Guest Article: The Ride Starts On Time. No Exceptions.

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• I should send this article to some of my ride buddies.

  As a group we're always running late; and when I mean late, I mean 30mins late! It's got to the point where I now tell everyone that the ride time is -30mins, just so that we start close to the allotted time.

  If I just rode off at the start time, I'd be riding by myself!

• @scaler911

  And it might be noted that the starting time is the time when you start turning over the pedals, not the time you arrive in your car, still in your street clothes.

  Amen brother.

• @wiscot

  You know, I've been thinking about this post all day. While a ride can do marvels to calm frayed nerves and unpleasant attitude, it isn't good to start in a state of agitation, if that's not a redundancy. The bike keeps me mentally sane, but I (like I suspect many of us do) have a pre-ride routine in terms of how I get ready. The order I get dressed in, making sure I'm properly dressed for the weather, preparing my bottles, going into the garage, pumping up the tires, checking that I have my watch, ID, and gels, getting the right lenses in the glasses, selecting what shoes I'll wear, what shoe covers I need (if necessary) helmet on, and leaving. I don't like to be rushed as I set out - all I want to initially focus on is my ride and route. The rest tends to sort itself out.

  This. And I always feel guilty in the amount of time it takes me to Get Ready. Even though I try to make it efficient, I'd rather be on the bike. And thus always the great quandry - I want to maximize my on bike suffering, but have a limited number or route/rides available from my urban home. If I load the bike on the car, I can be on uber-sweet country roads easily within 45 minutes. But that's 1.5 hours I could have been on the bike.

  But rather like making a fine meal, it is the prep that is just as much fun. And of course, there is the analog to dating. As the French say "make ze love to ze bike...don't be in zee hurry to fuck ett..."

• Rule 88 is awesome!

  I quit going on a weekly group ride because my riding partner wanted to drive there...so he could save his legs for the sprint...on a training ride. For fucks sake. Oh, I also stopped going because all he wanted to talk about afterwards was his max heart rate.

  But yeah, driving to rides is bizarre to me. Since I don't own a car, not really an option. And I must say one reason I am reluctant to race much cx is that driving to ride for 45 minutes isn't that attractive to me. Oh well, I'll do some races. Gotta take my shot at Joey-ing it before 2011 is out!

• I drive to a group ride currently, but when the ride ends close to sunset, it just makes more sense. Plus if I have a mechanical or kick my own ass (the more likely outcome), I don't have to worry about getting home. However if the ride was midday on a Saturday and starts a few blocks away, by all means ride...

• Excellent first post Sir.
  Tardiness, especially in relation to the group ride, is unacceptable.
  Having spent a lot of time in Nippon, I am always amazed at how Tokyo's railway system, with their myriad of lines, both public and private, work in perfect synchronicity and on time. Train due at 7:23? Arrives at 7:21; passengers disembark and embark; train departs at 7:23; every day the same (unless there has been a "jinshin jiko" or "human accident delay).
  If a city of 20 million can get it right, a bunch of lycra clad fat arses surely can.

• If you are not V minutes early, you are V minutes late.

• Being on time is a virtue and respectful to whomever you've agreed to meet at a certain time with. I haven't cared too much about being late because I've figure people understand, but it's become obvious how annoying it is because I've found myself waiting for others. As such, I'm trying hard to be more punctual, but I'm habitually late because I habitually bite off more than I can chew in terms of projects and have too many going at once. It's the yin to my yang of always pushing myself as hard as I can in everything I do. But, if I agree on a time, I try hard to be there these days. If I don't know when I'll be somewhere, I'll try to let people know what the buffer is so they can plan accordingly.

  In light of my tardiness, though, I just hope that in the event of my death, my friends and family will have the sense of humor to have my coffin arrive late to the funeral.

  The Cogal ride left at precisely V past VV, as it should be.

• I think a built in V minute margin of error is totally acceptable, if only to allow that not everyone are complete control freaks. FFS, lighten up. There can be myriad reasons why being a couple of minutes late is beyond anyone's control, and if the tacit V minute buffer is there is leaving V minutes late really being late?? I've ridden on many bunch rides where the V minutes delay banter is as fun as the ride itself.

• I have such a reputation for being on time that when I was 3 minutes late to class last week I was given a proper telling of by my friends. I have been on time every day since. I pride myself on being reliable and punctuality is part and parcel with that.