Group rides vs solo training - which actually builds better skills?

I've been riding with the Vancouver Riders Hub crew for about 8 months now, and I keep going back and forth on this. Group rides are awesome for pacing and drafting, but I find myself just following the pack instead of reading the road myself. Solo training though, I spent last June doing laps around Stanley Park on my own and my cornering got way sharper because I had to pick my own lines. But man, solo gets boring after a while and you miss out on learning from faster riders in the group. What do you guys think actually makes you a stronger rider for the long term - group pace or solo grinding? I'm trying to plan my summer schedule and I'm stuck on this.

2 comments

2 Comments

kai_nguyen23d ago

Used to think group rides were the only way to get better, but solo training changed my mind. Spent last winter grinding laps around the river trail by myself and my cornering improved way more than riding in a paceline. You have to pick your own lines, brake when you feel like it, and learn when to push without someone telling you. Group rides teach you how to sit in a wheel, but solo time teaches you how to actually ride your bike. Now I split it 60/40 solo to group and my handling skills are sharper than ever.

ben82723d ago

Man, I gotta push back on that a little bit @kai_nguyen. In my experience, solo riding builds confidence but group riding builds instincts you just can't get alone. When you're by yourself, you're only reacting to the road and your own limits, not to twenty other riders making sudden moves. I've seen dudes who rip solo laps get real sketchy when they have to hold a line through a fast corner with someone overlapping their wheel. Your 60/40 split sounds solid, don't get me wrong, but I'd argue group rides teach you how to read traffic, predict sketchy moves, and handle real world chaos way better than solo cornering ever will. Solo time is great for feel, but group time is where you learn to survive a crash or a bad call without going down. Your mileage may vary, but I've watched too many solo specialists eat pavement when the pack gets tight.