Last weekend's ride was the first one in "ride groups". Based on our time trial results, we've been assigned to small teams of riders of about the same speed. Our groups is nine riders strong, including a volunteer coach and mentor, who help keep us in line.
We learned the protocol of riding in a "pace line". That's where the riders follow each other in a line, with the front rider plowing through the wind resistance and the others cruising along behind him. The lead rider keeps it up for about a minute, then drifts to the side and lets the next rider have a turn at lead. The ex-leader gets to drop to the back of the line and enjoy some hard-earned water or snack (PowerBar).
This was something I'd never done before, and it was fun. It requires a lot of concentration to maintain a steady speed, so you don't fall behind or run into the guy ahead of you. And when you're in front, you don't want to get so excited with adrenaline that you pull away and leave the rest of your "train" behind!
Good stuff. Unlike when running or riding solo, there's not spacing out while riding in a pace line!
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