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  • 10 Tips for Fun and Safe Group Riding

    Photo courtesy of Matt Roberts

    It’s a good idea to review bicycle group riding tips and etiquette from time to time to keep everyone safe. We all rely on each other to keep the rubber side down and one mistake by a single person can take the entire group down, especially at higher speeds.

    In no particular order, below are some tips that come to mind.

    1.      Point out hazards on the road. Give the riders behind you warning that there is something on the road or an issue with the road. This can be potholes, sand, gravel, or miscellaneous debris on the road. When you see the problem point it out and feel free to verbalize as well. “Hole!”

    2.      Announce traffic. “Car up” for a car coming at the group. This applies to a car passing another car, coming at the group in the lane the group shares with traffic flow. “Car back” is for a car coming up on the group from behind. People with radar can help inform those without radar that vehicles are approaching.

    3.      Slowing, stops, turns. Use hand signals and voice alerts to let people know the group is slowing, stopping or turning.

    4.      Hold a straight line. Avoid sudden moves or erratic movements.

    5.      Do not half-wheel or have your front wheel overlapping the wheel of the person in front of you. If the person in front of you must make a sudden move to avoid an obstacle that was not pointed out by someone in the group, if you are half-wheeling  you will go down. Sometimes the person you were half-wheeling goes down too. Even worse, this mistake can cause multiple people behind you to crash as well. If you want to talk with another rider, ride “bar-to-bar” so your handlebars are next to each other.

    6.      Feather your brakes. Avoid “grabbing your brakes” making a sudden stop. Aim to anticipate group slowing and you can verbalize “slowing.”

    7.      Rotate off the front, share the load. When it is time for you to rotate off the front, let people know which way you plan to pull off. If it is a bigger group and some people don’t have the fitness or energy to spend much time at the front, that’s okay. A short pull is okay and allows everyone to share the load. In some cases, people will spend most of the ride at the back of the group. This is generally okay unless you rest at the back for miles, never taking a turn at the front and then attack the group on a hill or for a sprint.

    8.      Hold the speed. When it is your turn to pull, avoid accelerating beyond what the pace was before you were at the front. If you want to increase the speed some, wait until the person that was pulling before you has a chance to move into the group slipstream. An acceleration after they have worked to pull the group into the wind is unkind and will likely pop them off the back of the group. This is no way to thank them for helping the group.

    9.      Know the rules of the road and obey them. Your state likely has a page that explains the rules of the road. For example, this Bicycle Colorado page is a good summary of how bicycles should behave on the road.

    10. Help make the group safe. If you see something, say something. It takes every person in the group to make a safe ride. If someone is in error, just ask for help. For example, “Hey would you mind riding bar-to-bar or directly in front of or behind me?” They may be unaware that what they are doing makes the ride unsafe.

    Some simple behaviors and communication during a group ride can make it more fun and safer. Enjoy the ride!

     

     

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