There is a point on almost every mountain cycling tour when a group that has been riding comfortably together suddenly begins to spread across the road.
It usually happens at the bottom of a proper climb.
For the previous 30 or 40 kilometres, everyone might have been rolling along together, chatting, sharing turns on the front and benefiting from the bunch. Then the road tilts upwards and, within a few kilometres, there can be a considerable distance between the first and last rider.
That is completely normal.
We see it regularly in the French Alps, Dolomites, Pyrenees and other mountain regions we ride. Put a group of cyclists on a flat road and their comfortable riding speeds can be reasonably similar. Put those same riders on a 15-kilometre climb and differences in fitness, climbing ability and simply how hard someone wants to ride become much more obvious.
That is why group riding on a cycling tour doesn't mean everybody needs to stay together everywhere.
On a long climb, we want you to find your own rhythm.
We'll regroup at the top.
Ride Together
On flatter roads, staying reasonably close helps with drafting, navigation and support.
Climb Your Pace
Once the road turns properly uphill, riders settle into the effort that suits them.
Guides Spread Out
Our guides position themselves through the group so support is never far away.
Regroup At The Top
Food, water, warm clothing and support are waiting where everyone naturally comes back together.
Group Riding Doesn't Mean Riding Together Everywhere
There are plenty of parts of a cycling tour where keeping the group relatively compact makes sense.
On flatter and rolling roads, we generally encourage riders to stay reasonably close together. This approach is consistent with Cycling UK's group riding guidance, which recommends agreed regrouping points such as junctions and the tops of climbs.
It makes the group easier for our guides to manage, reduces the chance of someone missing a turn and means assistance is nearby if somebody has a mechanical problem.
There is also the simple benefit of drafting.
Sitting behind another rider saves energy, particularly into a headwind or across exposed terrain. Over several days of a cycling holiday, those little energy savings add up.
And flatter roads tend to provide considerably more opportunities to take a wrong turn.
Once we reach a sustained mountain climb, the situation changes.
The road becomes simpler and the differences between riders become greater.
That is when riding together can actually make the experience harder rather than easier.
How We Manage A Mountain Climb At A Glance
Before The Climb: The group will generally ride together through flatter and rolling terrain where drafting, navigation and guide support are useful.
On The Climb: Riders are encouraged to find their own sustainable pace rather than trying to stay with somebody faster or continually waiting for somebody slower.
Guide Support: Guides spread themselves through the group, usually with one towards the front, another around the middle and a final guide acting as the safety net behind.
At The Summit: Everyone regroups, fills bottles, grabs food and adds warm or dry clothing before the descent.
Why It Works: Riders keep moving, climb with less pressure and still have experienced support throughout the mountain.
Why Everyone Should Climb At Their Own Pace
One of the quickest ways to make a mountain climb harder than it needs to be is trying to ride somebody else's pace.
If you're constantly trying to stay with a stronger climber, it is very easy to push above an effort you can sustain.
For a while, everything feels fine.
Then ten or twenty minutes later, you're paying for it.
The opposite isn't particularly enjoyable either.
If you're a strong climber and repeatedly slowing down or stopping to wait, it becomes difficult to find any rhythm.
Neither approach achieves much.
Remember, this is a cycling holiday, not a training camp.
If you want to test yourself on the climb, that's fine. If you'd rather select an easier gear and tap away steadily for the next hour and a half, that's equally fine.
What matters is finding an effort you can sustain.
Guide tip: Don't judge your climb by where you sit within the group. Find a gear, effort and rhythm you can maintain. Someone reaching the summit 20 minutes before you hasn't necessarily had a better ride.
The Most Important Thing Isn't Speed
We've guided plenty of riders up major European climbs over the years, and one lesson comes up repeatedly.
You don't necessarily need to climb quickly. You need to keep moving.
A cyclist riding slowly but steadily can make surprisingly good progress up a mountain.
Repeatedly stopping is different.
Every stop means unclipping, putting a foot down, standing around, getting back onto the bike and accelerating again.
Physically and mentally, you're continually restarting the climb.
Think about a semi-trailer pulling away from a set of traffic lights.
Getting all that mass moving requires considerably more effort than keeping it rolling once it has momentum.
