Cycling in a group

sweetswing

im going on this saturdays beginners spin, and since i have never been in a group ,i was just wondering have any of the more experienced cyclists any tips for me?

papac

any tips for me?

Relax and enjoy it.:)

Seriously though-At the end of the day its just a bunch of people reverting to their childhoods and going for a spin on their bikes. Pacelines and echelons can come later.

twogunkid

papac wrote: »

Relax and enjoy it.:)

Seriously though-At the end of the day its just a bunch of people reverting to their childhoods and going for a spin on their bikes. Pacelines and echelons can come later.

cycle in single file , don't break red lights and be courteous to other road users

ipodrocker

twogunkid wrote: »

don't break red lights

agree so much i was out for spin on saturday and saw plenty ppl breaking red lights even though the road was quiet.

onimpulse

twogunkid wrote: »

cycle in single file

????

hynesie

twogunkid wrote: »

don't break red lights and be courteous to other road users

Correct.

twogunkid wrote: »

cycle in single file

Incorrect.

blorg

twogunkid wrote: »

cycle in single file , don't break red lights and be courteous to other road users

Agree with most of that but two abreast is the normal configuration for cycling in a group (and is perfectly legal.) It is actually easier for a motorist to overtake a well organised group two abreast as they will be shorter.

ipodrocker

blorg wrote: »

Agree with most of that but two abreast is the normal configuration for cycling in a group (and is perfectly legal.) It is actually easier for a motorist to overtake a well organised group two abreast as they will be shorter.

agree too blorg, i know when im driving easier to overtake 2 cyclists and when cycling its perfectly fine having 2 abreast.

CheGuedara

GOOD LINK

if I do say so myself

Doctor Bob

CheGuedara wrote: »

GOOD LINK

Posted on christmas day 2008? Now that's dedication!

onimpulse

There is a lot of misunderstanding I think among motorists on the need to cycle single file. On a club cycle over the winter We had a woman scream out of a moving car window - did we not know the rules of the road, we should be cycling single file. Wrong... she's the one who doesn't know the rules of the road but it was hard to tell her that as she speed off in a moving car...

A group of cyclists in two's is easier to pass as it's a shorter line for any motorists coming behind. Motorists think however that they should be able to squeeze past cyclists in single file - unfortunately most roads aren't wide enough to do this safely & the cars end up pulling in on top of the cyclist mid line when they meet a car coming the other way which is extremely dangerous.

If the road is wide enough for a car to pass safely when meeting oncoming traffic then cyclists should just out of good manners single out & allow the car to pass - personally I hate having cars stuck behind me & always let them past when it's safe to do so - otherwise you just know eventually they are going to get impatient & do something stupid. I think this is true of every cyclist - they will let cars past if it's safe. If they're cycling in two's it's because it's not safe to squeeze past.

Cycling in two's holds the lane and car's behind can only overtake when safe as they would do if it were a slow vehicle in front of them - in theory at least!

CheGuedara

Doctor Bob wrote: »

Posted on christmas day 2008? Now that's dedication!

Chain oil in the veins man!

onimpulse wrote: »

There is a lot of misunderstanding I think among motorists on the need to cycle single file. On a club cycle over the winter We had a woman scream out of a moving car window - did we not know the rules of the road, we should be cycling single file. Wrong... she's the one who doesn't know the rules of the road but it was hard to tell her that as she speed off in a moving car...

A group of cyclists in two's is easier to pass as it's a shorter line for any motorists coming behind. Motorists think however that they should be able to squeeze past cyclists in single file - unfortunately most roads aren't wide enough to do this safely & the cars end up pulling in on top of the cyclist mid line when they meet a car coming the other way which is extremely dangerous.

If the road is wide enough for a car to pass safely when meeting oncoming traffic then cyclists should just out of good manners single out & allow the car to pass - personally I hate having cars stuck behind me & always let them past when it's safe to do so - otherwise you just know eventually they are going to get impatient & do something stupid. I think this is true of every cyclist - they will let cars past if it's safe. If they're cycling in two's it's because it's not safe to squeeze past.

Cycling in two's holds the lane and car's behind can only overtake when safe as they would do if it were a slow vehicle in front of them - in theory at least!

