Is the group bike ride dead?

Once a school of life at 30 km/h, the group outing has become a Strava Live Freewheeling: solo attacks, hysterical shouts over a pebble, and half the peloton dropped by the first slight incline. Since Covid, the rules have been shattered with the massive influx of newcomers who ride as if they were the only ones in the world. Is the group ride and its social benefits doomed? Or is it enough to reintroduce a bit of mentorship and good manners for the peloton to become a real group again, rather than a bunch of egos on two wheels?

By Guillaume Judas – Photos: depositphotos.com

In the past, going out in a group was sacred.Not every day. Not for every ride. But it was a nice Sunday morning rendezvous. Or Wednesday for the couriers. A good way to meet up with friends and rack up some miles without noticing the time passing too much. Of course, there was always that final sprint to the sign, always the same one, just for a bit of fun. But we put in route At most five kilometers before. The old guys would drop out. The beginners would yo-yo. But everyone would meet up at the fountain once the virtual finish line had delivered its verdict. We weren't talking about KOMs every five minutes yet, we weren't checking our phones at every red light to see if we'd beaten so-and-so on the baker's segment. No, we drove for the pleasure of being togetherto learn how to hold your line like a pro, to raise your hand when a pedestrian crossed like a zombie, and not to turn every bump into a world champion attack. We weren't riding to show off. the biggest.

The peloton was a micro-society with its own rituals, its veterans, and its rookies.The old adventurer rode ahead, calm as a monk, and delivered his lessons between sips of lukewarm water: Don't tailgate the guy in front when you're yawning, kid. "And we listened. Because getting yelled at collectively was a guarantee that we would never do it again."

The Covid Fracture

Then came Covid. routedeserted clubs, closed clubs, home trainer apps screaming " ALL OUT! "Every thirty seconds." When we were finally allowed to go out again, a new species had arrived: the post-apocalyptic cyclist. Aero helmet screwed on up to his ears, state-of-the-art cycling shorts, a speedometer that beeps more often than a metal detector on a Normandy beach, and sometimes even headphones in his ears. He arrives, sees twenty guys calmly pedaling, and thinks to himself: Cool, a warm-up before my test FTP »

Result? The group now resembles a stock car race with no rules.One of them attacks as soon as he sees the village sign, another brakes in the middle because he saw a squirrel. so cute a third one shouts HOLE ! "for a grain of gravel the size of a Smartie. At the back, we've lost half the peloton since the last roundabout and everyone is sprinting as if their mother were being chased by a bear.

The tragedy is that Nobody is saying anything anymore.Before, you'd get put in your place directly, with love but firmness. Now, we look down, complain on WhatsApp afterwards, and swear we'll never ride with them again. those show-offs "Great atmosphere. The old guys don't come anymore. Some still ride together, but their hearts aren't in it anymore. The former racers used to enjoy being around the youngsters. The future champions. Giving them advice. Congratulating them after a big win they'd seen in the newspaper or online. Today, a newcomer at Longchamp threatens to..." break the nose "To a former pro who finished five Tours de France and simply wants to explain to him which way to pass his relays. Respect? Why, since now it's..." every man for himself »?

Relive the group outing

So yes, there are more cyclists on the routes, and that's rather good newsSo, for that: thank you, new cyclists. Thank you for joining our microcosm, bytagShare your experiences from other sports with us. But no, we're not going to let the group outing die out just because some people are discovering cycling at the same time as their midlife crisis.

The solution is simple, and it costs nothing. : resume your role as big brother or big sister. Drive alongside the guy who's weaving like a paper boat for two minutes. Calmly tell him: You breathe through your nose, you fix your gaze on a point twenty meters away, and your front wheel stops tangoing with mine. "He'll look at you as if you've just revealed the meaning of life to him. And he'll thank you. Maybe not right away. Maybe in two years, when he too becomes the old fogey who complains about young people." Because, at its core, that's what cycling is: an unbroken chain of good-natured rants and summit coffees..

So the next time you go out in a group, Ask yourself the only question that matters: am I riding so that my ego gains three places on Strava… or so that the peloton is stronger on the way back down? Group outings aren't dead. They're just in a medically induced coma.It's up to you to unplug the plug... or plug it back in. Come on, let's get back in line. And smile.

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