The Art of Group Riding

A cycling friend of mine (who shall remain nameless) sent me this as he felt it would be helpful for both leaders and participants in our beginner programme. Feel free to agree/disagree with the content but I said I'd post it up anyway.Please don't be offended by the caustic tone of the piece...I think it makes a lot of sense!!You should try the quiz at the end too.

There is a risk that if we don't constantly remind ourselves of what the "art" of the group ride is, we end up developing some bad habits and then, like the monkeys in the cage, we unconsciously pass on our bad habits to new members. To stop that from becoming the norm, I think we should all take it upon ourselves to ensure that we are doing things correctly (safely) and not just because it's how we were shown.


1. The Paceline

You may have heard this called "2-up", but the standard paceline is 2 lines of riders, maintaining the same speed. If on narrow roads, it's polite to stop traffic building up behind, however often times it is safer for the group to maintain the 2-up.

2. Pace

Keep the pace steady and appropriate for the group. When it's your turn, just roll through to the front. Seeing the rider in front move over isn't the same as the flag dropping or the bell lap in Corkagh park.

If riders are being dropped, there is no need for the group to keep powering on and pull over. Just dial back the speed a bit and let the group rejoin naturally. Dropped riders should give a quick "back on" to let the group know if they've rejoined.

Regrouping at the top of hills is fine. Faster riders can even go up and down a few times if they like. The idea is to keep the group moving. No one wants to be stopped at the side of the road and it's safer to keep moving rather than creating a hazard.

3. Hazards

Speaking of hazards...communication in a group is important. Everyone knows that hazards should be pointed out and passed back through the group. My own rule of thumb is if I think it could throw someone off or damage their bike, point it out. There is no need to engage in a running commentary of everything on the road.

Pointing and hand gestures are enough...when everyone starts yelling for every hazard ("HOLE!", "CAR!", "KITTEN IN A TREE EATING AN ICE CREAM!") the riders behind only hear "HOOOOOCCCCAAAAAAAATTTTTTRRREEEEEE!!!!".

What does this mean? Nothing about the hazard is communicated and the riders behind are mildly panicked because everyone is screaming like they're in the middle of a scrum. Keep it simple and keep it calm.

4. Control

The middle of the group is not the place to practice riding without hands. Indeed, it's not the place to practice anything that you're not comfortable with. However some things you should work on:

Be able to take a drink/food while following the wheel in front
Be able to scan the road ahead and not the rider in front's backside (I'll save you time, it says "Scott")
Be able to react to hazards without "panic braking"
Be able to brush up against the rider beside you

A lot of this comes down to control of the bike and you can practice on your own or with a friend. Can you reach down, take a swig from a bottle and place it back in the cage without wobbling or moving your eyes down?

Also, something I've seen a lot of that is generally fine on a climb, but seems to be creeping into flatter spins: riding with hands on the tops (of the handlebar). Your hands should be kept over the hoods, for two reasons: you can react quicker if you need to brake and it lets you bump into the rider beside you without locking handlebars.

Finally, the big one that a lot of folks don't seem aware of: the dreaded drop kick. This happens when you move from a seated to standing position, there is a drop in speed of the bike...it moves back half a wheel. If you connect with the rider behind, they will go down like a sack of potatoes. There really isn't a need to do it on the flat, but I've seen riders who look like their saddle has caught fire and end up springing out of the saddle every few minutes. It's really dangerous, please don't do it. If you need to stand for comfort...I suggest either waiting until you're at the back of the group. Or investing in a bike fit.

There is a handy quiz that will help make sure you're avoiding some common mistakes www.bicycling.com/training/bike-skills/group-dynamics

Ann that is a great article indeed and really every orwell member old and new should read it - even just as a reminder! oh and i also got 10 out of 10 in the quiz...... EVENTUALLY!

It's OK to get out of the saddle in a group, just rise slowly over a couple of crank revolutions.

Or just give The Look and disappear up the road in a fog of EPO.

Also, pay attention to sock height, don't wear overshoes with bare legs and consider whether your saddle bag brings the club into disrepute. Safety is all very well but looking awesome is more important.

