What does/should average 2-2.5 mean for a non-race group ride?
- for riders on the front
- for riders in the bunch
- for the hills
- for the flats
Personal experience on several rides rated as 2-2.5 is that I have needed to average 2.8-2.9 just to stay in the bunch, at 2.5 I’m generally dropping off the back
Hi Neville,
I agree that most of the events that I have joined always exceed their published limits.
I use Zwift for training primarily… Not racing or free riding. So, when I do join a ride it’s with specific knowledge that it’s to keep with my training plan (Power and/or HR targets).
Without being able to depend on a accurate ride then I am afraid I won’t be joining many more of these, at least until this block of training is completed.
I guess it does tweek my anger a little when the strongest of the group all jump off the front. But, being a guy I do understand the effects of testosterone and what it does to a guys self regulating system :-).
Having said the above I’m not complaining at all…but, it does make it easier to understand why so few ladies are not joining events as even the group recovery rides seem to be quite competitive.
I’ve only ridden few Zwift races and noticed the same thing. Many riders are clearly way over the power bracket for the ride and disappear of into the distance right from the start. I’ve ended up regarding them as basically group time trials. Pick a w/kg number that matches the group and hold it for the duration of the ride (usually around an hour).
It does work as a motivator to push to maintain a higher power number than you perhaps would normally ride, since there is generally always someone in front of you to catch or someone on your wheel to drop. I’ve found my effective FTP is actually 10-15w more than recorded from doing FTP tests as a result of this.
You can always push yourself a bit harder than you thought, it just needs the motivation to do it 
I think races and group rides are different.
I think the group rides the w/kg is a good indication of how hard the front of group will ride. I think it tends to be a guidance for average power. Some ride leasers will control the speed so as to keep the gropus together. Some rides supply a value the group will ride on the flat and also the value the group will ride on a climb.
When it comes to races I think it is an incorrect way of grouping riders. If it was a good way then it would have been implemented in the cat system 1,000s of amateurs use each year when they race. My FTP puts in in Zwift cat A but I’m yet to feature highly on a cat B race so there is no point me entering an A.
My advise would be to try a few group rides and see how they go. They are good fun and do push you, especially if motivation can be an issue.
You will also get to know the ride leaders and often they will lead the same day week after week.
For example, the “Back To Work” ride has a the same published wattage for different days of the week, but I have learned that with one leader I can not hang on since he exceeds the watts from the start, whereas the other day (different leader) I have no problem.