Cycling uphill works on much the same principle.
You don't need to be flying.
You just want to keep the pedals turning.
Why We Don't Stop Every Two Kilometres
At first, stopping the faster riders every few kilometres and waiting for everyone to catch up can sound like the obvious way to keep a group together.
In practice, it usually makes the climb worse for everybody.
Imagine a 15-kilometre Alpine climb with the group naturally spread over perhaps 30 or 40 minutes.
The first riders stop and wait.
Eventually the final riders arrive, except they've barely had time to take a drink before everyone else is ready to leave again.
Then two kilometres later, the whole process starts again.
The stronger riders spend half the climb standing around.
The riders towards the back end up chasing people who have already had a substantial rest.
And everybody loses their rhythm.
There is a much simpler solution.
Keep riding, then regroup properly once at the summit.
Our Experience: A Very Long Day On Alpe d'Huez
One particular ascent of Alpe d'Huez has stuck with me for years.
I was the final guide on the road, following one of our guests up the famous 21 bends of Alpe d'Huez. It was wet and cold, certainly not one of those beautiful sunny Alpine days you see in the photos.
The interesting thing was that the rider was actually going reasonably well.
They weren't in serious difficulty and they weren't completely fatigued. They were simply climbing at the pace that suited them.
Because I was the last guide, I'd ride ahead for a while at my own pace, find somewhere to stop and keep an eye down the mountain.
As the rider approached, I'd begin riding again.
Except they would stop.
Not for long. Perhaps a few seconds. Sometimes they'd grab a little food or simply stand there briefly.
Then they'd start again.
Stop-Start Riding Slows You Down
The pattern continued for almost the entire climb.
I'd ride ahead.
They'd approach.
I'd start riding.
They'd stop.
Then we'd repeat it again.
Anyone who has ridden Alpe d'Huez knows the 21 bends can already make for a long afternoon. On that particular wet day, it took us several hours.
To this day, it remains comfortably the slowest I've ever climbed Alpe d'Huez.
The important point wasn't that the rider couldn't manage the climb.
Whenever they were riding, they were making perfectly reasonable progress.
It was all the little stops that consumed the time.
That day reinforced something we've seen many times since.
Slow and steady is often considerably quicker, and easier, than ride, stop, ride, stop.
One thing we've learned: If you can keep moving comfortably, keep moving. You can always choose an easier gear and reduce the effort. Constantly stopping and restarting often makes a climb feel longer and harder than riding steadily at a slower pace.
What Our Guides Are Doing While You Climb
Allowing riders to climb at their own pace doesn't mean we simply send everyone up the road and wait at the top.
This is where having several experienced guides on the road becomes important.
The exact setup depends on the route, number of guests and ability range within the group, but on a significant climb we'll generally spread ourselves through the riders.
We might have a stronger guide towards the front who can ride at a solid pace and give some of our higher-level riders somebody to ride with.
Another guide will generally float through the middle of the group, checking riders and assisting where required.
We also keep a guide towards the back.
That final guide provides an important safety net.
If someone has a mechanical problem, misses a turn, needs a little assistance or simply decides to stop for a moment, they know somebody from Bikestyle Tours will eventually come through.
You don't need to worry about being last.
There is someone behind you.
Stopping Can Also Mean Getting Cold
There is another reason we don't encourage unnecessary stops on major mountain climbs.
In the high mountains, conditions can change quickly.
A warm valley can become cold, windy or wet as you gain altitude.
While you're climbing, your body is producing plenty of heat.
Stop for ten minutes in damp cycling clothing and things can feel very different.
This is particularly noticeable on wet days.
Whenever possible, you're usually better off continuing at a manageable pace than repeatedly stopping and allowing yourself to become cold.
Then, once you reach the summit, we can regroup properly, add clothing and prepare for the descent.
Why The Support Vehicle Is Usually At The Top
The support vehicle is another important reason the summit is usually the logical regroup point.
If we constantly move the vehicle around the middle of a climb trying to follow individual riders, there's a good chance it ends up supporting nobody particularly well.
It might be halfway up the mountain when the faster riders reach the summit.
Or it could be ahead of the final riders when somebody further down needs assistance.
