Track Etiquette

I have relatively little experience on the track, so I want to learn the correct and safe ettiquette of riding in a group thoroughly. I've noticed in the intermediates at Herne Hill people are often all over the place, moving without looking etc.
I have a very basic question about the scenario below which I found myself in, I wanted to know the correct way to deal with it.

It's the final sprint of a race. Riders 1 & 2 are traveling along side each other. I am at the back and intend to move past all three. I move up along the outside, but as I approach rider 3, he moves out to accelerate past 1 & 2. I am already traveling faster than him and don't have time to look back over my shoulder.
I don't want to slow down and lose my speed, but cannot be sure I won't be moving across someone's path if I pull out further.
Where should I have been and what would be the correct way to deal with this?
Should I be allowing enough space when I innitially pull out to accomodate no. 3's move?

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It's not like people behind you won't have room to move up to, that far down the banking. Everyone should be trying to anticipate potential manoeuvres that might happen in front of them.

Shout loudly; "get out the fucking way" usually works.

And if it's within the final 200m, you know that theoretically riders 2 and 3 won't be moving down into the sprinter's lane (unless they get around 1).

A quick glance under the armpit should be enough to make sure you don't deck anyone behind. If there's enough time a glance over the shoulder.

If no.3 hasn't moved out yet I wouldn't allow him the space to move, I'd only move up when I have to. Then again, if this isn't a group of well experienced riders you cannot trust him not to move suddenly rather than a slightly more gradual move that you can read.

As you become more experienced you will learn to "know" where everyone is.

In the final dash to the line you should ALWAYS expect people to be drifting out and ALWAYS expect people to be coming over you. So in your case you should move out knowing that there is a chance a rider is coming over you and knowing that rider 3 is probably gonna want to come out. Anticipate this and make it part of your planned route to the line knowing that you might need to make changes to that plan.

The more you race the more you will be able to predict things. You'll learn how a riders body language changes before they make a move and what move happens before a change in direction happens.

If I was in your position in that dash to the line I would have been looking for the gap between rider 1 and 2 and accelerating for it before it was there because I would have predicted that gap to be there by the time I got there. That comes from years of racing and I do it often, safely and within the rules.

The point being, as you learn your craft watch what riders do all the time. You'll soon establish pattens and be able to predict things before they happen. Don't ever just watch the rider in front of you watch the riders ahead of him/her as this will give you more warning of what is about to happen. Watch the riders behind you too.

Here is a little exercise for you. Do this while racing until it becomes 2nd nature. Try to remember where every rider is in the bunch after just a quick glance over you shoulder. Visualise where they all are. Now look again. How many did you get right? How many have moved? How many did you miss altogether? If you do this often enough you'll soon be in a sprint and know instinctively where everyone is. But you got to train your brain to do it.

You're talking about the intermediate training session at HH? if so it's not a race, so look before you move and so should the others.

A quick glance under the armpit should be enough to make sure you don't deck anyone behind. If there's enough time a glance over the shoulder.

If no.3 hasn't moved out yet I wouldn't allow him the space to move, I'd only move up when I have to. Then again, if this isn't a group of well experienced riders you cannot trust him not to move suddenly rather than a slightly more gradual move that you can read.

Pretty sensible. Don't move from your line without looking and try to anticipate what riders in front of you may possibly do.

I've noticed in the intermediates at Herne Hill people are often all over the place, moving without looking etc.

If this is true then please identify these riders to the coaches so they can be asked to redo their induction.

Nobody should be riding "all over the place" or moving without looking in the intermediates, however fast they think they are.

As for your question, experienced racers leave larger gaps to "rush" when they are overtaking, the GB squad call this "space to race". Following a wheel closely then pulling up and into the wind to overtake requires significantly more effort to complete the overtake. This sort of thing is coached at race training but isn't covered on a Saturday morning which is intermediate track skills. Even elite riders look before they overtake if it involves a significant movement, watch any keirin at world level. They just do it quickly and very well.

Even elite riders look before they overtake if it involves a significant movement, watch any keirin at world level. They just do it quickly and very well.

Yup and it become instinctive. You just do it.

If this is true then please identify these riders to the coaches so they can be asked to redo their induction.

Absolutely. I rode in all the exercises on Saturday and the riding was in fact pretty good, particularly considering it was the first session of the year and riders are a little rusty. There are no excuses for not looking before moving (up or down the track).

@Adman "Here is a little exercise for you. Do this while racing until it becomes 2nd nature. Try to remember where every rider is in the bunch after just a quick glance over you shoulder. Visualise where they all are. Now look again. How many did you get right? How many have moved? How many did you miss altogether? If you do this often enough you'll soon be in a sprint and know instinctively where everyone is. But you got to train your brain to do it."

more of this please, really useful and going to do that real soon.
(*faints from surprise forum was bang- on for once ;-)

Thanks, this is really helpful. I'll try your exercise Adman. I looked back before initially moving out, but didn't get enough of a look to be sure I could move out further, 3 seconds later. So observing the field is something I'll practice.

You're talking about the intermediate training session at HH? if so it's not a race, so look before you move and so should the others.

Well yes, but I'm applying the situation as a general scenario. I'd imagine you'd expect the same discipline from riders whether racing or not.

Well yes, but I'm applying the situation as a general scenario. I'd imagine you'd expect the same discipline from riders whether racing or not.

Actually you said "it's the final sprint of a race". Not a general scenario, in which case there are significant differences.
That's not to say people should stop looking behind, as covered above.

If you think that the rider 3 is moving out you will automatically move outwards as you come over the top of them. If youre getting it right (when racing not training) you will be "rushing" up to number three anyway and its really the responsibility iof rider 5 to move around you. In time you will know where you are in the bunch anyway.

