Cycling Group Leader info

merc230ce

Hi all,

I was out over the weekend with a new group that suffered from a lack of experienced leaders and I'd like to be able to read up on the skills required to act as a ride leader. Google throws up a good bit of info on group cycling etiquette, but any info for the newbie cyclist just says 'experienced leaders will do this or that' and I can't find comprehensive info on what this or that should be.

I don't unfortunately have the experience to know these things myself, but don't want to either abandon this group because I'm not happy with how things are (or aren't) done, and nor do I want to be part of a group that is (to my mind) unsafe.

There were a number of strong, apparently experienced riders in the group but they seemed to be more interested in setting a strong pace than working to keep the group together and safe (Running red lights happened regularly) (Excuse the alliteration ;-) and the group got very fragmented towards the end - getting so strung out that riders behind took wrong turns etc. Having started out in a group of 20ish (which I'm told is too many to begin with), I arrived to the finish with just 2 others.

Are there any resources you could point me towards that could make me a more useful rider to the group as a whole?

seamus

Unless there's an agreement as to who the leader is, then it becomes a free-for-all. Sometimes an experienced rider may just take it on without prompting, but to a certain extent cycling can be like herding cats and unless everyone knows who's leading the ride then people aren't inclined to take instructions from anyone else. And nobody wants to get into an argument on the road, everyone's just out for the fun of it, so if someone doesn't listen to the group leader there's nothing you can really do about it.

So that's why the first step should be to get two people to step up as group leaders. You can rotate it around if you like.

The group itself should have general ground rules -
Do we stop at lights? (yes, please)
Do we wait for stragglers? (unless you're a racing group, you should. Though it can be a good idea to split off the stronger riders into their own group if there's a huge disparity)
What do we do with punctures? (etiquette is that you stop and wait, though if you're close to the end the puncturee should tell the group to ride on home)

It would be normal enough for most groups to break up as you approach home. It wouldn't be typical to regroup at the start point, most people just want to break off and take the shortest route home.

The group leaders loosely should;

1. Know the route (or at least have a plan in their head)
2. Call out turns well ahead of time making sure that the guys at the front have heard them and have indicated (hand signals are as useful for the group as they are for other traffic)
3. Watch the group's pace, in particular calling the group to ease up or even stop if a rider is falling behind or has punctured, crashed, mechanical, etc.
4. Call up-and-over if no one else has.

If the group has agreed who the leaders are, then the leaders will be confident giving instructions and people will comply.

Each individual in the group though also has their own responsibilities;

1. Call out potholes and problems with the road, especially if you're at the front
2. Watch out for other riders falling behind or getting punctured, etc, and alert the group leader or shout it out. The group leaders can't see everyone so if nobody tells them that there's a puncture or a straggler, the group will just bull on without them.
3. Stop at red lights. If the two guys at the front go through the light, then you call the stop and stop the group. The two guys will then have to stop and wait for you.
4. Alert the group to cars coming from the front or behind.

t'bear

I was out yesterday with just 3 of us, we were overtaken by a group of about 15 or so, they invited us on. Within 2 mins we all had to hit the brakes, fearing the worst (crash/mechanical) I noticed 3 or 4 going for a piss :-). We continued on with what felt like a good pace but the group splintered a bit but no one organised it back together, there was no pace line and no calls out's on road furniture or up and overs. To best honest we were glad to go straight on while they turned right. It was not an enjoyable experience.

I am still a bit wet behind the ears and only been in a group since Jan, but the observation is the key along with very sound advice (blunt sometimes as it can be) driving safety within the group