Alright, I am a solo cyclist. I have been riding for years by myself, sometimes with one other person, and on VERY rare occasion (once a year?) with two other people.
After all these years of cycling I have decided to participate in a few charity rides this coming Summer; the dillemma? RIDING IN A GROUP 😉 I've never done this! Lately I have been considering taking up with a local cycling club to help me with group riding diciplines.
What are some rules of thumb about group riding? What should I know so I don't make a fool of myself 😉
Don’t jump out of your saddle to quickly especially if you are not on a climb your back wheel will move backwards a few inches and if anyone is riding to close you may have them or the whole bunch of.
If you are riding on the front point out any hazards to the rider behind.
....What are some rules of thumb about group riding? What should I know so I don't make a fool of myself 😉
There are group riding expectations based on safety and those based on ettiquette. Here's a few to practice and think about:
Defend your front wheel when you ride. That means you don't want to overlap someone else's rear wheel in a way that jeapodizes your safety.
When drafting stay back at least six inches and with your lack of group riding experience probably more like a foot or two and stay a few inches off to one side or the other. That way you have somewhere to go if they suddenly slow down.
As someone posted above, be careful standing up and more importantly while sitting down when riding with others. Climb up onto the pedals to stand and then reverse the process sitting down. Lots of folks jump right up (not too big a problem) but then blow it by coasting while they sit back down. It's like putting on the brakes and your bike goes backwards right into the guy behind you. Climb up, climb back down pedalling the whole time.
Similarly think and be gentle when braking. Control your speed like you would in a car, don't jam brakes on unless you really have to. Nervous riders tend to jab their brakes a lot which makes them go straight back into the riders behind them. Try not to be that guy and be aware that the wheel you're following may come straight back at you at any time.
Ride a straight line, relax your arms and shoulders, keep your elbows bent and don't wobble all over the road or you'll get labeled a squirrel and folk's will avoid you like the plague.
Hold your line in corners, don't start inside and sweep outside or vice versa, chose a safe and comfortable line and hold it throughout the turn.
Point out road debris and corners and potholes and gravel and any other hazards you see. The folks behind you can't generally see them until it's too late. Knowing this it pays to peek around folks in front of you and get a glance at the road from time to time. I generally ride in a position that let's me see what's happening six or more riders up. It's useful in races but helpful for general safety as well.
When riding next to another rider don't half wheel them. IOW ride with your handlebars and front wheel pretty much straight across from them. Otherwise they tend to speed up to try to match your position, you subconsiously speed up to stay half a wheel in front and the next thing you know your tongues are dragging and noboby's happy.
Similarly don't rocket off the front if it comes time to pull through. If you have a speedo, take a peak from time to time and as you approach the front to see how fast the group is going, try to maintain that speed don't increase it. New pack riders have a bad habit of adding one or two mph when they get to the front. All it takes is a few riders doing this to totally blow the group apart and again, nobody's happy. Just do your work, don't try to prove anything on social group rides.
If you're at the front, especially in a single paceline, don't force everyone behind you into the gutter and gravel. Ride safely for the road but especially if the wind is coming from the road side you don't want to squeeze everyone following you off the road unless you're trying to lose them.
Take your turns at the front when they come. You don't have to kill yourself or stay out there all day. Just take your turn holding the group pace and then fade back for a rest.
Eat and drink in safe places like when you're at the back of the group or things are a bit more spread out. If you can't pull out your bottle and drink without swerving all over the road then drop off the group a bit to get a drink. I've crashed hard a couple of times when nimrods couldn't drink without causing a pileup and it really sucks.
The snotrocket point above is real good. Remember you're not alone so any bodily fluids will go backwards and with the wind. Try not douse your companions with them.
I suspect there are a hundred more tips, but the big ones are to keep yourself upright and not do anything that threatens to take others down and then just to work as a group and enjoy the company.
