Interval training and/or chaingang?

"Has to be said though, on the flats and rolling sections it's torrid, find it really hard to keep up. When we hit the hill I can usually have a breather"

So why not make it hard for the rest of the group on the hills, it may take some of the sting out of their legs and give you a slightly easier time on the flat.

If you intend to race and that is the basis for your training programme then I would be tempted to go for 2 chaingang sessions rather than do a bit of Strava bashing. The chaingang will teach you how to hang in when you are not feeling at your best (which is something you will have to do in a race) whereas Strava bashing will tempt you to go for it when you feel good and ease up when you are not feeling quite so hot. After all, in a road race your effort is often dictated by someone else's mood.

Define giving it the best shot possible?

Are you looking to compete, or indeed compete better, or is this about fitness and enjoyment?

Aligned to the answers of the above questions, where your skills and strengths are currently will dictate how much chain gang action you should go for.

Chain gangs provide a number of really good skills/training stimulus, including;

- group riding techniques
- Managing your efforts in a paceline
- finding and holding the optimum position to maximise shelter provided
- making repeated efforts with minimal/active recovery
- being forced to make efforts as and when dictated by the group, rather than when you feel good (which is great for racing)
- learning to dig in when you are suffering
- learning to save energy and take it easy when you are not (i.e. how to be efficient in a breakaway)

However, there are a couple of negatives..

1. You are not in control of the efforts made, which can (will) mean efforts made are either too hard, or too easy. This means if you are looking to maximise training stimulus generated, there will be more efficient ways.

2. They can sap your competitive spirit. This is only relevant for competitive riders, but from personal experience I found I got a lot of satisfaction from smashing it on the chain gang. It provided a great competitive hit, and positive confirmation that I was good blah, blah, blah… Damn they are fun! Anyway, the negative of this was come race day, I wasn’t quite as hungry as I could be. I only really picked up on this when I was forced to stop the chain gangs due to family/work and race day became the only time I was able to be competitive… I was more competitive.

Conversely, I am conscious that I have used chain gangs as a way to gauge myself against local riders/hot shots, and they have done the same with me… if you chain gang with stronger riders on a Thursday night, will you honestly expect to beat them come race day on Sunday?

Personally, I’d suggest limiting chain gangs to one session a week, which I’d coincide with fresh legs. Then I’d supplement this with a Strava smashfest, with either a structured interval or a race… basically three hard efforts a week.

I daresay it rather depends on both your physiology and the quality of the chain gangs you ride with?

When I'm riding with a club, I like to ride with groups which are a little bit faster them me - so I have something to chase, but can just about keep up with so I'm not slowing them up (much!)

As for 'Strava hunting' - this IS good for interval training is it not? Go for one segment, then rest and recover on the next, ready to go all out for the next one.... and repeat