@Abe_Froman & @WindWarrior,
Something to consider with group rides is that each of the different riders can have different body weights, heights, CDAs, FTPs, etc., and training together on the same ride will have extraordinarily different effects on each of them. We all live different lives and have unique strengths and weaknesses, so progressing a group ride won’t have the same effect on all riders.
Rides without structure can also often have a ton of time coasting or at really low intensities, which isn’t really productive.
I saw that you shared your calendar on the forum recently, and the example below is a group ride that shows almost 60% of the ride either coasting or in active recovery.
The reason that most current top-level professionals do almost all of their training alone is because their plan is tailored to them. If they want to train specific systems that help make them faster in race situations, such as fat oxidation or lactate clearance, then they need a specific workout tailored to their unique physiology to achieve that. This is why we recommend our plans, Adaptive Training, AI FTP Detection, etc.
I do want to mention that we often recommend that athletes do go on group rides if they feel that it will help to motivate them, as we all need to socialize and get some riding just for riding in from time to time, but our main goal here at TrainerRoad is to get you faster, not just keep you at your current level.
As @ZackeryWeimer mentioned earlier, your riding schedule will ultimately depend on your priorities. If you are choosing to spend most of your available time and energy on fast group rides, then it might be difficult to closely follow a training plan for you. The opposite is true as well. If you’re really focused on following your plan, there is potentially less time to pedal around in a group, race on Zwift, etc. There can be a balance though, but it depends on your priorities & goals. We are always here to help sort things out and make recommendations for athletes if they’d like advice on how to best reach their goals.
@ZackeryWeimer mentioned this in the thread solution, and @Barry_Bean is spot on with what we constantly preach – start with a low-volume plan with the intention of leaving time & energy in your week for the social rides if they are important to you.
Also, it’s worth noting that this topic was started with questions about which training volume to select, and we’ve once again started the debate around the science of structured workouts vs. unstructured riding. Let’s do our best to stay on topic in each thread for the sake of all forum users.
) 50+ days a year, I have found mid-week race simulation group rides to be highly potent in improving my speed, performance, and mental toughness. Its why I mentioned the IF of those group rides, and part of what I meant by saying purpose. Of course those group/race rides are in the same week as structured workouts. There are well known coaches/companies that embrace group rides to help build fitness and improve performance, and from your post I do better understand that TR has a different opinion on the subject.