whom you know are regulars on certain rides and find out which ones might fit particular training needs.  

•  Knowing when to part ways with the group if their ride is not providing the workout you need.

If, for example, you're needing a long, slow distance ride and the group ride deteriorates into a brawl on wheels, you will need all of your discipline to withdraw from the fight and let the others abuse each other, but that is the wisest way to handle the situation.   You'll thank yourself later in the season when the others are either burned out or have no more fitness than they had in January.   On the other hand, if you're looking for a good flogging and the group is doing a cheesecake ride, you can politely excuse yourself, citing that your time is limited by your obligation to help the S.O. with some housework, split off and do intervals on your own.   This also takes discipline if you're enjoying the company and conversation.

So, what's the answer?   Are group rides bad for your fitness or good?   The answer is yes, sometimes, to both questions.   You just have to know how to use them judiciously and in moderation, much like most other things in life.