{"id":166,"date":"2012-05-23T14:02:55","date_gmt":"2012-05-23T18:02:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/floridarandonneurs.com\/wordpress\/?page_id=166"},"modified":"2012-05-23T19:59:29","modified_gmt":"2012-05-23T23:59:29","slug":"group-riding-etiquette-for-randonneurs","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/floridarandonneurs.com\/wordpress\/?page_id=166","title":{"rendered":"Group Riding Etiquette for Randonneurs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<!-- Facebook Like Button v1.9.6 BEGIN [http:\/\/blog.bottomlessinc.com] -->\n<iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Ffloridarandonneurs.com%2Fwordpress%2F%3Fpage_id%3D166&amp;layout=standard&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;font=arial\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowTransparency=\"true\" style=\"border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height: 30px; align: left; margin: 2px 0px 2px 0px\"><\/iframe>\n<!-- Facebook Like Button END -->\n<p>Especially for PBP aspirants, this brevet season is a good time to practice safely and enjoyably riding in or near large groups of other cyclists. Group riding \u2014 drafting, pacelining, and just plain riding in the proximity of others \u2014 is, like other cycling skills, best learned through practice and repetition.<\/p>\n<p>Some randonneurs may think they don\u2019t need these skills. They ride their own ride, and they never ride in groups.\u00a0 At PBP, this is impossible. The mass starts involve many hundreds of riders bunched within minutes of each other. \u00a0Even those taking the free start times will, at some point, have to navigate around others.<\/p>\n<p>Even outside of PBP, brevets are mass-start events.\u00a0 Some 200Ks can see over 100 registered riders.\u00a0 Riding safely in the proximity of others,\u00a0no matter their number,\u00a0is important to your and everyone else\u2019s safety.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some tips on group riding essentials for randonneurs:<\/p>\n<h1>Group Riding in General<\/h1>\n<p>1. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">BE PREDICTABLE<\/span>. \u00a0Every group riding skill and rule is an offshoot of this one.<\/p>\n<p>2. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Signal intentions<\/span>. Let other riders and drivers know your intentions. Point in the direction you\u2019re turning and vocalize it beforehand (Americans, please discard the bent left arm for a right turn; it\u2019s increasingly rare here and is not widely used elsewhere).\u00a0 Your words might prevent a nearby sleepy or distracted rider from causing a crash.<\/p>\n<p>3. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Announce hazards<\/span>. When there are other riders near you, especially close behind you, announce road hazards to them. \u00a0Say something \u2014 preferably what the hazard is \u2014 and point out the hazard. \u00a0If someone ahead of you announces a hazard and points, then do the same thing automatically. \u00a0Don\u2019t wait to verify the information for yourself.\u00a0 Trust them. \u00a0Do what they do. \u00a0If you don\u2019t trust the people you\u2019re riding close behind, then do not ride close behind them. Period.<\/p>\n<p>4. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Overtake other riders safely and politely<\/span>. \u00a0If you are overtaking another rider let him or her know it. \u00a0Announce your approach. \u00a0The idea is to let the rider know you\u2019re there.\u00a0 You might ride a straight line as smooth as silk, but never assume the person you\u2019re overtaking can or will. \u00a0Your move to the left to overtake should be made gradually, well in advance of the overtaken rider, and with full knowledge of what is behind you. \u00a0(If you have a mirror, do NOT rely solely on it. \u00a0You must look, too.) \u00a0Causing a faster rider or group to alter pace so you can make your pass is a faux pas. \u00a0Many outside the United States are used to rigid lane discipline and they cycle the same way. \u00a0At PBP, \u201c<em>\u00e0<\/em> <em>gauche<\/em>\u201d is roughly \u201con your left\u201d in French and it\u2019s a good default call-out.<\/p>\n<p>5. Similarly, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">keep to the right of the lane, unless overtaking another rider<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>6. That said, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">do not weave about the road<\/span>. Bobbing in and out of a lane of parked cars, for example, is a sure way to get crashed out.\u00a0 Maintain a steady speed in a straight line.<\/p>\n<p>7. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Pass on the left<\/span>, if at all possible. \u00a0At PBP, give riders known to be from countries that drive of the left (the U.K., Japan) additional time to move right. \u00a0They\u2019re not used to it; some may move left when you announce, \u201c<em>\u00e0<\/em> gauche.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>8. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Make no sudden or unannounced moves<\/span>. \u00a0Oftentimes the best course of action (meaning, the least bad!) is to strike the stick\/pothole\/roadkill\/whatever-it-is that suddenly appears inches from your front wheel rather than attempt unplanned, radical evasive maneuvers that might end up putting you into a pitch-over fall, chopping another\u2019s wheel, or result in your striking the object anyway, but doing so off-balance and with a turned front wheel. \u00a0A flat is easier to fix than missing teeth.<\/p>\n<p>9. