Group Ride Expectations

Hello BBC Members!

Now that we’ve had several Sunday group rides with the NFBC, we wanted to go over a couple ground rules and expectations to ensure that everyone has a great experience that fits their ability level so they have the chance to learn new skills and converse with their group mates.

• Our rides have A, B, and C groups with ride leaders depending on availability and group size.
  • On flat routes, the A group will average 20mph, the B group will average 18mph, and the C group will average 16mph.  This means the group will be going a bit slower in the headwind and a bit faster in the tailwind.  While we won’t be attacking, you should be able to hold these approximate average speeds.
  • On hilly courses, things get a bit more difficult.  The A group will average about 18-19mph across all the terrain, the B group will be averaging 16-18mph, and the C group will be averaging 14-16mph.  These distinctions are important because the speeds will vary a lot more on the uphills relative to the downhills.  When we are on the flat roads, the groups will reference the flat road speeds in the previous bullet point.

• Many of us ride with power meters, so a quick guide in determining the average speed per group on hills can go something like this:
  • the A group will be averaging 3.2-3.7 w/kg on the hills.  If I am 68kg, I’ll be going about 220-240 watts on the hills
  • the B group will be averaging 2.8-3.2 w/kg on the hills.  If I am 68kg, I’ll be going about 180-200 watts on the hills
  • the C group will be averaging 2.3-2.8 w/kg on the hills.  If I am 68kg, I’ll be going about 150-170 watts on the hills

• While our ride leaders will make efforts to regroup after each hill, each rider should make a realistic choice when doing a ride with more hills for the best experience.  There may be circumstances where it is better for a rider to wait for the next group on the road depending on the route layout.  Riding within yourself will make the group a lot more fun, where you can practice pace lines and cornering more effectively, as well as having better chats with your ride buddies!

Being in a group that best matches each rider’s ability will enable everyone to learn the skills needed to navigate the group.  It is also possible, depending on the route layout, to start in one group but drop back to the second group. Our ride leaders may not be able to guarantee that every ride is “no drop.”

Please feel free to reach out to Drew Scott, Erin Haskell, or James Thompson, or reply to any BBC weekly email, if you have any questions on these– we’re happy to help and make sure everyone has a great time with the BBC!