I’m 6’3" and every group ride is a test to get as low as the other riders in the group. If you’re tall, give it a shot!
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You don’t have to win the group ride. Use group rides to test yourself and have fun.
I’m a similar build as you. I will always get dropped on climbs. But I come into my own when it’s fast and furious on the flats or in windy echelons where many of the climbers get dropped. And I’m a good sprinter so I can do well at the sprint point at the end of the fast/flat sections.
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@CH01 @WombleHunter @jezza323 @DwayneB @4ibanez @AJS914 , thanks for all your replies!
For a background on my physiology, I’m 180cm and actually 95kg (weighed in this morning 
). Unfortunately, for a cyclist, I have very broad shoulders at 55cm so drafting is a bit tough. Finally, my inseam is only 75cm so I’m all torso; when I sit up I’m “taller” than virtually everyone else on the ride. So in short, I have the CdA of a barn door.
The ride is advertised as a drop ride and I’m definitely not complaining about that. However, it being the
“B” ride we do get a lot of saltiness when guys from the “A” ride sandbag and put the hurt on us. I think one of the main issues is that I’m looking at this like a group ride when I should be looking at it like a race. I feel the need to contribute and help pull the group, but what’s the point if I’m going to get dropped when we hit the climb?
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This would make me either reconsider if I wanted to ride with that group, or put me into ‘marking the breakaway’ mode - sitting on the back not even participating in the rotation. If they’re not willing to let you sit in after you’ve been working on the front, despite the fact you’re historically getting dropped…well, I’d not be helping them out personally.
…especially if this is also happening!
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Yeah. Sound like a bunch of jerks to me.
How about finding a nice group of people to roll around the countryside with, laughing and chatting as you go? Do this at the weekends, do intervals if you like during the week and after about a year you’ll not only find your fitness has increased beautifully but you’ll have also made some lifelong friends.
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Agree this part is a little weird. What do you mean by “hide from the wind”? Do you mean forming echelons off and to the side?
if so, this might be kinda normal. Lots of group rides have rules about how far across the road or bike path you’re supposed to spread, sometimes for safety or etiquette or even traffic law purposes depending on where you are.
But if that’s the case, then eveyrone should be in the same boat (vs you being singled out) and you should look what they do. Are they taking shorter pulls when there’s a cross wind, or maybe easier pulls? Definitely make sure to put speed on your computer if it’s not there already. It’s a common mistake to hit the front and overcompensate such that you accidentally push the pace harder vs. keeping the same speed as the guy/gal who just went before you. (this is part of the art of TTTs)
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I think you’ve gotten a lot of great advice on tactics and the group dynamics elsewhere in this thread, so I won’t reiterate any of those points except to say I agree with a lot of it!
I will say - I find the concept of a ‘B’ drop ride very strange. It is not something I’m familiar with. This is likely why having guys from the ‘A’ drop group come down a level is causing problems - how would you police people out of the B group?
To hang on a hilly drop-ride in my area you probably need a w/kg of around 4 (380 watt FTP for your current weight). To be competitive in the finish of a drop-ride you’d probably need to get that FTP into the 430 watt range if you were cycling where I live.
If those numbers don’t sound reasonable to you I’d strongly suggest you look at the other side of the w/kg balance. At 180cm and 95kg you’re at a BMI of around 29 - in the upper range of the ‘overweight’ band (25-29.9). I would guess you have some relatively simple easy gains on your diet and weight. You could lose 10kg and still be considered overweight by BMI (85kg would drop your BMI to around 26)
Don’t want to completely derail this thread - but I’d suggest you put as keen an eye onto your diet and weight as you’re putting onto your training and tactics
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This all sounds very much like you need to find a new group ride
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Like you said its a drop ride! Looking back at your first post its a sad sack story of woe is me. Sounds like you are getting dropped by people at higher W/kg, what’s the problem? At regroups my favorite line is “I caught all the people behind me!” Believe the appropriate mental attitude is “suck it up buttercup!” 
ride on!
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Wow Lose twenty pounds and you would smoke them.
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You were hanging on and now your not!
How much rest are you getting?
Are you doing too much work on the front?
Have the other folks got their summer bling out and moved up a gear?
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It’s only one specific rider that yells at me and he yells at a lot of people. He’s not normally on the ride but when he is, he tries to organize pace lines and berates people (like me) when we don’t rotate fast enough or aren’t in front. Overall the guys and girls on the group are awesome and I really like riding with them.
About the second point, pulling to hard, I learned quickly that this is not appreciated 
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Thanks for the reply, no worries I do need to examine the weight issue. I’m about 19% body fat so I have room to move. I’ve tried to cut weight about a year ago, dropped to about 90kg and about 12% BF but my power dropped as well, especially the higher end power. I also weight lift for all around fitness and I know that’s going to cause weight issues, but I’m not willing to stop.
More importantly, I need to keep reminding myself that comparison is the thief of joy. I look at guys like Pete Morris, Nate, and Coach Chad, who are all “larger” cyclists, and I say “hey, if they can have a huge engine so can I!” But that’s not likely true, everyone is different and I may just be a larger guy with no engine.
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This is true, it’s most likely a fitness thing because I’m heavier than the other riders. But the hard thing for me to swallow is that I can train hard, 10+ hours a week, and still get dropped by everyone despite none of them training. I ride more than most of the other cyclists there, I put in more time doing structured training than anyone there, but I still get dropped by the 60 year old that only rides on the weekend.
I’ve asked my coach if I just suck at cycling and should I just quit, of course he said no. But I ask you, if you were putting in the time, money, and effort and doing as poorly as me, would you still be cycling?
keep in mind you are relatively new to this. Endurance sport engines take multiple years to build. Keep consistent and you will get better. Maybe not to Pete level, but you will
Whatever you do there will always be faster riders around. Dont let that discourage you. I am probably 1 of the fastest guys locally, and last crit I did we got lapped (easily) by only 2 guys. Totally different league.
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Thanks, I keep kicking myself daily about not starting cycling years ago!
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That’s a good point, even thought it’s been a couple months I’m still getting used to the unique fatigue that group rides bring. I had to tell my coach I needed to dial it back because I ended up getting sick a couple weeks ago, likely because my load hasn’t really changed but I added two group rides to my schedule.
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Hold my beer.
I’m still trying to figure out what a B drop ride is.
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Bare in mind what they say they are doing and what they are actually doing training wise may be worlds apart.
I’m passed the point of caring whether people I ride with do more or less than me, but I remember that being the case and still know (overly competitive?) people that are super cagey about their training.
I’d rather support those I ride with, and I’m really only out to compete against myself these days, but it’s definitely a thing.
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