Where road access allows, positioning the vehicle strategically around the summit gives everybody a clear meeting point.
It also means the things riders are most likely to need are there when they arrive.
Water.
Food.
Warm clothing.
Dry clothing when conditions are poor.
And, importantly, another layer before the descent.
The rider who was sweating heavily climbing at eight kilometres per hour can become very cold descending at 50 kilometres per hour.
That jacket in the support van suddenly becomes rather useful.
Tips For Cyclists On A Long Climb
Start Conservatively
If you don't know the climb, don't judge your effort from the first kilometre. Long mountain climbs reward patience.
Find Your Own Rhythm
Don't feel you need to stay with somebody simply because you reached the bottom together. Ride the pace you believe you can sustain.
Use Your Easier Gears Early
There's no prize for grinding a bigger gear through the opening kilometres. Save your legs for later in the climb.
Keep Moving Where Possible
If you need to reduce the effort, select an easier gear and slow down. Continuous forward movement is often easier than repeatedly stopping and restarting.
Eat And Drink While Riding
Where it is safe to do so, take regular small drinks and food while continuing to ride rather than turning every gel or drink into a roadside stop.
Don't Worry About Being Last
On a supported Bikestyle Tours ride, our guides are positioned through the group. Ride your climb, we'll keep an eye on what is happening around you.
Our approach: Ride together when riding together helps. When a long climb creates big differences in speed, ride at your own sustainable pace and let the group naturally spread out. We'll bring everyone back together at the top.
The Regroup Is Part Of The Experience
There is something I really enjoy about regrouping at the top of a major climb.
The faster riders have usually had time to grab a drink, eat something and pull on a jacket.
Other riders gradually arrive, often to a bit of encouragement from everybody already there.
Then the final riders appear.
Nobody particularly cares who was first anymore.
The conversation quickly becomes about the climb itself.
How steep was that section?
Did you see the view around the last bend?
What was that final kilometre all about?
And, perhaps most importantly, where's the food?
That is how we want mountain days on our cycling tours to work.
You ride your climb, but you still finish it as part of the group.
This Is A Cycling Holiday, Not A Training Camp
There can sometimes be an unspoken pressure in group riding to keep up.
We'd rather remove that pressure when the road gets steep.
Some riders enjoy testing themselves against a famous climb.
Others want to settle into a comfortable gear, look around and enjoy being somewhere they've wanted to ride for years.
Both approaches are completely valid.
Our job is to give different riders the opportunity to enjoy the same mountain in the way that works for them.
That doesn't mean ignoring the group.
It means managing the group according to the terrain.
Ride together when riding together helps.
Ride your own climb when it doesn't.
Climb At Your Own Pace, We'll See You At The Top
Some of the biggest differences between cyclists only really become visible when the road points uphill.
That doesn't need to become a problem.
In fact, giving riders the space to climb at their own pace usually makes the day better for everyone.
The stronger riders can enjoy the mountain at a solid pace.
Those who prefer a steadier effort can settle into their rhythm without feeling they are holding anybody up.
Our guides remain spread across the road, and the support vehicle is positioned where it can provide the most useful assistance.
Most importantly, everyone keeps moving.
Then we come back together at the summit.
That's why, on a Bikestyle Tours mountain ride, you won't normally hear us calling for another regroup two kilometres up the road.
Keep pedalling.
We'll see you at the top.
Ride The Mountains With The Right Support
Our guided cycling tours combine experienced guides, carefully planned routes and vehicle support, giving riders the freedom to enjoy the mountains at the pace that suits them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Regrouping at the summit allows cyclists to climb at their own sustainable pace without repeatedly stopping. It also provides a clear location for guides and support vehicles to provide food, water and additional clothing.
On a guided Bikestyle Tours ride, guides are spread throughout the group, including a guide towards the rear. Riders can climb at a comfortable pace without worrying about keeping up with faster cyclists.
If you genuinely need to stop, you should. However, riding continuously at an easier sustainable pace is often more efficient than repeatedly stopping and restarting.
You don’t need to climb at the same speed as other guests. The important consideration is choosing a tour suited to your riding ability and being prepared for the distances and climbing involved.
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