Dave's list is thorough but requires a lot of reading! The simplest summary is "be predictable" - don't do anything sudden. As long as the others in the group have a sense of what you will do (the "predictable" rule) they will manage to avoid problems. Its the sudden unexpected move which causes crashes. Other than that, ride with a club, you learn from experience.
There are group riding expectations based on safety and those based on ettiquette. Here's a few to practice and think about:
Defend your front wheel when you ride. That means you don't want to overlap someone else's rear wheel in a way that jeapodizes your safety.
When drafting stay back at least six inches and with your lack of group riding experience probably more like a foot or two and stay a few inches off to one side or the other. That way you have somewhere to go if they suddenly slow down.
As someone posted above, be careful standing up and more importantly while sitting down when riding with others. Climb up onto the pedals to stand and then reverse the process sitting down. Lots of folks jump right up (not too big a problem) but then blow it by coasting while they sit back down. It's like putting on the brakes and your bike goes backwards right into the guy behind you. Climb up, climb back down pedalling the whole time.
Similarly think and be gentle when braking. Control your speed like you would in a car, don't jam brakes on unless you really have to. Nervous riders tend to jab their brakes a lot which makes them go straight back into the riders behind them. Try not to be that guy and be aware that the wheel you're following may come straight back at you at any time.
Ride a straight line, relax your arms and shoulders, keep your elbows bent and don't wobble all over the road or you'll get labeled a squirrel and folk's will avoid you like the plague.
Hold your line in corners, don't start inside and sweep outside or vice versa, chose a safe and comfortable line and hold it throughout the turn.
Point out road debris and corners and potholes and gravel and any other hazards you see. The folks behind you can't generally see them until it's too late. Knowing this it pays to peek around folks in front of you and get a glance at the road from time to time. I generally ride in a position that let's me see what's happening six or more riders up. It's useful in races but helpful for general safety as well.
When riding next to another rider don't half wheel them. IOW ride with your handlebars and front wheel pretty much straight across from them. Otherwise they tend to speed up to try to match your position, you subconsiously speed up to stay half a wheel in front and the next thing you know your tongues are dragging and noboby's happy.
Similarly don't rocket off the front if it comes time to pull through. If you have a speedo, take a peak from time to time and as you approach the front to see how fast the group is going, try to maintain that speed don't increase it. New pack riders have a bad habit of adding one or two mph when they get to the front. All it takes is a few riders doing this to totally blow the group apart and again, nobody's happy. Just do your work, don't try to prove anything on social group rides.
If you're at the front, especially in a single paceline, don't force everyone behind you into the gutter and gravel. Ride safely for the road but especially if the wind is coming from the road side you don't want to squeeze everyone following you off the road unless you're trying to lose them.
Take your turns at the front when they come. You don't have to kill yourself or stay out there all day. Just take your turn holding the group pace and then fade back for a rest.
Eat and drink in safe places like when you're at the back of the group or things are a bit more spread out. If you can't pull out your bottle and drink without swerving all over the road then drop off the group a bit to get a drink. I've crashed hard a couple of times when nimrods couldn't drink without causing a pileup and it really sucks.
The snotrocket point above is real good. Remember you're not alone so any bodily fluids will go backwards and with the wind. Try not douse your companions with them.
I suspect there are a hundred more tips, but the big ones are to keep yourself upright and not do anything that threatens to take others down and then just to work as a group and enjoy the company.
Good luck, Dave
I read it all and am going to again! Thank you very much. All this seems to make sense (as well as Palewin saying "Be Predictable" which I always try to do 😉
I appreciate the time spent typing all that out (or cutting and pasting). I am going to involve myself with a local bike club for some 'real time' learning.
What are some rules of thumb about group riding? What should I know so I don't make a fool of myself 😉
I used to ride with a guy who'd become bored with my smooth, steady pace up hills. He'd leap out of his saddle and jump around me. Naturally, not wanting to lose his wheel, I'd go, too. Then he'd suddenly decide he had enough and stop pedaling, and I'd have to do something heroic to keep from crashing into his back wheel.
