{"id":199140,"date":"2025-07-18T05:01:03","date_gmt":"2025-07-18T05:01:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=199140"},"modified":"2025-07-18T05:01:03","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T05:01:03","slug":"how-to-get-dropped-on-a-no-drop-group-ride","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2025\/07\/18\/how-to-get-dropped-on-a-no-drop-group-ride\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get Dropped on a No-Drop Group Ride"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve ridden solo for years. But recently, I spotted a \u201cCasual (No-drop) \/ Rolling Hills\u201d ride on Strava hosted by a local bike shop. It promised a manageable 27 km\/h pace \u2013 slightly faster than my usual \u2013 but I figured the draft would make up the difference. What followed was a humbling, sweaty, and surprisingly rewarding introduction to the world of group riding.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Joining my first group ride<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The ride was listed on Pav\u00e9 Cycles\u2019 Strava<\/a> as 72 km with 800 m of elevation gain. A solid effort, but nothing that worried me. I\u2019ve done similar distances plenty of times before. There were two speed groups, and I picked the slower one \u2013 though \u201cslower\u201d is relative when you’re trying to prove you belong.<\/p>\n

From the start, it felt exhilarating. We formed a double pace line, two riders abreast, about 12 of us in total. Rolling out of the city like that felt luxurious. Drivers actually gave us space. I felt so much safer in traffic embedded in a disciplined, respected group.<\/p>\n

Thrown in the deep end<\/strong><\/h2>\n

But I quickly realised that this safety comes at a cost. Group riding is mentally taxing when you\u2019re new. Constantly watching the wheel in front of me, signalling to the riders behind, reacting to every pothole and speed bump\u2026 I had to stay switched on the entire time. It was nothing like the calm, meditative rhythm of solo riding.<\/p>\n

And then there was the heat. It was 35\u00b0C, and the late afternoon sun radiated off the asphalt, turning the road into a slow cooker. The same speed and effort that usually kept me in zone 2 or 3 suddenly had my heart rate soaring into the top of zone 4. I knew I wasn\u2019t great at riding in the heat. Still, I had bailed on group rides before for lesser excuses. This time, I decided to tough it out. (Spoiler: it was even worse than I expected.)<\/p>\n

The problem with heat is that you can\u2019t just push through it. Riding solo, I naturally adjust my effort to keep cool. But in the group, the pace was set. Dropping back wasn\u2019t an option without risking getting dropped entirely.<\/p>\n

When things started to unravel<\/strong><\/h2>\n

My inexperience started to show. I spent most of the ride at the back, which meant I had to accelerate after every stop, turn or hesitation to catch the elastic band snapping ahead. My logic was that I didn\u2019t want to split the group if I couldn\u2019t hold the wheel. Ironically, this tactic made things much harder for me.<\/p>\n

About 20 km in, we hit a stretch of exposed crosswind. Suddenly, I was pushing past my threshold just to hang on. I cracked on the next climb and drifted off the back. Thankfully, I learned what \u201cno-drop\u201d meant: the group waited at the top.<\/p>\n

But not every climb was long enough to qualify for a regroup. With the sun beating down and my legs repeatedly red-lining, I started slipping off the back on even short inclines. By kilometre 35, I thought I was done. But two kind riders dropped back and paced me back to the group. It felt like chasing down a breakaway with teammates \u2013 my own little pro peloton moment. Despite my suffering, it was a cool experience.<\/p>\n

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Zobrazit p\u0159\u00edsp\u011bvek na Instagramu<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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P\u0159\u00edsp\u011bvek sd\u00edlen\u00fd Jiri Kaloc (@jiri.kaloc)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n