Evening all when doing a group ride I constantly find myself at the back, I seem to be hitting higher numbers than everyone else and this is frustrating, is there a logic to this btw we all use similar bikes so I know that’s not the issue, is it a algorithm thing?
Cheers
Tim
Are you a light rider? If you’re looking at your w/kg figure, then a lighter rider will have to do a higher w/kg figure to keep up on the flat, due to it mainly being overall watts that count on the flat. W/kg comes in a lot more on climbs.
Are you riding in a Cat that’s at you limit? If you are taking part in group rides where the cat is one above you then you’ll always be hanging on.
Are you falling back right out of the pen? If so try to line up in the pen ahead of others. Line up (“Join” shows up on screen) for group rides starts 30 mins before the start of the ride. Check into the group ride as soon as “Join” group ride option is available. You may be lined up ahead of the beacon. Keep the wpkg as advertised by the beacon from the start. You will not be dropped.
I am not sure if anyone has actually done a systematic study of this, but the general consensus is that riding near front, but not at the very front, of the blob or just ahead of the beacon is easier than behind the beacon.
The usual conjecture is that people behind the beacon are more likely to be those who are struggling and possibly slowing down than those who are at the front half of the blob. And if people slow down, you might be stuck in their sticky draft which means you would have to pedal harder to catch up to the rest of the blob.
This could potentially explain why you have to pedal a bit harder to keep up, especially if you are at the back.
Thanks all for the replies its a training group meet up ride in a club I ride in.
Opposite really, I’m 84kg where the rest are a lot lighter.
No it’s a keep together group training ride
Keep together rides have very odd physics. I don’t think anyone really knows why people end up where they do in these rides.
A training ride is different than a group ride that are defined either by time or distance.
As far as I know, group training rides are defined by workouts which in turn depend on your FTP. So if your FTP is higher than those around you, your watts per kilogram will also be higher during these rides.
As to why you are always at the back, as @Jim_Mattson said, where you are in the blob is not indicative of your effort level in keep together rides. Quite frankly nor should it matter since in this case you are doing a workout as opposed to trying to be the first person to cross the finish line.