Chain Gang Screw Up | I mess up BAD 

One of the guys from the fast group here. Fair play to you Max, full respect for giving it a go and sharing the results. The step up to the fast group can be a shock your first time. The second to last group should be a good place for you to build the confidence back up.

Honestly anyone who’s taken cycling seriously has had this happen and it’s always done me more good than harm, finding limits and trying to push past them is what life’s all about. Well done for trying and producing a great video about it.

When we have guys (or gals) who move up into the fast group we'll often let them sit on the back for the first couple of rides. So the rest of the group takes the wind and they don't ever have to be on the front. That way they can get used to the speed of a high pace chainy without blowing up after a few min. Once they're comfortable then they can move up the group but not take a turn on the front (just peel off the second they're at the front). Only when they feel comfortable would we expect them to actively contribute to the pace line. Might be worth you trying the same.

I had a good laugh when you said you were in good company with the bins 😂. Don't be too hard on yourself. These guys were /are elite racers . No shame in that effort.

I'm glad you're doing all the dirty work for me in these videos. I am still too scared to join a group ride but your candid and honest approach is pushing me to try.

I recommend sticking with the fast group and just sitting in. Each week aim to get further and further with them. Then you can roll turns for a bit and on you go. This is exactly how I started with a fast group. I was spat out the back for a solid 2 months before finishing with them. That day the coffee tasted amazing and I still hadn’t rolled a turn! Don’t be intimidated, those big lads will be quietly proud they made you work so hard 😉

You blew yourself up. Just inexperience and watching the video, I can see you just put yourself into the hole before things got fast. Also, you have to have confidence. Feeling out of your depth is going to be self-fulfilling. No one is going to blame you for dropping the wheel, especially on that small a group when they all know you are new. Great honest video

Memories of getting shelled on Zwift TTTs. 😂 I've never been brave enough to join the local chaingang. At 55, I doubt I ever will now, even the B group. Kudos to you for getting out there and not being afraid to give it a go!

Hi just stumbled across your videos, really enjoying them thank you. I suppose it’s all relevant down the scale. Only bought my bike last November after a 40 year gap for health reasons but it’s all become a bit addictive to be honest and now 2 1/2 stone lighter and can average 200w for about an hour, terrible compared to you guys but a huge improvement for me. Trying to build the confidence in finding a club in the New Forest that are happy to have an embarrassing 62 year old struggling at the back but with a huge heart to get faster and share a cake and coffee along the way lol! Thanks again really insightful videos. Clay

Kudos for posting this video !!! It’s great to know your limits , see what’s possible and have the bar raised for you . The only way to get faster is to go out with faster riders ! Well done and chapeau !

Great effort mate and no shame in getting dropped! It is kind of like in Zwift when getting upgraded in category. You just have to try and hang on as long as you can each time. Eventually you'll find out that you are able to stay on for longer and longer. I just to be part of a chaingang team here in Norway and it's actually quite a popular race format here wit lots of teams starting separatly ( 2-5 minutes between each start) with all teams fighting against the clock and keeeping the highest average speed. Each team consist of 15-20 riders, riding in two lines next to each other (8-10 tiders in each line), one fast line and one slow line, as the front rider of the fast line moves over to the slow line as soon as he is ahead of the first rider in the slow line. This is quite efficient to keep a high average speed, and in a famous race her in Norway at 540 kilometers the record team averaged above 40 km/h finishing the race at under 13 hours. BTW, love your outdoor videos!

Loving the videos and your honesty

Zero shame or harm in trying. Solid effort and it’s a learning curve. Fair play for trying. You’ll be back 💪🏼💪🏼

Kudos to you Sir, it's been a learning experience, makes you (and myself) take stock, rinse, repeat, come again. You'll be a better rider for it, all the best.

Dude, this was soooo fun to watch. We've all done that and it was great to see someone process that pain in realtime. Just awesome.

Happens to everyone. Kudos for sharing 💪

Great vid. Thank you

No shame whatsoever. Fair play to you for your honesty and for trying it.

If you get on the front just do 5 or 10 turns of the pedals and keep energy to catch on the back. In my fast group I had the same experience for the first 5 rides or so. Did make it further on each time out until I could hold to the end.

