Hands-on tips on how to roll with a pack

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-10-21 10:20

Whether you're going on a casual group ride or joining a challenging pace-line, that will push you to the limit and a few key rules will enrich your biking experience. If you don't follow the rules the nightmare begins: Riders cut in front of you, block you in, never let you know what's going on and leave you behind at every stop.

Here are the seven essential rules of the road:

1. Be consistent and smooth.

Stay relaxed, loose and fluid. A cyclist is probably behind you and another cyclist behind him. Unpredictable moves will cause a problem for the entire group behind you. Brisk changes will make riders behind you work harder.

2. Go easy on those brakes.

Never brake without early and clear warning. When descending in front of a pack, keep pedaling (lightly) so the group will not have to brake. If you must brake, feather your rear brake smoothly and lightly to slow down. Be sure to communicate that you're slowing.

3. Follow the wheel in front of you.

Protect your front wheel. Stay alert. You will fall if with a slight touch of your front wheel on another's rear wheel. Ride in a straight line. Don't ride beside another rider. A tight, organized line shows that we're willing to share the road.

Ride roughly 1 m behind the wheel in front of you. You'll expend 15 to 30 percent less energy than the leader.

4. Communicate.

Call out your actions and road conditions: "turning", "slowing", "stopping", "dog" or "car back".

You get the idea. Learn and use standard hand signals as well as verbal commands. Telling the group about a pothole when you're on top of it, or a turn that's underway, is too late. Allow time to plan and react.

5. Changing positions.

Never change lateral positions without looking first. When you want to stop or slow down, or you're not comfortable with your position, first signal and pull out of the line, then drop back.

Most important when you or another biker is shifting position: look, talk, be predictable, and be considerate. Safety depends on thinking as a group member.

6. Leading a group.

Start the ride slowly to allow riders a warm-up period. Avoid unnecessary braking or even coasting. Don't hog the front.

The idea is not to prove how strong you are, but to work and ride together. Headphones are taboo. You need to be very alert about what's going around you.

7. Common courtesy.

If your group leader publishes a start time of 10 am, that's when the ride should begin.

Showing up late affects everybody. That's not what group biking is about. When the group takes a break at the 7-11, and the leader says "clip and spin", be ready to ride. It's not the time to begin a discussion, take a phone call, or start to adjust your gear. Don't expect everyone to wait.