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Do not overlap wheels<\/span>. \u00a0When riding near others, ride beside them and even with them, or ride far enough behind them so that any sudden moves on their part (or yours!) will not cause your wheels to touch. \u00a0The rear rider will likely go down in such a collision (as may others behind that person). \u00a0The responsibility for not overlapping wheels belongs to the trailing rider. \u00a0If you are in a disorganized cluster of riders and overlapped with another rider or otherwise unsure if a rider nearby knows you are in her blind spot, announce your presence. \u00a0Do not be offended if someone lightly touches or pats your hip, leg, or butt. That\u2019s a common signal for \u201cI\u2019m here,\u201d letting you know that a rider is overlapped with you.<\/p>\n<p>10. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Eat, drink, stretch, check what\u2019s behind you, and adjust clothing without changing your line or your pace<\/span>. \u00a0If you cannot do these things smoothly, then it is your responsibility to do them well away from other riders. \u00a0If fidgeting with your stuff causes others to slow or swerve, you are exhibiting poor road citizenship.<\/p>\n<p>11. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Lights<\/span>.\u00a0 If you are in a paceline at night and you are not pulling, turn your headlight to the lowest possible setting.\u00a0 Otherwise you put the lead riders in their own shadow which is discourteous and potentially dangerous.\u00a0 Even consider turning off your main light and running only the \u201cbe seen\u201d back-up when in the pack.\u00a0 If you have multiple taillights and can easily shut all but one of them off, please do so.\u00a0 Make sure your lights are aimed correctly.\u00a0 Remember that flashing lights of any kind are forbidden on PBP (and on rides organized by Central Florida Randonneurs).\u00a0 If you feel that you need to be lit up like a Christmas tree in the middle of a paceline, then being in a paceline at night is not for you.<\/p>\n<p>12. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Headphones\/earpieces<\/span>.\u00a0 Even if they&#8217;re not illegal (they are most places in the US), they&#8217;re not a good idea, especially in groups, and especially on randonn\u00e9es where you should expect a significant number of riders \u2014 including yourself \u2014 to be tired or distracted under the best of circumstances.\u00a0 A rider cannot hear what&#8217;s going on around him as well if he has music or a podcast of This American Life going.\u00a0 Yes, even with one earbud in.\u00a0 Yes, even if they&#8217;re those fancy noise-reducing Bose ones.<\/p>\n<h1>Riding in a Paceline<\/h1>\n<p>Some riders might want to go fast(er) or conserve energy and, therefore, want to work together with others to set pace and break the wind. \u00a0Intentionally drafting others has its own set of skills and generally and internationally observed rules, in addition to those listed above. Like most rules, they can be bent and broken, but the vast majority of the time you\u2019ll want to observe them. \u00a0Here are some additional considerations for pacelining:<\/p>\n<p>1. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Be smooth<\/span>. \u00a0This is the \u201cbe predictable\u201d rule on steroids. \u00a0No sudden or unexpected turns, stops, accelerations, or movements within or off the front of the paceline. \u00a0If you come into contact with another rider, do not react suddenly. \u00a0It happens. \u00a0People can bump into each other (usually shoulders or handlebars) and so long as no one freaks out or reacts suddenly, no one will get hurt.<\/p>\n<p>2. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Relax<\/span>. \u00a0Riding steady in a straight line can only happen if you are relaxed on the bike: loose grip on the bars; supple upper body; smooth pedal stroke. \u00a0Being relaxed also saves a lot of energy.<\/p>\n<p>3. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Change positions correctly<\/span>. \u00a0Moving around in a paceline smoothly and predictably, without upsetting the pace of the group or of any other rider, is key.<\/p>\n<p>4. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Pulling<\/span>. \u00a0When you come to the front of the line, do not change the pace for any reason. \u00a0If you want to show off, the best way to do it is to take a long turn at the front, but keep the effort constant. \u00a0Similarly, when you end your turn at the front, do not slow down. \u00a0Pull off to the side while maintaining the pace as you signal to the rider behind you that she\u2019s now responsible for pulling. \u00a0The signal varies, but is typically a flick of your elbow or a waving\/pointing motion with your hand. \u00a0Only then do you gradually decrease your speed as you retreat to the end of the line. \u00a0Think of it this way: don\u2019t slow down until you are out of the paceline. \u00a0Make sure you resume the pace of the group as you reach the end of the line or it will be difficult to get back on! \u00a0For this reason, it\u2019s good form if you are last in the line to announce to others, as they drift past you toward the rear, that you are the last rider so that they can increase their pace and smoothly take the position behind you.<\/p>\n<p>5. There are two schools of thought on <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">pulling off the front of a paceline<\/span>. \u00a0Those with a racing background will pull off on the windward side. \u00a0This is because in a crosswind, the line should not be straight, but angled leeward of the lead cyclist. \u00a0The rider who completed her pull gives an additional wind break to the others by remaining on the windward side during her movement rearward. \u00a0Others maintain that for safety reasons you should always pull off to the right (away from traffic). \u00a0For PBP, the best course is to pull off on the same side as the group has been rotating. \u00a0It\u2019s just like passing the stuffing at Thanksgiving: Pass it in the same direction it was traveling when it got to you, even if that direction is \u201cwrong.