James and Dave have different perspectives on what their group ride is about. Who is right?
Dave:
I’m sick of getting cold while we wait for people who can’t get organised enough to be on time
I meet with a group for a ride every Wednesday, but they are so disorganised and always late to set off, and I find it really frustrating. We’re supposed to leave at 7pm, but it seems to have turned into ‘meet at 7pm, leave at 7.15pm’. Recently it’s got even worse, with various people asking us to wait for them when they’re not even going to turn up until 7.20pm. We’ve tried setting off without people and getting them to catch up with us, but then we end up hanging around debating the route, messing around sending tracking messages, and then waiting around on the hills when they don’t catch up where we expected. I’m sick of getting cold while we wait for people who can’t get organised enough to be on time.
I love my group ride because it makes me get out the house. Often it’s quite an effort to get back from work in time to get out for 7pm, but I make the effort because I think it’s worth it. But I can’t help feeling that we’re wasting valuable riding time – especially as the long daylight hours start shortening. Am I being unreasonable to expect us to set off on time, and leave the stragglers behind?
James:
Sometimes things happen – the train home is late, or one of the kids needs a poo – and it makes me five minutes late.
It’s a social group, not a training ride. The point of the group is to get out and see friends. For lots of people in the group, it’s their only chance to ride in the week, me included. Sometimes things happen – the train home is late, or one of the kids needs a poo – and it makes me five minutes late. I’m grateful to the group for hanging on for me, and five minutes doesn’t seem like much for everyone to wait when it makes the difference to me getting to ride, or not.
Sometimes they set off without me and send me a location tracker to catch up with them, but I don’t really know my way around and I struggle to figure out the fastest way to where they are. I’m almost always there by 7.10pm, and we don’t set off until 7.15pm. Waiting until 7.20pm doesn’t seem like such a big ask.
Who is right? What’s the solution to group ride harmony? Give your advice to James and Dave in the comments, and vote in the poll to record your verdict.
You decide!
Have you got a MTB moral dilemma? Send it in to editorial@singletrackworld.com and put your problem out there for judgement. Will you be given the lawn sausages of disapproval, or can you claim the moral high ground?
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