Advice for riding in tight groups

It occured to me today that I rarely ride with anyone, mainly because so many people I've seen riding in groups are all over the place and often a danger to each other.

If you've ridden with a club, or track you'll know most of this already. But if not, there are some useful tips around for riding well in close groups (I'm not going to use the word peleton!). Summer is coming and some good rides too on which to practice this.

so, on with the tips:

1. Hold your line. learn to pre-empt obstacles and hop small holes rather than swerving at the last second.
   
2. Agree who's leading the group and follow them, both direction / pace and advice. This may be one person or several experienced riders
   
3. if your following someone's wheel, don't just assume they will look out for obstacles. use your own eyes and ears too
   
4. Relax
   
5. (if you have gears) copy the cadence of the other riders, it'll feel much more "right"
   
6. Let others know if you're changing pace or overtaking. A clear "on your left / right" if you're coming through, for example.
   
7. Respect the experience of better riders. You may be fast but they will have more miles under their belt
   
8. Warn others of hazzards. do it clearly and quickly, without wobbling and causing another hazzard :-)
   
9. if the group splits, it's up to the group leader to get the group back together. Usually this happens at the top of the hills
   
10. Let the experienced riders manage traffic and act as a backstop. don't try and play traffic cop without the group leader's ok.
    
11. take your turn at the front, but don't be a hero
    
12. make sure your bike and you are prepared for a long ride. you won't be popular if your bike fails due to a simple maintenance problem
    
    

I'm sure I missed stuff...

Don't put mtb style bar ends on your handlebars, this can result in dangerous and often embarassing incidents.....

Don't put mtb style bar ends on your handlebars, this can result in dangerous and often embarassing incidents.....

Get the feeling there's an amusing anecdote in there somewhere!

"**advice for riding in tight groups"
bring your own beer
**

"5. (if you have gears) copy the cadence of the other riders, it'll feel much more "right""

so don't change gear if you are going up or downhill?

you know what I meant ! if your riding in a tight group on the flat then choose the same gearing as others.

climbing and descending don't usually involve riding so closely to others

Yes george but not really in a haha funny amusing, more of a haha shit that was funny, oh my fucking god is he still alive amusing....which of course is still funny :p.
Its amazing how bar ends can almost hook onto things they hit and hurl someone to the ground instantly.

there is a nice little section in this weeks cycling weekly about group riding, along with hand signals etc.
I'll see if I can find a soft copy of it.

One thing I'll add... riding bar-to-bar and wheel-to-wheel works for geared road bikes and experienced riders, but doesn't work so well for fixed riders... keep enough space between you that if someone has to make an evasive move that you know your escape route without downing the group.

If you're not confident about group riding, use caution.

Most important on corners... HOLD YOUR LINE! If you're on the outside before you enter, do NOT attempt to take the inside line no matter how hard holding the outside line is.

don't ride close behind someone who's brakeless, they will swing the back wheel out and about in front of you as they skid and you can come a cropper because of them.

yep i hate riding right behind a brakeless person as they can skid at any time and fuck y'all over

I have to say, most of the brakeless people I have riden with are easier to follow as they will slow down with there legs before the hazard/ crossing/ junction. When you all do it it works quite will. You can see them start resisting with there legs rather than just slowing with the brake (a bit like a brake lite if you know what to look for).

The number one rule for me is always to ride in a group who's speed suits you. If you're fucked you're much more likely to make a mistake and pull the rest of the group down. If it's too fast for you slowly fall off the back with the other women.

wow, thanks =)

+1

Don't tack on hills until you know you have space to do so.

never take advice from people who don't have first hand experience of what they are giving advice about.
:-)

never take advice from strange men on the interwebs.

don't take any advice from Fred........ he's just trying to get you to pose naked for the camera.

Naked uphill in a group? Don't want to imagine a pile up

Balls.

+1 on funny

don't take any advice from Fred........ he's just trying to get you to pose naked for the camera.

listen Robbie I honestly have no idea how those photos got in to that magazine.

Fred
6 months for a comeback is tardy. Or are you just bumping an old but good thread?

maybe he needs some "exposure"

was about to post it to Nhatt's club ride thread then forgot - but I can't let a comment like that from Uncle Robby slide

besides, the injunction has just been lifted.