June 2–8 was Commuter Challenge week. As one might imagine, this is an event in which MEC staff are creative and willing participants. The group I hooked up with for our epic commute to work met at 7am, and proceeded to ride for 31.5km and gain 348m of elevation*.
Despite it being the first ride this particular group had taken together, I knew exactly what was going on throughout our hour and 27 minutes of riding. Things like when to turn, who was stopping, when there was a car, when an intersection was clear, where there were questionable patches of road, or when there was an obstruction to dodge. By way of shouts and hand signals, these things were all clearly communicated by the rider in front of me, who, through the miracle of the trickle-down effect, was passing along the information ultimately given by the lead. Sort of like the game of telephone, but played on a bike.
It actually wasn’t until we were back from the ride, putting our bikes away, that it dawned on me: I didn’t pass along any of the info I had received from the rider in front of me. I had just been so excited to be part of this well-oiled machine that I had completely forgot I actually had a role to play in the said machine. Instead, I was the weak link, like some sort of vortex where information went to die.
Not wanting to endanger any of my riding partners – or be the information vortex – ever again, I enlisted the wisdom of Allan Prazsky, MEC Envoy, Certified Road Coach, and Executive Director of Triathlon BC, to give me the lowdown on group riding.
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“Fluidity and subtlety are key whenever you’re in a pack, because an element of risk comes with group riding. Etiquette within the pack is important for several reasons, most notably safety for you and those around you,” Allan responds, when I explained the code of conduct I’d observed on the group ride. “There is something called ‘the accordion effect,’ where the action of the front rider gets magnified as you travel to the back of the group. A sudden acceleration, deceleration, or swerve becomes exaggerated as it moves through the pack, ultimately leading to frustration, a crash, or worst case, a frustrated crash.”
Ugh, thinking about getting caught up in a jumble of bikes and people makes my stomach lurch. When we were little, my sister crashed on her bike and her spoke went into her knee. Shudder. I’ve never quite gotten over it. So, in an effort to avoid frustrated crashes or spokes going through knees, please break it down for me: what are the basic guidelines that rule group rides?
– Be predictable: “This may be the most important rule. It involves every aspect of riding, from changing positions in the group to following the traffic rules. Predictability instills confidence in everyone in the pack.”
– Be steady: “When everyone is working in the group, maintain a steady speed as you go to the front. Ride at a constant speed with no erratic movements. Take a quick glance at the speed mid-pack; that’s the speed you should hold once you move to the front. If you need to slow, sit up (to increase wind drag) or feather the brakes, but keep pedaling.”
– Announce hazards: “A rider at the front of the paceline is responsible for the safety of everyone in the pack. Point out obstructions that may look hazardous, such as potholes, cracks, debris, or grates. When approaching intersections, the front rider also needs to be vocal with cues like, ‘slowing,’ ‘stopping,’ or ‘turning.’ And when traffic is approaching, they announce ‘car up.’”
– Relax: “Relax your grip and arms. If you have tense arms and get bumped, the shock will go directly to the front wheel and may cause you to swerve and possibly crash.”
– Don’t Stare: “If you are staring at something – let’s say the wheel in front of you – you’ll hit it! Learn to be comfortable looking around or through the riders ahead of you. This allows you to see things that are developing in front of the group.”
– “And finally, stay off aerobars! To repeat: absolutely no aerobars. In conclusion. Do. not. do. it.”
Eeep! Following a quick Google image check, I’ve confirmed that I do not have aerobars – whew – but I need to remember to keep my head up and scan for traffic, because based on my most recent ride, I know my default is to zone out and let someone else take care of the details for me.
Are there any hand signals I should be informed of so that I know I am actually getting the right memo? I can already imagine the leader motioning to a pothole, and me mindlessly assuming he or she is lauding the smoothness of the pavement.
“Signaling lets everyone – riders and vehicles – know your intentions. Here are some basics:
– Use your right arm (straight out) to signal a right turn, and left arm to signal a left turn.
– If there are parked cars that the group needs to move to avoid, use a waving gesture. Slowly fan your outstretched arm back towards your bum to let riders behind you know that caution is required on a particular side.
– Hand signals aren’t a good idea in a tight paceline group – it’s more important to keep both hands on the handlebars, and announce obstacles vocally.”
Are these guidelines and signals things that I should be following and doing on all rides? And are they universal, or should I brush up on group etiquette for every new city I cycle in?
“Good group riding skills becomes engrained, and it’s a language understood around the world. You might force yourself to think about safety in a group environment, but after repeated group rides, the guidelines and etiquette discussed here become automatic and (hopefully) embraced whenever, and wherever, you swing a leg over your saddle.”
And um, just because I feel like it’s important to always know the escape plan, is there any etiquette on braking? What if something happens and I need to excuse myself from the paceline?
“Everything in the peloton is done with subtlety. So while a quick jab of the brakes will inevitably result in a crash further down the line, feathering the brakes or sitting up to catch the wind will slow you down and allow you to leave the line without incident. If you must jam on the brakes for whatever reason,” (I’m imagining a bee sting to the eye), “Change your line ever so slightly to move out of the peloton line and avoid a pile up.”
Earlier you mentioned that abiding by group ride etiquette was important for a number of reasons. Other than safety, what are some of the other payoffs? “A well-coordinated paceline is like poetry in motion. As experience and confidence grows, tighter packs are created and efficiencies are maximized. For example, to take full advantage of the windbreak effect (drafting), a cyclist must be able to follow the rider ahead closely, without letting the wheels overlap.”
Just in case someone wanted to maybe jot down a few reminders on their hand or something, what would you say are the top 5 group ride etiquette highlights?
– Everyone in a paceline must ride smoothly, with no quick braking or swerving.
– Look past the rider in front of you. Don’t stare at his or her rear wheel.
– Try to anticipate the moves the lead rider will make.
– The lead rider should announce road hazards: “hole,” “dog,” “red light,” and maneuvers: “slowing,” “left turn,” etc. The last rider should announce “car back” when a car is about to pass the group from behind.
– When you’re in a tight paceline group, keep both hands on the handlebars and stick to announcing obstacles vocally.
And with that, as Allan instructed me following our crash course on group ride etiquette: “Now get out there and be Tour de France-like!”
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I’ll see you back here next week, when I explore how to ready for the start line (on June 23!).
From almost the other side of our 8-week 60km training program,
Jess
* In case you’re wondering, this ride, in no way, came even remotely close to rivalling the magnificence of some of the other MEC commutes that week.
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