ATTENTION R3 RIDERS!
New Category Terminology: R3 Paceline Plus
Last year there were two R3 ride groups on Tuesday evening’s TAM Ride. They ran successively due to the great number of members in the speed group. After time, the nature of the two groups diverged slightly with the first group having a bit more spice, while the second group did its best to adhere strictly to its Team Pursuit format. Riders began signing up for the group that suited their interests more even though there was no formal descriptions of the two different ride group behaviours.
To accommodate these two distinct styles in the same speed group, GCC is now piloting a name change for the first R3 group: R3 Pace Line Plus. Similar to last year, this ride group is intended for those wanting something more, but not necessarily the pace or Race Tactics experience of R2. The ride begins as social pace line and switches to constant rotation as usual. At around the halfway point, the pace may become more spicy if the riders choose.
R3 Team Pursuit (constant rotation) remains the same and will continue to focus on team cohesion and strive for smooth, seamless rotations. It will begin after the new R3 Pace Line Plus.
Although there is no real change in behaviour from what was happening in 2024, riders can now explicitly choose the R3 experience that suits them best with no mistaking the nature of the group.
This will serve riders who want to continually improve and test their abilities and is a good stepping stone to the R2 ride group.