That's as clear and good an explanation of the theory of cycling in pairs as I've seen in a while. The next troll that appears giving out about cyclists in pairs should just be directed to your post (We've three days before TGIF* happens)

*Tim grumbles - it's Friday

petethedrummer

The only thing I'd say is don't get sucked into a group mentality at roundabouts or junctions. Just because those ahead have gone through doesn't mean you should blindly follow without assessing the situation yourself.

I've seen people put themselves at risk on sportives with the sheep mentality, particularly at roundabouts.

And try to cycle in a straight line.

Chips Lovell

Take into account wind speed and direction when blowing snot rockets.

Lumen

el tonto wrote: »

Take into account wind speed and direction when blowing snot rockets.

I got blasted directly in the face by snot splatter from a rider in front last Saturday (strong headwind). I had my mouth open at the time.

Nice.

thebouldwhacker

If you drop something, water bottle for example, do not slam on the brakes to stop and retrieve it. You will cause a pile up of those behind you. I have seen this happen and it ain't pretty while its happening, even worse when people dust themselves off and find the culprit....:pac:

elchupanebrey

Lumen wrote: »

I got blasted directly in the face by snot splatter from a rider in front last Saturday (strong headwind). I had my mouth open at the time.

Nice.

I hope it hit you on the nose then

shaungil

Lumen wrote: »

I got blasted directly in the face by snot splatter from a rider in front last Saturday (strong headwind). I had my mouth open at the time.

Nice.

Yeah I was really proud of that one, tooke me ages to get it set up correctly. Snot rockets are hard to guage with how the wind will take them. You mouth being open was a bonus.

Hungrycol

When it's your go at the front try to keep the speed up but don't speed up. If you're too knackered to have a go at the front tell them, it's perfectly fine as long as they know. The guys at the front are the eyes of the bunch so if you see a pothole call "hole left" "hole right" "hole middle" so the other behind know. Other calls I have heard are "gravel", "car down", "car up".

If you puncture don't do anything swiftly. Shout "puncture" and very slowly manouvre away from the group. They'll all stop for you while you fix it so don't be embarrassed that you're holding everyone up, it happens. Likewise for a "comfort stop".

Enjoy it and try not to be too nervous.

Lumen

Hungrycol wrote: »

Other calls I have heard are "gravel", "car down", "car up".

And for clarity "car up..." means "...your arse" and "car down" means "...your throat".

IM0

giving too much advice can be a bit overwhelming before you even start!
basically toe the line, move predictably when you have riders around you, no sudden moves (with the bike) be aware but confident. The rest will come with time, and if its that important the rest of the group will let you know soon enough

crashoveroid

twogunkid wrote: »

cycle in single file ,

What ????????

crashoveroid

Hungrycol wrote: »

When it's your go at the front try to keep the speed up but don't speed up. If you're too knackered to have a go at the front tell them, it's perfectly fine as long as they know. The guys at the front are the eyes of the bunch so if you see a pothole call "hole left" "hole right" "hole middle" so the other behind know. Other calls I have heard are "gravel", "car down", "car up".

If you puncture don't do anything swiftly. Shout "puncture" and very slowly manouvre away from the group. They'll all stop for you while you fix it so don't be embarrassed that you're holding everyone up, it happens. Likewise for a "comfort stop".

Enjoy it and try not to be too nervous.

Well said the other thing is that if your on the front and going downhill dont stop pedaling and free wheel can cause huge bunch ups and crashes.

yop

Same as the OP, decided to join a twice weekly spin clubs but afraid of my life I will embarrass the head off myself.
Did a charity 65km spin and really enjoyed it but it was steady enough as we did it in 2.5hrs

Couple of questions please

What do you eat and how long before a 7pm spin (its 40km spin)
Do you take gels/bars or that with you?
How close to the bike in front do you stick?
Been in front, how do you know when to go to the front? How long do you stay there

Thanks very much

elchupanebrey

The group I go with are sound to noobs, they'll tell you to move up and that. Don't go in there thinking you know it all and you'll be sound. If you spot danger let people know too.

yop

elchupanebrey wrote: »

The group I go with are sound to noobs, they'll tell you to move up and that. Don't go in there thinking you know it all and you'll be sound. If you spot danger let people know too.

Good job, hope I get the same treatment