The answer to question 3 should be B, not A.
Rule #5......
:)

Hi Ann
I received the attached blog post just now from A1 Coaching, and thought I'd share, albeit it is somewhat tangential to your original post. What is set out below certainly resonated with me, because this is exactly what I experienced on the group rides when I first joined Orwell in 2003. The skills passed on to me then by many of the stalwarts of Orwell stand to me to this day. While I don't have the same opportunity 13 years on to go on as many group rides, from what I see and hear, things are largely the same, if the faces are different, which is heartening, and we've not yet fallen into the traps mentioned at the end of this post. However, we should never become complacent...

The group ride is broken
I had just bought my first bike a day earlier. Everything was new, fresh and exciting. As I rode to my first group ride I had a belly full of oats and butterflies.

I slowed down and went to come to a stop but I hadn’t mastered my new ‘clip in’ pedals yet and boom! Down I went.

As I dusted myself off and tried to shake the embarrassment, one of the senior riders whispered in my ear, ‘it gets easier, practice unclipping on the grass when you get home’. That was lesson number one.

I’d ride with this group for years to come. Each group ride was like a lecture in college, I’d learn a little and have a deeper bond with the class, my new community.

Over the course of weeks and months I was indoctrinated into the customs and traditions of the bunch. I looked up to senior riders as an example of how I should behave. They embraced their role as a ‘ride captain’ and always offered advice & encouragement.

My training started out basic. They showed me how to point out a hole, how to corner without touching my pedal on the ground and taught me the language of the bunch - the difference between car up and car down. (It amazes me the shouts I hear on group rides these days)

As the weeks passed my training would evolve, I’d learn how to execute a rotating paceline, the importance of wind direction and how to eat while in the red zone. Information was never given without example. I’d be told how to hide from the wind by riding on the sheltered side of a rider and then i’d be shown. The application of their teachings gave a deeper layer of understanding. In the abstract it would seem like a lesson but at maximum heart rate and riding in the gutter, it felt like they were teaching me survival skills.

Month on month, year on year I honed my craft, carried out my apprenticeship, I rarely talked but listened acutely - I became a student of the sport.

As the years rolled on, my role within the group changed. I transitioned from newbie to somebody. It was a natural progression within the group. Ours was a group where progression was gauged by years membership and skill level, not speed or strength.

I was still learning from the senior guys but I was now also teaching. As a new rider came into the group I’d aim to pass on what i’d learnt. To get him/her started on the journey and help them at the early stage of their apprenticeship.

I rode with a club for the first time in months last week, it made me sad. The rumours were true. The group ride had indeed changed. It was is no longer a learning, nurturing environment. The faster, stronger riders wanted to show the entire group just how fast they have become. The pressure from these ‘faster’ guys fragmented the group, sometimes never to reform. The group dynamic had changed from collaborative to competitive.

Weaker and younger riders were dropped and never regained contact with the group. An experience like this can be enough to turn a young rider away from the sport.


- Riders with mechanicals were left to fend for themselves. Did they have all the tools they need? Who knows!

- There was no established group leader

- Etiquette was neither taught or observed.

We, at A1 Coaching, advocate following a detailed training plan and love our data. However, there is a time and place for staring at your garmin. The Sunday group ride is neither the time nor the place to be looking at your power meter or trying to watch your heart rate.

The group ride should be about more than watts, heart rate numbers and Strava. It’s the lifeblood of our sport. It’s how we taught all our great champions. The tradition is in danger of disappearing and we need to take ACTION!
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As we head into the christmas break this old forum post came to mind.

Its advice and that contained in the article on the website orwellwheelers.org/sunday-spins/spin-etiquette is as valid today as it was when it was written 3 + years ago.

Could I add two other bits that have struck me this winter - on drags like The Embankment or Windgates from Bray , there is no reason for any group to split up because of ability. Nice and steady gets you all over the top together.

On cold , wet , rainy days , do frequent up and overs , very frequent ones. The foks at the back are using way less energy than the folks at the front - so getting cold - and the folks at the front are using up their resources quicker - so will be getting cold . Keep it ticking over.

And to the person behind me yesterday who rolled right over the dead rat that I failed to point out in time , in glaring violation of #3 above, I can only say Sorry.

An excellent article in Cycling Weekly this week on Cycling in Groups. Well worth a read and good tips for everyone no matter how experienced!

www.cyclingweekly.com/fitness/training/g...tter_impression=true