Hey, clubmates. I'd like to propose we reinstate the A2 ride. As in the past, it’ll essentially be a hybrid of the A and B rides. While there is no stated goal of dropping riders or fracturing the group by having breakaways and chase groups, it is intended to be a good, steady ride where everyone gets a good workout. Riders who can’t match the pace of the group may drop off. So although it’s not designed to shed riders, it’s not a no-drop ride.
Riders who are interested in a steady, nonstop ride should roll out when (and if) an A2 ride is announced at the parking lot. Anyone can instigate – and try it on for size.
A2 group reinstatement
Moderator: mfarnham
Re: A2 group reinstatement
In case you've missed its previous incarnations, here are the A2 ride guidelines (not laws or rules - it's an organic entity, after all, populated by suggestible, imperfect beings and subject to unpredictable external forces):
1. It's pretty quick, but it's not a race. The idea is to have a steady group of like-paced individuals who want to work hard to ride quickly, together, in a non-stop, revolving paceline. Picking up the pace a tad during your turn on the front is A(2)-okay.
2. Stopping and steadying is not required. However, if some riders are gapped by just a little and are otherwise holding the pace and taking turns in the rotation, occasional steadying may happen and may be appreciated to keep the group together.
3. No whining about being dropped. It might happen. There will be other groups behind. (Or, challenge yourself, if dropped, to keep a strong pace and stay ahead of the next group.)
4. Sharing in the work at the front of the paceline is strongly encouraged and highly respected. If you accidentally bite off more than you can chew and can hang onto the group only by sitting in at the back, that's fine. But it would be entirely uncool to sit in and then contest the sprint(s) against those who have been pulling through the whole time.
5. If you're consistently riding away from everybody, try doing the A(1) ride.
6. The group will be called A2 from the get-go (at the parking lot). It'll probably work nicely if we essentially rebrand the current B1 crowd as A2. In the past, A2 has served as a great fitness booster to a group that works consistently to push one another week by week.
7. If a B1 group becomes large (say, over a dozen) and there is enough interest, it is okay to explicitly split it into A2/B1 en route.
For additional extracurricular background reading, see below...
Recent admonishments of an A2 group in B1 clothing
Lively discussion two-ish years ago covering much of what you're already thinking
1. It's pretty quick, but it's not a race. The idea is to have a steady group of like-paced individuals who want to work hard to ride quickly, together, in a non-stop, revolving paceline. Picking up the pace a tad during your turn on the front is A(2)-okay.
2. Stopping and steadying is not required. However, if some riders are gapped by just a little and are otherwise holding the pace and taking turns in the rotation, occasional steadying may happen and may be appreciated to keep the group together.
3. No whining about being dropped. It might happen. There will be other groups behind. (Or, challenge yourself, if dropped, to keep a strong pace and stay ahead of the next group.)
4. Sharing in the work at the front of the paceline is strongly encouraged and highly respected. If you accidentally bite off more than you can chew and can hang onto the group only by sitting in at the back, that's fine. But it would be entirely uncool to sit in and then contest the sprint(s) against those who have been pulling through the whole time.
5. If you're consistently riding away from everybody, try doing the A(1) ride.
6. The group will be called A2 from the get-go (at the parking lot). It'll probably work nicely if we essentially rebrand the current B1 crowd as A2. In the past, A2 has served as a great fitness booster to a group that works consistently to push one another week by week.
7. If a B1 group becomes large (say, over a dozen) and there is enough interest, it is okay to explicitly split it into A2/B1 en route.
For additional extracurricular background reading, see below...
Recent admonishments of an A2 group in B1 clothing
Lively discussion two-ish years ago covering much of what you're already thinking
Re: A2 group reinstatement
Im a big fan of the A2 ride (or was), but the key is that this is called BEFORE leaving the parking lot.
If you want an A2 ride, hold back from the A1 ride, and everyone else wants a B ride, then you are obliged to ride it as a B ride. Stop on Ash, heed 'Steady" calls, help the weaker members of the ride...
Conflict arises when the stronger riders, finding themselves in a B ride where the pace may not quiet be to their liking, start easing up the pace and inevitably drop someone. "The most important person in the ride is everyone else".
