Riding alone can be good when you are cycling to work, down the train station, or cycling to the supermarket or around the neighborhood just to stay fit, or around the park. But if you want to get the full benefits of cycling, then you need to try out group cycling.
There is a saying that if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go with people. Now going “far” in this context can be a lot of things that you may be trying to achieve but have been struggling with. Not that you can’t achieve it while cycling alone, you can, but it may take a longer time. But doing it with a group of people who share the same goal and aspirations in cycling with you can help you achieve this faster. As they will serve as your accountability partner, and your source of motivation on days you feel like you are not doing enough, or that you are doing too much and still not getting the reward of it.
According to Strava’s 2018 Year in Review report, Group riders average a 52 percent increase in mileage compared to riders who cycle alone.
Riding with a group isn’t just enough, if you want to get the full benefit of riding with a group, there are certain things you need to do and bear in mind;
- Be aware of others around you. This is very important so that you don’t make sudden movements as they can cause serious accidents and injuries.
- Don’t use your music player. While doing this may be enjoyable, you are blocking out your ability to hear what is going on around you on the road and it can be very dangerous.
- Signal your intentions by hand or voice if you are about to change positions.
- When you want to increase the group’s pace, do it gradually intending to keep the group together.
There are so many benefits of riding with a group for motivation and accountability is innumerable and cannot be over-emphasized. Some of them will be mentioned below for you to realize more and strengthen your resolve to join that group you have been feeling reluctant about joining.
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1. Group Riding Makes It Fun
Some weather can be very discouraging to ride in, and riding it alone, especially when you know you have to ride to enable you to train can spoil your mood for the entire day, but doing it with a group can make it more enjoyable. Doing this will provide the fun and freshness you need to go ahead and finish.
2. It Helps You Combine Your Social Life With Your Fitness Regime
Group rides are an amazing way to spend time with your friends and other cyclists without fearing that you are going to lose out on a great friend just because you have to train. There are so many mental health benefits that come with riding with people who are close to you. This is a smart way because instead of sitting in a pub with a beer, you can go out for a spin and get some exercise together instead.
3. It Helps You Discover Interesting New Routes And Climbs
When riding solo you may not want to do this because of getting lost, or uncertainty of what may lie ahead in uncharted territory, but going with a group helps you open up your mind to the routes, rides, climbs and ideas of other cyclists is a great way to enjoy new and inspiring cycling experiences.
While riding with your group, you will discover new destinations, backroads, and climbs, hear about new races and events, and escape your habits for a more fresh and inspiring ride experience.
4. It Pushes You To Ride Even Further
Cycling in a group does not just help your mental health, it also unlocks more physical gains. When you cycle alone you may stop at a certain stage thinking it’s your limit, but riding with others helps you ride further than you would alone.
This will require a greater volume of work over your threshold whenever you hit the front, follow riders, or make accelerations, but it will increase your mileage. If you were planning on going on a 100km ride alone, riding with your group with their help, can increase your stamina and fitness and push it to 120km in the process.
5. It Helps Improve Your Group Riding Skills
When you are training to compete in a cycling sport or festival, riding solo may not cut it, and if you do it when you get to the competition ground you realize you are lacking in a lot of ways.
Riding in a group will give you the appropriate practice you need, and ensure you practice and refine your group riding skills, so you feel much more confident when the race season comes around. You will learn how to react to hazards more instinctively and practice how to hold a consistent pace.
Learning to sight around other riders, keeping a safe distance, and braking and accelerating safely are all skills that will benefit you during competition. Mastering how to follow the wheel of another rider will also enable you to save energy during races, and these you can only learn when you cycle with people.
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6. It Boosts Your Training Motivation
Riding in a group gives you the extra motivation you need to get up and move. It’s easier to lie in bed, especially on days when the weather is looking harsh and gloomy when you know you owe no one any explanation of why you didn’t come out to ride, but when you remember you will have to explain to your group how you were feeling so lazy on the bed to get up and join them, you will be on the move immediately.
It tends to eliminate the procrastination that is trying to stop us from doing what we know we have to do. And by so doing, the fewer rides you skip, the more focused you become. So, group rides force you to be more consistent and committed.
7. There Is Safety In Numbers
Riding with a group makes you more visible to drivers than when you ride alone. It also forces you to ride at the proper pace and in a safe formation. Studies have also shown that when driving past cyclists, they tend to give them more room when there is more than one cyclist in sight.
8. It Promotes A Healthy Habit That Lasts Beyond Cycling Trips
Cycling regularly in a group can make you carry the habit into your daily routine. You begin to look forward to your daily cycling trip like it’s a ritual. It also helps you build the stamina and endurance you will need when you ride solo as it will help you ride with greater ease on your own.
9. It Helps Ease Your Fear Of Riding Alone
If you’re a new or inexperienced cyclist, you might feel a bit uneasy hitting the road alone. You may worry about being too far from home or being too close to heavy traffic. A bigger group might ease some of those fears. When you’re in a larger group, you can rest assured that you’ll have other cyclists around you in case of an emergency.
10. You get to know other cyclists in your area
If you join a cycling club or just ride with a few friends regularly, you’ll probably meet and get to know lots of other cyclists in your area. You might make new friends just by joining cycling groups on social media. Whether you ride with friends or a club, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with other cyclists in your area and learn more about their cycling habits and beliefs. You can share tips and suggestions and even meet up for other activities and adventures outside of your cycling time.
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