Tips for group cycling

check_six

What is the correct technique for cycling in a fast moving group?

I was cycling in a few groups in the Tour of Louth on Sunday, but I don't think I was doing it correctly. I found it very difficult to judge the right speed when I was out in front and I was given a shout to "ease off" a few times even though I thought I was just replicating the speed of the previous leader. Out front everything gets a bit too quiet, so judging if everyone else is following is tricky without looking back a lot. What is the right thing to do?

One fella flew past me on the descent of Jenkinstown Hill and shouted that we should work together to catch the small group out in front of us. I desperately tried to hold his wheel on the way down the hill, and when we got to a bit of a drag uphill at the bottom I told him I'd try to take a turn at the front. He'd just been tearing along so I figured easing out front and trying to close the gap to the few off ahead of us was the appropriate thing to do. The gap came down a bit and I glanced over my shoulder to see if the guy would like to close the gap completely, but he had dropped right off. I rolled up to the back of the little group and stuck with them for the rest of the day, but I think I broke etiquette by abandoning that poor fellow.

I think I did a bit better with the small group, but I was given a couple of ease off shouts, even though I was barely able to hold on to them on some turns when I was following and was feeling pretty shakey.

Advice would be welcome!

Cork24

When in Front i normally just do around 25 - 30 km phr

theirs nothing really you can do to judge if the rest are staying up, but normally looking back every so often would be the best way to judge

over time you will master the cycling in a group just make sure every one takes their turn at the front.

you will some times get left behind as well as others so don't worry to much about that part.

youtheman

The key is communication. Before you set off you need to determine if the peleton is going to stick together at every stage, or maybe on the flat and then re-group at the top of a hill.

Some tips:

1. try keep close to the fellow in front of you. Nothing worse that a fellow who can cycle, but doesn't. Sometimes you assume the fellow behind can't keep up, and you slow, to find that he still won't close the gap.
2. When your time comes at the front then take your position but try maintain the same pace (nothing worse that a fellow who takes the front but increase the speed like he/she is trying to impress). So when you are taking up poistion at the front look over your left shoulder to make sure you don't clip the wheel of the guy behind as you take your position on the left.
3. If you are two abreast then the guy on the front left sets the pace. The fellow on the front right should stay abreast of him at all times. Do not overtake the fellow on the left (yellow card offence).
4. As you approach a hill it is generally accepted practice that you let the speed bleed off as you go up the hill (try keep constant effort rather than constant speed).
5. As you go down a hill then the guys at the front should keep pedalling (if it is safe to do so). If you freewheel at the front then the guys at the back will end up braking (and there is nothing worse than braking as you head down a hill).
6. If you can't keep up with the peleton then call 'notch' or 'easy' to let them know you are under pressure. It's up to them if they will slow or drop you.
7. No sudden or unannounced movements (such as swerving, braking).
8. Call any dangers (such as gravel, potholes, walkers, parked cars etc.).
9. Maintain the proper gap, don't overlap the fellow in front.

chakattack

When you're doing your turn on the front the key is to slot in just in front of the guy on your left and not blast down the road forcing everyone to accelerate to catch up with you. Also make sure to watch that you don't slot in too early and clip his/her front wheel. Once positioned it's ok to gradually accelerate if you want to bring the pace up - but not too much!

Once it's you and another trying to bridge it can be every man for himself, if he couldn't hold your wheel and waiting for him would mean you wouldn't catch the group ahead then leave him but otherwise it's good manners to wait.

My pet hate when riding in a group (not racing, sportive etc.) is when people are standing on the pedals, fighting the bike to blast up every little rise and then gasping for air and soft pedalling down the other side. It's much smoother (and faster) if you keep a steady but hard pace over the rise and down the other side. Same with not taking advantage of a tailwind!

Look at the road/wheel ahead and not up, down and all around you

No sudden braking

If going from seated to standing do it smoothly so your bike doesn't jerk backwards.

mcgratheoin

chakattack wrote: »

When you're doing your turn on the front the key is to slot in just in front of the guy on your left and not blast down the road forcing everyone to accelerate to catch up with you. Also make sure to watch that you don't slot in too early and clip his/her front wheel. Once positioned it's ok to gradually accelerate if you want to bring the pace up - but not too much!

+1

Assuming that we're all talking about 2 abreast, it's fairly standard. When you come up on the right then you take the pace off the person on your left. When they want you to move over, then they will ease off - you do not have to accelerate to get in front of them. Once you're in on the left then you try to keep that level of effort fairly constant (speed is good if it's on the flat, otherwise try keeping your heart rate and cadence constant).

Don't be afraid to talk to others in the group - ask them how long everyone is doing at the front, typically it may be something like 1km on the right and then 1km on the left. You may have been struggling to hang on at times because you drilled it too much when you were at the front.

helimachoptor

Yeah after doing the TOL and it being my first organised event.
I had asked one of the lads i was with what the etiquette was, but man how many rules are there!

After 20km, we got into a pretty solid group, i was on the left and expecting people to go anti clockwise (i was expecingt to move to the back of my(left) line and then move right and start advancing and then lead the peloton)

However that didnt happen, when someone on the right moved up, the person behind him didnt move up, I felt good and a few times wanted to move right but the person was just that little bit too close, this happened quite a bit and left me baffled, i mean do people not want to do their fair share!


In the end I got annoyed and just signalled and accelerated into place and then advanced up, got chatting to the 2 lads i was with and a couple of other people and ended up leading for a bit with a guy from CCC.


I have never experienced group cycling before but it was great, legs felt fresh til the hill, however coming on the loop back i was pretty much on my own til I got chatting to a girl from dundalk and we motored for about 20km and met someone else and then got a good roll going in.


Next time i will be a little more vocal about getting people to man up and move up or drop back, but overall i now love group cycling

detones

Best place to learn would be in a club run rather than a Sportive. Most Club runs will have a ride leader who will keep things in control and it will be a much safer and productive place to learn. The groups in Sportive’s tend to be ad-hoc groups of people thrown together and its luck whether it will work well or not.

LeftBlank

detones wrote: »

Best place to learn would be in a club run rather than a Sportive. Most Club runs will have a ride leader who will keep things in control and it will be a much safer and productive place to learn. The groups in Sportive’s tend to be ad-hoc groups of people thrown together and its luck whether it will work well or not.

This. I ended up in a group on the way back from Carlingford, tried to do a couple of turns at the front but was ignored and not treated as part of the group. Ended up just wheel sucking for the back for the last 20km. Their loss :P