Until Spring comes, its going to be a gamble to hold back and not go on the A1 ride as numbers might not support the A2 ride and the folks that you think are angling for an A2 ride might actually want to take it easy...Perhaps ask for a show of hands before the ride to find out if there are enough like minded people wanting an A2 ride?
If you want an A2 ride, hold back from the A1 ride, and everyone else wants a B ride, then you are obliged to ride it as a B ride. Stop on Ash, heed 'Steady" calls, help the weaker members of the ride...
Conflict arises when the stronger riders, finding themselves in a B ride where the pace may not quiet be to their liking, start easing up the pace and inevitably drop someone. "The most important person in the ride is everyone else".
Until Spring comes, its going to be a gamble to hold back and not go on the A1 ride as numbers might not support the A2 ride and the folks that you think are angling for an A2 ride might actually want to take it easy...Perhaps ask for a show of hands before the ride to find out if there are enough like minded people wanting an A2 ride?
Craig B.
Re: A2 group reinstatement
"Talk - Action = Zero" - Joe Keithley
Re: A2 group reinstatement
Are those "Chickens Eh"? Or "Chicken Ehs"? I need to know what to call the plural form of myself.
On cold wet mornings with low attendance, there may not be a big enough crowd for an A2 ride, in which case people keen for an A-type experience should just ride A. They can get shelled and drop back and then ride at a civilized pace with the B's while regaling their rescuers with war stories and taking long pulls. They can also show off their group skills, by riding to the pace of the slowest rider. On mornings with a bigger crowd, an A2 ride makes sense. Perhaps even with some of Greg's sporty innovations.
I did go back and read the entertaining history. I think we've evolved to agree that any "A" ride is a drop ride and any "B" or "C" ride is absolutely no-drop, period. For the sake of clear expectations, we should stick to that. Note that just because a ride is a drop ride doesn't mean the purpose of the ride should be to drop people. The purpose should be to have a great fast ride where you don't have to constantly worry about holding the group together. I've rarely ridden A but when I have I've been impressed with how willing they are to try to keep me in the group as long as I look like I still have some fight left in me.
A2 could take a page from that book. A good way for a stronger rider in the group to push him or herself is to help out a struggling weaker rider. Nothing says "hero" more than TTing a fallen rider back onto the group.
Related to all this...any rider joining a ride on the road should ask what the ride is when they join. If it's a B ride they should treat it as such, or leave and chase down the A's. No fair showing up late to B1 and turning it into your own personal A ride. It's admittedly super fun for people who can handle it, but it's super demoralizing for those who signed up for a no-drop ride and find themselves alone in the cold and wet.
I basically agree with Claire's set of "rules" for A2.
M
On cold wet mornings with low attendance, there may not be a big enough crowd for an A2 ride, in which case people keen for an A-type experience should just ride A. They can get shelled and drop back and then ride at a civilized pace with the B's while regaling their rescuers with war stories and taking long pulls. They can also show off their group skills, by riding to the pace of the slowest rider. On mornings with a bigger crowd, an A2 ride makes sense. Perhaps even with some of Greg's sporty innovations.
I did go back and read the entertaining history. I think we've evolved to agree that any "A" ride is a drop ride and any "B" or "C" ride is absolutely no-drop, period. For the sake of clear expectations, we should stick to that. Note that just because a ride is a drop ride doesn't mean the purpose of the ride should be to drop people. The purpose should be to have a great fast ride where you don't have to constantly worry about holding the group together. I've rarely ridden A but when I have I've been impressed with how willing they are to try to keep me in the group as long as I look like I still have some fight left in me.
A2 could take a page from that book. A good way for a stronger rider in the group to push him or herself is to help out a struggling weaker rider. Nothing says "hero" more than TTing a fallen rider back onto the group.
Related to all this...any rider joining a ride on the road should ask what the ride is when they join. If it's a B ride they should treat it as such, or leave and chase down the A's. No fair showing up late to B1 and turning it into your own personal A ride. It's admittedly super fun for people who can handle it, but it's super demoralizing for those who signed up for a no-drop ride and find themselves alone in the cold and wet.
I basically agree with Claire's set of "rules" for A2.
M
