There’s something about riding in a group that makes you level up or being in any group, for that matter.

You’re still doing your own ride, finding a pace just on the edge of sustainable, but being surrounded by others pulls something extra out of you, something you might hold back from if you were alone.

I clocked 14 achievements on Strava that day, on a route I’ve done solo before. Not because I was racing anyone, but because the energy of the group opens something inside you. You push a little harder, hold the effort a little longer.

But the best part? The strong riders, always circling back, always regrouping. No one left behind.