Roadie for a Day: A Triathlete's Guide to Group Rides

Gain confidence on the bike with these five tips for rolling with the pack.

by Katya Meyers

Many triathletes are afraid of group rides and choose to ride alone or with one or two trusty training partners at most. Although most triathlons are not draft legal, there are definite advantages to training in an organized group ride. For one, the intensity of the short accelerations you'll experience in a group setting are difficult to replicate solo or in small-group training. Intervals at the high end of the power range create muscular and cardiovascular demands that yield big fitness returns when paired with the often abundant steady state efforts. 

If one of your season goals is to become a stronger cyclist, include regular group rides in your training plan to help get you there. Of course, they must be weighed with the inherent dangers of riding so close to other riders that you can accurately gauge how many days it's been since their last shave.

Here are a few tips for getting over the "peloton heebie-jeebies" and keeping the roads safe for everyone.

1. Know before you go

Your local bike shop and honest friends are the best source of information regarding group rides. There are rides that cater to all levels. Talk to bike shop employees and friends who have done the ride before to find out how you measure up. I'm not saying don't stretch your boundaries, just be smart. If you're new to riding, don't show up at an advanced ride.

Before doing any group ride, make sure you are comfortable riding solo and with a few others. Clipping in/out and rotating through a paceline should be very comfortable for you.

2. Get ready for an invasion of personal space

You know that person who always leans in (no, not in the Sheryl Sandberg way) way too close? It feels really awkward, kind of a little creepy, even? At first group riding feels just like that—only while traveling at 30 mph.

3. Be predictable

Save your jerky moves for the dance floor. Sudden stops, eating, drinking and swerving are also ill-advised. Pretend you're driving on the freeway. Holding your line and checking before passing or making other lateral moves is clutch! Also, point out any roadway obstacles to the riders behind you, as vision is impaired by the bodies in front.

4. Dress the part

Road bikes are strongly preferred to tri bikes. If you are going to ride your tri bike, stay out of the aero bars. It's just not safe to have your hands away from the brakes. You'll probably also make friends much faster if you leave your tri kit at home.

5. Keep your head up

In the literal and metaphorical sense. Literally because you need to understand the flow of the riders ahead of you in order to anticipate accelerations or decelerations. Metaphorically because group riding is a skill that takes practice. Proper positioning and knowing how to be prepared for an attack can make all the difference. Even if your first group ride doesn't take you to the end of the rainbow, keep after it. Your tri legs will thank you.

Katya Meyers is a professional triathlete and coach at Reve Endurance.