That looks mad fun! I died just watching 😂

Respect for giving it a try and pushing to your limits. I m personally always intimitated by faster group rides in general. It is really hard to fully understand what to expect. Especially if you dont really know any people in the group either. But aside for respect for giving this a try also thanks a lot for sharing the footage and story. It is very motivating to see those watts and speeds as a personal training goal. Even if i might only get to 70% of what these guys have been pushing 😂😂😂

Don't be too hard on yourself, it's good fun, you can only get better 🔥

Hey Max. Credit to you for trying to sit with them. It’s not a ride of shame - it takes balls to rock up and ride with people you don’t know. Given the training you have done and the progress you have made do you think you could reach their levels and what adaptations would be required?

Kudos for uploading this. Not many would when they've been dropped. But don't worry, as said here, anyone who rides seriously and wants to get better, gets dropped. Best way to get stronger is to ride with stronger riders!

Great effort. We've all been there and it's a learning curve. You didn't screw up at all. You just didn't have the legs that day

Hey Max, I hope a couple of suggestions/input is ok. First, I really don't believe you cannot sit with that group if you skip turns. Your watt profile is not too dissimilar from mine, and I am pretty comfortable in +40k rides, even on hilly routes. Secondly, I think it has more to do with how you sit in the group. You can skip even before you reach the front (like, 3rd position or something), that also makes it easier to catch the rear wheel as you don't slow down as much and you can time the outswing with the inswing better (it's easier with few riders, as you want to go as far out as you can, and as soon as you're all the way out right, you should have identified the rear wheel you're latching on to, and in the same motion, you start the inswing and hopefully land just the right place with just the right speed. Hope it makes sense. All the best, Niklas

Another great video Max. No shame in trying but that pace was brutal! Question - why slow groups first and fast group last? We do it the other way round, that way if you fall off the pace you WILL pick up a group behind you.

Well done trying Max. That is a win already. When you get above Lactate Treshold for long periods you will get "cooked". Kudos for trying, and you will be able to keep it up another day :)

You are just like I am. We are so competitive with ourselves. There’s a pride attached to our own effort and success in everything we do. It’s not that we are trying to beat others but failure in not achieving a goal or task brings a sense of shame on ourselves. If the top group don’t mind I’d stick with them. Don’t take any time on the front and just keep turning up each week and try to last longer. Those top lads look awesome and that’s the place to be. Maybe alternate weeks. A kicking once a fortnight will do you know harm.

Great videos Max 👍. How do you get on with the IGPSport computer?

Well done mate it’s the only way to acclimatise, they’ve all been there, you’re too hard on yourself

When the pace is on like that, you can simply sit on more, imo it never matters if you are as s1 will always ride the front and when you can do a turn, 30secs a minute pn the front is true pro level stuff... 👍

There is no shame. You gave it a go so kudos. No doubt thise guys have been doing that sort of road train for years.

Great videos. What make and model are your glasses?

Hey Max, we rode the red kite together last year (one of Scott's mates). No shame in getting dropped, it's a fast group and looks like Nick was pressing on. One suggestion is to get yourself a skinsuit, your jersey is not super tight and a skinsuit will save you quite a few watts at over 40kph

What kind of watts was the big lad at the front putting out? Must have been 500W plus for his turn

Hi Max, you should keep in mind that ridding Zwift vs IRL group rides is quite different. In Zwift you don’t have wind or a wheel on front of you to watch for, also no holes and cars to worry about. That’s lots of extra energy/concentration not needed when riding Zwift.

Max don't shy away from this, you definately get faster by riding with faster people. There are no sticky watts, weight doping or e-bikes here. Sitting behind the power house in the group is however a problem! Ride it again and stay between 8th(last) and 4th wheel, follow the resting man back once you are 3rd man and he has drifted past. Last man is not as efficient as being mid pack. Just let everyone know what you are going to do... honestly, if you find a few percentages that move you from one side of threshold to the other, and that ony has to be 10w, it is a whole different ride. Stress, technicality and pace were all eating at you. Sometimes is good to plan to fail.. but you have to be in control of it and eventually that eureka moment pops from nowhere. Super effort and within reach.

I tried the fast group too, got spat out just past Twyford, but there was only 4 of us and they were kind to me which is how I held on that far. Mental isn't it?

