I've been riding with a road club for the last couple of months. And really enjoying it – especially the group dynamic – sociable and fast when you ride together.
I've been riding in the medium group but I reckon I could ride with the fast group who do the same route on Saturday mornings. When the medium group are going well we sometimes catch up with the fast group. Would it be poor form when this happens to leave the medium group behind and b8gger off with the fast lot?
Also, I went for a sprint last weekend, was going well and took a look behind and found no-one else with me. Are you supposed to 'pre-agree' a sprint or does someone decide to go and if you want to go with them, you just follow. Is it poor form to start sprints on your own?

was there a reason for your sprint or did you just ride off on your own?

Is it poor form to start sprints on your own?

No, never.

Attack at every opportunity!

Normally a sprint occurs when there has been too much bottom touching in the peleton and more space is needed.

Some one will then break away to touch bottoms in the fast group.

Brooess getting to the cafe first… 😀

there is etiquette but surely gamesmanship is what is important

Poor form to swap groups pre ride, a bit like hanging on the back when you've been lapped.
Sprinting off for no reason is annoying, as a group you should be dialed in. Sprinting for signs is ok if it's what they do, but looks bloody odd if it's not.
If you mean you took a turn on the front and dropped the group then you were going to fast, if a inexperienced rider does that to me I let them go and we catch them later.

does his saddle not look far too low?

no.

weird doesnt look like he'd get full extension

You must also ensure you ride 3 abreast and leave no gaps in the group to allow cars to progress.

weird doesnt look like he'd get full extension

Looks fine to me, he's on the rivet pedalling slightly toe down so it looks different, you shouldnt be extending your leg fully anyway.

It is all here – work out how many you contravene – I am surprised they let me join a ride at all

http://www.cycling-inform.com/articles/247/1/Unwritten-rules-of-cycling-etiquette/Page1.html

Oh the politics of roadie's. I used to wonder why some blokes rode alone. Then I found out why. They couldnt be **** bothered with it.

Don't know about the changing groups thing. Use your own judgement. Are they the sort who will stop if they notice you are missing and will wait. Probably a bit poor if they're hanging around thinking you have a puncture when actually you've buggered off with someone else. Like wise, if they are the sort who just get on with it and don't give a stuff if you get dropped etc then why not.

The sprinting thing makes me laugh. Generally sprints are for boundary signs, eg entering a town but if they are the sort which don't bother then you just look odd. Sounds like you just went off on one by yourself anyway, which is funny.

Most groups I've riden with, it's usually the younger members who sprint for signs and the older (i.e. anyone over 21) will say leave it for a race and see it as a bit childish. However, having moaned about how childish it is for 100miles, will then sprint for the second from last boundary, winning it with fresher legs from having stayed in zone 2 all ride, and thus proving that they could have won all the others if they'd bothered. They'll leave the final boundary for the youngsters again and this is the only boundary that really matters and it's not worth killing yourself for a club ride. Unless you are on holiday, in which case the whole of life becomes a race.

ok. I see. In previous weeks some of the more established guys had started sprints and I didn't see it start so figured it was just a random thing whenever someone chose to. I'll behave from now on 🙂
I might start riding with the faster group tho

Brilliant link, thanks

LoL – This weekend, spotted a "Mr Bean" on a tourer fully mud guarded/panierd up, chasing a road peloton like a posesed wippet, he was actually making ground on them, not sure if they were just playing with him, but was quite funny to watch as they passed.

"no mountain bike shoes on the road bike"

😳

Oh dear – I'm out!

Oh the politics of roadie's. I used to wonder why some blokes rode alone. Then I found out why. They couldnt be **** bothered with it.

is that because it's too much like hard work keeping up and you can't just stop mid ride and decide you want to go to john lewis to buy a pink collar for your lapdog?

"sociable and fast when you ride together"…..all the key words are there.