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Group riding tips
by David Cole
I've been cycling for a number of years, long enough to have
encountered a variety of riding situations and to have matured some of
my own group riding skills. I know from experience that riding as a
newbie in an experienced group can be intimidating. I also know that
inexperienced riders can pose a real safety threat within a group.
So... I offer these group riding tips that I've picked up along the
way, and hope they'll be helpful to others.
- Hold your line
No matter how large the group you'll tend to fall into single,
double, or perhaps even triple-file lines. It is critically important
that you recogize the structure of the group and fall into place
accordingly. Cyclists who ride "between the lines" will almost
invariably be overlapping their wheels with other riders, and any wheel
contact will take both riders down. Maintaining your line becomes
especially important as you round corners, as you don't want to cut
other riders off in a curve. Perhaps more than anything else, riding
safely in a group means riding predictably. If you hear someone behind
you yell, "Hold your line!" know that they're doing you a favor, even
if it may not sound like one at the time.
- Maintain awareness
To move safely within a group you must be constantly aware of the
riders around you - ahead, behind, to your left and your right. When I
ride solo I always ride with a mirror - I want to know what's coming up
behind me. In a group of more than a few riders, however, I find that
the mirror only helps on one side, and what I really need to know is
who's immediately around me. In this situation glancing over each
shoulder can keep you better informed of who's where.
You also want to pay close attention to the rider in front of you.
If he or she is riding irratically then you may want a larger gap
between you than if the rider's a long-time riding partner.
- Announce hazards
When you're in a large pack only the first few riders can see the road.
It is more than just a courtesy to point to and call out road hazards
such as gravel and potholes. You should also announce when you're
overtaking slower riders and if you're braking unexpectedly
("Slowing!"). Good group communication keeps everyone riding safely.
I sometimes call out approaching traffic ("Car back!", or "Car up!")
but do so only when it's out of the ordinary, such as a car pulling a
wide trailer or a dump truck or the like.
Announcing every car causes riders to become desensitized to
situations which truly warrant their full attention.
- Announce your moves
When you're moving in or out of a line, point to where you're going so
that riders behind you know what to expect. This is part of maintaining
awareness of the riders around you and riding predictably.
- Maintain your pace
When you're drafting you gain about 1% efficiency per mph. You can
ride in a group at 22-24mph at about the same efffort it would take to
ride at 20 mph solo. To ride efficiently the group needs to ride at a
steady pace and avoid unnecessary slowdowns. Two common bottlenecks
are:
- descending/climbing hills
If you're in the front while descending a hill, you need to remember
that if you're coasting then the folks behind you are braking.
As you approach the bottom of a hill you should accelerate to maintain
your pace as you climb up the other side (otherwise the group will
"bunch up" as the faster riders in the back catch up with the slower,
climbing riders in front). I'm surprised at how many experienced
riders simply don't know how to attack a hill. It's actually easier if
you can maintain your momentum by accelerating at the bottom, and it
keeps the group from compressing.
- at corners
It's only natural to slow as you go around a corner, but this can
have a cumulative effect with a large group. The trick here is to cut
a line through the turn which the group can follow and then accelerate
smoothly as you go out the other side.
One other situation to be aware of is when you get out of the saddle
for a climb or sprint. It's easy to slow down slightly as you stand on
the pedals, and this can be just enough for the rider behind you to
collide with your rear wheel. You should practice accelerating
slightly as you come out of the saddle to compensate. Since most
riders aren't aware of this, don't feel bad about mentioning it when
you see another rider do it.
- Take your turn at the front
Remember that drafting is much easier than pulling, and it's common
for folks to feel the need to demonstrate their fresh legs when it's
their turn to pull. Pay attention to the pace of the paceline. If the
group is maintaining, say, 22mph on the flats, then that's the pace you
should pull when you're in front. If you do choose to push the pace,
try and wait until the prior leader (who's falling to the back of the
line) is in line and back up to speed.
The whole idea of the paceline is to share the load up front. If you
have more than a few riders then you should limit your pull to a
half-mile or so. Don't feel bad about taking a shorter pull if you
think most of the group is stronger than yourself.
It's generally considered polite to switch off at the top of a hill.
This provides for better visibility to ensure you're clear of traffic,
and it lets the next leader start out in more favorable conditions.
- Keep your position
This one's a bit of a pet peeve of mine, but some riders feel compelled
to sprint every hill regardless of the pace of the rest of the group.
These same riders will often then catch their breath on the flats,
causing the group to ride faster, and then slower than what they'd
otherwise choose. I realize that some riders are going to be stronger
climbers than others, but if you have extra energy to burn I suggest
you take a longer pull at the front. Otherwise, try and maintain your
relative position in the paceline.
- Be careful with aerobars
I ride with aerobars because I like having the additional hand
positions. However, using the aerobars limits my bike handling;
I'm less stable and I can't brake or shift as quickly. When I'm
in a group I only use my aerobars if I'm in front pulling the
paceline or if I'm in pursuit mode trying to close a gap. There are
some folks that feel you should never use aerobars in a group because
of the reducing handling.
- Recognize when you loose riders off the back
This is especially true when you have a small group. You want to make
sure that riders who are dropped don't end up lost. You also want to
ensure that they're not having mechanical or physical problems.
- Recognize a rotating echelon
Occasionally you may notice a situation where the lead rider in a paceline
switches off almost immediately after pulling through. That is, almost as
soon as the previous leader falls back, the new leader will likewise pull
over and start to fall back. As other riders repeat this sequence, you end
up with two parallel pacelines, with the outer line going a little more
slowly than the inner line (since the riders in the outer line are all
falling back). This is called a 'rotating echelon,' and it allows a
group to move very quickly, since any one rider is pulling the
line for only a short time. This seems to work best in groups of 10-14
riders and will quickly break down if anyone is unfamiliar with the
protocol. If you're in a group that starts an echelon, just do what
everyone else seems to be doing (like the way most of us learned to
dance in junior high) and enjoy the fast, steady pace.
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