GROUP RIDING TIPS

Key Principles:

• Don’t cause a crash.
• Wear a helmet.
• Communicate to other riders.
• Take responsibility for the safety of the group.
• Ride predictably.
• Learn to “Hold your Line” –  Ride a straight line without any wobbles or sudden swerves.

Tips on group riding

Do NOT overlap wheels with the rider in front of you. This is the #1 cause of crashes. If you do overlap the wheel in front of you don’t blame the person in front of you when you crash.

Communicate to other riders: 

• Point out and verbalize road hazards or other conditions that riders around you may not see such as: “pothole,” “stick,” “glass,” “bike up,” “runner up,” “car up,” “car back,” “on your left.” When last in the train, yell “car back” for a car approaching from behind.
• Use hand signals and communicate verbally for turning, slowing, and stopping:
• Left turn: left arm straight out. 
• Right turn: right arm straight out (or left arm out and bent up). 
• Slowing or Stopping: left arm out and down with your palm facing the rear.
• If you must brake suddenly, shout, “STOPPING” to alert the group.
• When approaching a stop, shout “SLOWING” or “STOPPING” early so the riders behind can also slow down.
• When climbing a hill, yell “STANDING” a few seconds before standing up. This lets anyone behind you know that there will be a slight decrease in your speed as you stand.
• Railway tracks, cattle crossings, gravel, pine needles, leaves and painted road stripes (when wet) are very slippery. Point them out to other riders and try to ride upright and straight over them.
• Generally, pass others on their left. Say “on your left” to warn the cyclist ahead that you are passing. Normally don’t pass on their right. If you must, let them know with “I’m on your right”. 

Ride Predictably

• Always assume that there is a rider behind you, and on your left, and on your right, until you can prove otherwise.
• Ride straight, at a constant speed, unless you indicate differently.
• Stay on the correct side of the yellow line, especially around blind corners.
• Do not ride too close to the bike ahead or to the bike next to you.
• Keep your eyes up the road to look for hazards so you are not surprised.
• If you come upon an unknown cyclist, don’t draft them until you ask if it’s okay. In a regular group, if you come up to another rider to draft, let them know you are “on their wheel” so they are not surprised.

 Safe Riding around cars:

• Ride no more than two abreast, and ride single file if there is heavy traffic or you are holding up cars. Be courteous to drivers.
• At traffic lights and stop signs bicycles are treated as vehicles and you have a legal responsibility to obey traffic laws. 
• Don’t take chances with stop lights/signs/traffic. You might be able to speed through the yellow light, but the 7th person behind you will not.
• Ride as far to the right as is safe and practical. However, don’t hesitate to take the full lane if that is the safe way to proceed. You can move back to the right when safe.
• Be visible – wear bright or reflective clothing, use a flashing tail light, etc.
• When you are going straight through an intersection or past a driveway without a right turn lane, be aware of right turning motor vehicles near you.
• Try not to block right turn lanes when you are going straight.
• When turning left give yourself plenty of time to move to the left turning lane. Better to slow traffic than to swerve over at the last minute.
• When stopping, move well off the road so you don’t interfere with traffic.
• This may be controversial/debatable, but most cycling safety advocates recommend that you do NOT give a “clear” or “ok” signal when going through an intersection without a stop light. While it seems like a courteous thing to do, each rider should make their own determination that it is safe to proceed through the intersection based upon his or her understanding of the conditions, their speed, etc.
• Don’t cross the center line, especially around blind corners.

Be a good friend

• Be punctual and be ready to ride when the group pushes off.
• Drop to the back when blowing your nose.
• Let the ride leader or others know if you are going to end the ride early or going to take another route.
• Make sure your water bottle is securely caged.
• If you aren’t sure of the route, pair up with a rider who is.
• For safety and as a courtesy, if the group spreads out, the last two people should adjust their speed to ride as a pair.
• Have fun and encourage the new riders.

Paceline Riding:

• When you’re second in line to take a pull, look down at your speed and KEEP that speed when the person in front pulls off. DO NOT blast away like a rocket when you get to the front. Keep the same speed and or increase your speed slowly if that is your goal. When at the front and taking on a hill, you’re supposed to continue the ‘effort’ not the speed you were doing.
• Eat and drink at the back, and never while pulling on the front. 
• If you get a flat in the middle of a pack, call out “Flat!”. Raise your hand, if it is safe to do so, so other riders can spot you and not run over you.
• A video explanation. How to Ride in a Group

Local knowledge:

• When you see a deer cross the road in front of you, look for the SECOND deer. 

Pre-ride Checklist:

• Helmet
• Water–1 oversized water bottle is good, 2 are better.
• Food–take food if you will ride for more than 2 hours.
• Pump–a frame pump and/or Co2 cartridges.
• Spare Tubes–1 is good, 2 are better.
• Tire Levers–take at least 2.
• Patch Kit–you may need more than those 2 spare tubes.
• Money–o buy your friends coffee.
• Phone.
• Identification (just in case).

Tips for riding in a straight line

Riding in a straight, predictable manner is a key cycling skill. Practice holding your line on your own by simply riding on the white line (away from traffic) without deviating to either side. Relax your neck, shoulders, arms and even your jaw. Tight muscles fight the bike’s natural slight movements and make things worse. You tend to overcorrect, and then overcorrect the overcorrections.

Don’t look at the white line directly in front of your wheel. Instead, focus 30-50 feet up the road. This smoothes and straightens your bike’s line and stops the urge to correct each waver.

When you can ride the line for long stretches, try doing it as you reach for your water bottle, take a drink and return the bottle to the cage. Resist looking down. The cage location needs to become ingrained. If you have to search for it you’re likely to swerve.

When taking a hand off the handlebar to reach for a bottle or something in a rear pocket, place the other hand on the bar top close to the stem. The bike will be more stable and body movements will be less likely to steer it off line.

Now try looking back. The trick when glancing over your left shoulder is to relax the right arm and bend the elbow. This equalizes the force against the two sides of the handlebar, keeping the front wheel straight.