My son has attended the same summer camp for two years now. Throughout the summer there are specialty camps kids can opt to attend. Last summer he signed up for an intense biking camp. At the beginning of the week, there were more than 30 kids signed up. By day three, the numbers had dropped to about 12. By the end of the week, only 6 kids remained.

On the first day of camp, the kids and their counselors rode a total of 10 miles. But the rides were short and they stopped at several fun locations to play and rest in between rides. Still, my very fit and athletic son needed to take a bath that night to relax his muscles.

The second day, the kids rode about the same distance, but with only one, longer break in between. It was a hard day, evidenced by the fact that more than half of the kids dropped out after day two. My son mentioned that he thought maybe he'd like to quit, too. But day three was too intriguing for him to give up.

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Sometimes, going it alone has great value. Sometimes, being part of a group has a certain appeal. According to those involved with AthletiCamps -- home to cycling camps designed to help riders enhance their performance -- one of the most splendid attractions of road cycling is the feel of rolling down the road in a big collective pack.

What do you think -- ride with the group or go it alone? Before deciding, you may want to better understand the anatomy of a group ride.

A typical group ride consists of any number of riders -- maybe three, maybe 150 -- and typically lasts between two and four hours. Common to group rides is a psychological factor. There's usually at least one person in the group more aggressive than the others, a person who either inhibits or inspires riders.

There are two types of rides, neither of which are races, both of which prepare riders for races. There are training rides, where riders work together on a skill. And there are club rides, where it's not clear who will show up and where a lack of focus can present a challenge.

There's so much more to consider about group rides, and you can learn more here. But the bottom line is this: each athlete's fitness level and goals are unique. For those new to race preparation, it may be wise to avoid unstructured group rides. For those with a little training under their belts, the group ride may be in order. If you're up for it, give it a go -- see how you feel when you're rolling the down the road in that collective pack. I can only imagine it must feel exhilarating.

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