That guy in blue is like "one" end of level boss amongst many others 🤣

Getting binned after one turn is a right of passage. I've been binned on the first left hand turn after literally 2mins so no shame 😂. Knowing your limit is good though, always dip in and out to see how you're improving over the summer. That's my tactic anyway.

It seem strange to me that the fast group goes last; it encourages carnage when they catch slower groups, with people trying to go with them a screwing the pace/people not knowing who is who. Also if they were to go first, people that get dropped will be picked up by the next group.

Part of these smash rides/chain gangs etc is too try to get further each week, keep trying in that group and aim to get a bit further every week, you're learning a lot every week!

Great training for you. Nop shame in that ride. I would say to keep returning to this same group and eventually you'll hang in there. Just make sure your pulls on the front are short.

Keep doing intervals, that is all that the ride is. +400w for 30-45 seconds and 2min rest. Repeat for 35 minutes. Plan a local lap close to home that will give you a 30 second sprint every 2 minutes. Ride that block for a hour once a month.

Don’t beat yourself up mate. We’ve all been there and I guarantee everyone in that fast group has been there in their last too. Get back on the bike and try again next week. CG is ace.

Time to race the Zwift bot that's gone rogue.

Hello Max, I would have recommended just staying at the back of the group. I think flicking your arm out early to indicate you cannot hang onto the wheel is no shame. Great effort Max, don't be too hard on yourself. How about my duathlon recommendation?

Did this once in Liverpool chain gang during the early 90's lasted not long. Spent the rest of the evening trying to find my way home. Nightmare way out of my depth.

just came across your channel, defo no shame in getting spat out of a faster group, a good quote i remeber seeing years ago was if you want to get better , hang around with better people than yourself. i was always worried about going out on group rides and either not been able to hang on, or ruining other people rides, never happens like that. i listened to a good podcast of a Dr steve Peters who talks about chimp management, should check him out, once you let you brain and mind accept, you know what, i gave it a try, im bust, whats the worst? im out on my bike, i still can enjoy my ride myself, i will give it ago again!. anyway good channel and now subscribed. thanks!

No shame in that at all Max. If it were me I'd stay in the mid group but consciously do longer turns on the front to get a good session in. Seems like a false economy riding with the fastest group but skipping turns. Much better to contribute more in the mid group IMO - that's where I think the satisfaction really comes from in riding.

When the fast group guys turn up in skinsuits, you know it’s on

Definitely no shame, everyone has to step up it’s how you approach it next time that defines you. Get on the fast group again next week and again the week after and before you know it you’ll be doing the 30 second pulls.

No shame at all Max!

Work on being smooth, if the wheel is dropping off rather than exploding to attach think about being smooth, works for me at least, maybe some other people prefer to spike up power and get on fast as possible but for me that will send my lactate overboard when I'm on the ragged edge and rob me of power for the next rotation or two. Find out what your body prefers and if I was you I'd have plain and simply sat at the back letting everyone know as they're rotating one by one in front of you. They won't mind 😁👍. You're learning don't be ashamed to, you're putting your neck out and pep appreciate it.

Would like to try a group ride like this but live in a country where I don't know any other cyclists.

We’ve all been there 😢

yeah, no shame in bailing on the group. I think we've all done it - regularly in my case. Those speeds were killer IMHO. Anything over 25mph is significantly quick and requires a Watt bazooka.

I don't see a problem with this. I do this on a pretty regular basis and don't think anything of it. I jump into the fast group that I know is above my pay grade just to see how long I can keep up. It's fun and no problem at all.

I didn't realise a chain gang ride means constantly upping the pace. Shouldn't it be more a consistant pace? Some of my clubs rides get like this. One person will get on the front and accelerate away. It splits the group.

This is where two line chain gang is better in some respects. You call clear and last man to help one another and keep the pace high but not to destroy one another. What you’re basically doing here is a team time trial and it’s gonna be brutal holding onto the fastest rider if there is a big difference in strength. I see why they call it fight night.

Is the nursing home sign appropriate today 😉🤣. Big fella should have been giving consistent Watts not upping it when he hit the front.

Doesn't look so bad. Just sit, dont rotate, and keep coming week after week, until it gets better and better. It will take months, but eventually, you will be able to hold weels

No shame there mate 30mph is racing snake A grade rider category its for superfit youngsters i thought you did fantastic!.

Your stem is to short that is the issue.