Best rule of the thumb is dont make sharp moves until you are experienced and NEVER over lap the wheel in front..

V

I have relatively little experience on the track, so I want to learn the correct and safe ettiquette of riding in a group thoroughly. I've noticed in the intermediates at Herne Hill people are often all over the place, moving without looking etc.
I have a very basic question about the scenario below which I found myself in, I wanted to know the correct way to deal with it.

It's the final sprint of a race. Riders 1 & 2 are traveling along side each other. I am at the back and intend to move past all three. I move up along the outside, but as I approach rider 3, he moves out to accelerate past 1 & 2. I am already traveling faster than him and don't have time to look back over my shoulder.
I don't want to slow down and lose my speed, but cannot be sure I won't be moving across someone's path if I pull out further.
Where should I have been and what would be the correct way to deal with this?
Should I be allowing enough space when I innitially pull out to accomodate no. 3's move?

Best rule of the thumb is dont make sharp moves until you are experienced and NEVER over lap the wheel in front..

+100

I cringe every time I see a rider overlap wheels.

Some great advice here, only thing I want to add from being a racer, coach and track Commisaire is that you must look before you move, be that race, training whatever. You have a responsibility for the safety of yourself and all others on the track with you. It is NOT the responsibilty of other riders to anticipate what you are going to do (even though experienced riedrs usualy will). And you will be dq'd at the very least for a dangerous move even if it doesnt cause an accident. If they gap isnt there dont just asume you can make it.....

Another thing from Saturday was in the final exercise when the coaches had gone back along the line telling people to ride single file that there were still riding two up.

3 laps to go I was blowing completely and pulled out up to get up to the rail after checking my shoulder and flicking my elbow, expecting once I was immediately clear of the single file and heading up the banking I wasn't going to be obstructing anyone, but the guys riding side by side must have been a couple of wheels back from me and clearly got a surprise from the amount of noise generated.

Clearly just because you've listened to the coaches you shouldn't assume everyone else has..

It's all about the look.
Watch a practice session at a world class event, you will see teams on aerobars doing team pursuit practice above the blue line, sprinters doing full on flying efforts and everything else in between, all on the track at the same time and all safe* because they always check before moving.

*most of the time

This is the reason the first thing the coaches teach you is to look. Eventually looking becomes like pedaling. Make it a habit now so you can focus on the other skills.

Sorry RPM, bad wording. My question was really how it would be handled in a racing scenario where things are more sensitive to error.
Assuming all riders are experienced, let's say I look back and there's no one behind me, I rush the gap on rider 3 as you mention, is it then an acceptable tactic to overtake close enough to pin rider 3 in place until you've moved past, knowing that he would look before moving from his position(as Oz mentions below)?

If no.3 hasn't moved out yet I wouldn't allow him the space to move

That would be an acceptable tactic but in real life it all happens very fast. Rider 3 would move out at very short notice. So you need to be expecting that and know what is going on around you so you can react accordingly.

Rushing the gap and pinning the rider are pretty advanced moves..If your question is..is it (pinning) legal then yes it is..However get into the basics first and this will come later.

Imagine the rider you are pinning isnt experienced and gives you a flick at full speed are you capable of riding (missing) it?

Sorry RPM, bad wording. My question was really how it would be handled in a racing scenario where things are more sensitive to error.
Assuming all riders are experienced, let's say I look back and there's no one behind me, I rush the gap on rider 3 as you mention, is it then an acceptable tactic to overtake close enough to pin rider 3 in place until you've moved past, knowing that he would look before moving from his position(as Oz mentions below)?

Sorry RPM, bad wording. My question was really how it would be handled in a racing scenario where things are more sensitive to error.
Assuming all riders are experienced, let's say I look back and there's no one behind me, I rush the gap on rider 3 as you mention, is it then an acceptable tactic to overtake close enough to pin rider 3 in place until you've moved past, knowing that he would look before moving from his position(as Oz mentions below)?

I can comment on some of these things from racing in the league last year at HH. Moving up from the Bs the year before into the As, things get far more aggressive. One thing I noticed in particular that was quite off putting at first was how close overtaking riders get to you. Literally touching elbows. You soon get used to it and if you race in a regular league, you soon get used to what riders are likely to do what and at what point in a race. If I know I have a rider on my wheel who I can outsprint, I find it important to make the jump before they do otherwise, it may be too late and you will be boxed in. Conversely, if you can find a good wheel to sit on, someone you know is a great sprinter, then the idea is to sit on it for as long as you can.

Its really all about holding your line and making sure that you know exactly what you are doing. If everyone did this and looked before acting there would be no crashes (except for mechanical failure) unfortunately this isn't always the case and every year there seems to be at least one pretty serious crash in the league due to riders not paying attention. But, they don't always happen during the sprints. Usually, with about 1 and 1/2 laps to go, where everyone is moving up and down the track jockeying for postion. Very often, it happens when the two front riders swing up at the same time and there is a wheel clip. Thats why staying in a straight line and not half wheeling is so important.

I always say that you have to pay more attention racing than you do when cycling in the London traffic and far far more attention than you would say, driving on a motorway where the look, signal, maneuver law is the first thing any driving instructor will teach you

every year there seems to be at least one pretty serious crash in the league due to riders not paying attention. But, they don't always happen during the sprints.
yeah, it's noticeable that the last half lap is usually pretty safe as riders in the line get spread out, it's the lap before that things get sketchy (mike will remember the crash just past the bell).

I suspect however that when you have riders of differing ability / speed then the last dash is less safe.

Oh, and Mike, presume you want your space in the container this year?