B 2, Dropping Riders

[barton bourassa]

It has been a while since I have been on a regular group ride. I would just like to confirm if the ride descriptions are still relevant:

Tuesday: Speed


6:00 am @ Fort & Richmond in the Pareto Logic parking lot.

Roll out is no later than 6:05 am sharp.

All rides end at 7:15 am. Post ride coffee at the Shoal Point Moka House

There are A, B & C Rides:

The A ride is a no holds barred, go as fast as you can general sufferfest. If you get dropped from this ride no one is going to slow down and wait for you. However, if someone gets a flat or a mechanical, the ride usually stops until the problem is solved. The B and C rides are “no-drop rides” (i.e. nobody will be left behind).


The part in the brackets is what I am wondering about. i.e. nobody will be left behind.

One of our B2 group was dropped before the start of the first sprint. I know in rides past at the conclusion of the first sprint the quicker riders have held up and waited for everyone before making the turn off of Cedar Hill onto Cadboro Bay. Sadly this did not happen this morning. Myself and the fellow that fell off chased the group until the turn onto Henderson then gave up and found the C group.

[Paul C.]

Did you yell loudly:"Steady Up"?

My opinion is B2 is a no drop ride until after the cemetery.
Unless someone says " go ahead or" don t wait."
I am not sure about riders that join the group during the ride .

[David Hill]

Barton, that was too bad. I know that I had to rush up to the 3-4 riders at the front and tell them to steady up to a "resting" pace, so we could all get on. I did look back when we were by the golf course, but saw no more lights coming, at which point we called to "roll". I guess the people at the back didn't realize you were still not around the corner.

My guess is the front few riders didn't realize how slow you have to go to steady up. It's a good reminder and we should really try to do a bit of a head-count or mental tally after each sprint lap. But sometimes people slip in or drop off. I got dropped out of the Pareto parking lot when I was trying to stuff my glasses, despite calling "hold on, hold on", so I ended up skipping Uplands and joining in on the first lap on Caddy Bay Rd.

Seems that despite how loudly we shout (including "Car back") sometimes the people at front don't always hear. (by the way, Cadboro Bay Road is really wide, and there is no excuse for not riding far enough to the right to allow cars to pass at all times...)

[barton bourassa]

Thanks for the comments David and apologize for leaving you behind at Pareto.

Something that I think works well is for the front riders to circle back to the last riders, pick them up then carry on. The two of us had hoped we could get back on. We did have a good ride with John and Friends in the C Group.

Always tweaking, always trying, always talking!

Barton.

[Paula]

I have noticed on rides lately that we haven't been passing the word up the line be it "car back", "steady up?" etc.

When the person being dropped calls out 'STEEDY UP' (and call it early) all the people up the line need to pass it up. Same with car back etc.

Just some more reminding… maybe we all aren't in to talking much in the morning these days.