"Roy Zipris" wrote in message
m...

The dynamics of riding in a group intrigues me and I've asked some
previous questions arising from my experiences. The question that
occurred to me during this weekend's charity ride is this: how do you
handle hills when the riders in the group have different abilities to
maintain some speed and momentum while climbing?

I think the system that works best is for riders to pull out of the line when
a gap opens in front, and let the line pull through. This doesn't work when a
slower rider is pulling, if you're the lead rider and you know you're not as
strong a climber, just pull out & let the group through. When strong riders
start pulling out to pass on the left, you wind up with a disorganized pack
several abreast, filling the road. After you've climbed a few hills in a
group, you know who the strong climbers are, just pull out so they can pass,
maintain your pace, and go back in line when a suitable gap shows up. The
bigger the group, the harder it is to manage all this smoothly. Unless riders
are really well matched, a group larger than 5 or 6 becomes pretty ragged. I'd
rather ride alone than in a ragged paceline, especially for several hours.

When you're riding a long distance, it may makes more sense just to climb in a
line at the speed of the slowest, there's no point in going ahead if you're
just going to regroup. Often, the slower climbers are fast on the flats, so it
all works out.