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>6. When pulling in hilly or rolling terrain, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">keep a constant effort, not a constant speed<\/span>.\u00a0 You\u2019ll want to smooth out speed changes as you encounter different pitches, but once the transition is made, keep the effort the same. \u00a0On hills, gaps may form. \u00a0If a gap is opening in front of you and you cannot or do not want to close it, say so \u2014 \u201cGap!\u201d \u2014 and get out of the way, preferably to the right. \u00a0This permits riders behind you to close the gap as efficiently as possible.\u00a0 The group may wait for those who were contributing to the pacemaking and ride on without those who were not.<\/p>\n<p>7. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Karl Marx loves pacelines<\/span>. \u00a0From each according to his abilities; to each according to his needs. \u00a0If you\u2019re not strong enough or are too tired to pull, then don\u2019t. \u00a0No one will be offended. \u00a0Either immediately rotate off to the side when you arrive at the front (known as \u201cpulling through\u201d) or stay near the back of the group, open a gap, and let the stronger cyclists pull in front of you instead of having them go to the back of the line. \u00a0If you can contribute to the pacemaking, put a deposit in the karma bank and do so.<\/p>\n<p>8. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Don\u2019t leave stragglers<\/span>. \u00a0If an established group becomes momentarily separated \u2014 typically at an intersection \u2014 as a matter of courtesy, those in the lead group should soft pedal until the rest have rejoined.<\/p>\n<p>9. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Look down the road, even if you can\u2019t see it<\/span>. \u00a0Learn to \u201cread\u201d developments as they occur several riders ahead of you, which will help you be smooth. \u00a0If you stare at the guy in front of you or his wheel, your reactions will be sudden (and maybe not sudden enough!).\u00a0 With practice you can tell how far you are off a wheel without looking at it.<\/p>\n<p>10. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Descend correctly<\/span>. \u00a0This is the \u201ckeep a constant effort\u201d rule on steroids. \u00a0The person pulling must overcome greater wind resistance with increased speed and the following riders will accelerate faster because drafting is more effective as speed increases. \u00a0For both reasons, the person pulling must continue to work at the front to keep the group from bunching up. \u00a0A lead rider who coasts downhill commits a breach of etiquette, and an especially bad one in PBP\u2019s rolling terrain. \u00a0It is frustrating to brake down a descent (the result of a leader who coasts) only to work hard to climb the next pitch, which could have been cleared with minimal effort had the leader kept pedaling. \u00a0Similarly, riders in the pack must space out to compensate for the greater effects of drafting. \u00a0Learn to \u201cbrake\u201d without using the brakes by sitting up to catch more wind or moving slightly to the side, out of the draft.<\/p>\n<p>11. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">If you\u2019re not comfortable drafting someone, for whatever reason, then get out of there<\/span>. \u00a0Ride alone. \u00a0Find another group. \u00a0Take responsibility for the safety of your own ride. \u00a0You\u2019ve got poor standing to complain about getting crashed out by a squirrely rider when you knowingly sat on his wheel. \u00a0What did you think would happen?<\/p>\n<p>12. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">It is poor form to attach yourself to someone\u2019s wheel unannounced, proceed to draft, and then take off up the road<\/span>.\u00a0 Announce you\u2019re there. \u00a0Offer to do some work. \u00a0If you cannot work, ask to sit in. \u00a0Most riders are fine with this, if they know you are there.\u00a0 Thank the rider for the pull.<\/p>\n<hr width=\"70%\" \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: x-small;\">Last updated: 23 May 2012<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Especially for PBP aspirants, this brevet season is a good time to practice safely and enjoyably riding in or near large groups of other cyclists. Group riding \u2014 drafting, pacelining, and just plain riding in the proximity of others \u2014 &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/floridarandonneurs.com\/wordpress\/?page_id=166\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":12,"menu_order":3,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-166","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/floridarandonneurs.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/166","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/floridarandonneurs.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/floridarandonneurs.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/floridarandonneurs.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/floridarandonneurs.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=166"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"http:\/\/floridarandonneurs.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/166\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":213,"href":"http:\/\/floridarandonneurs.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/166\/revisions\/213"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/floridarandonneurs.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/floridarandonneurs.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}