By Matt Russ
Cycling in a group may increase your safety or detract from it. This largely is predicated on the behavior and experience of the group members. If you are leading a group ride, you have a direct impact on your group members' safety and security; a responsibility that should be taken seriously. The risks are compounded if you are riding in an area that has heavy traffic. As a sport, cycling has the second highest incidence of injury. Many of these are serious or even catastrophic. The good news is with a little awareness, practice, and plain old common sense, you can greatly reduce the risk to yourself and those you ride with.
There are some steps you should take before the rubber meets the road. Start by making sure everyone’s bicycle is in proper working order. There is usually one person in the group who is mechanically inclined and apt to help others with their equipment. Designate this person as your “team mechanic” and have them give a quick visual inspection to the group members' bicycles. Tires should especially be checked for wear, cracks, cuts, and road debris. Make sure everyone has a flat kit and inflation system, cell phone, food and water, helmet and eye protection, and that their tires are properly inflated. At least one person should carry a small first aid kit. Hopefully everyone in group can change a tube but that is usually not the case. At least one person should be proficient at changing flats. Discuss the route you will take, the traffic patterns, areas of danger, and rules of the road. If the route is complex, a map is a great idea. Designate one member as the group leader who will lead the ride.
Once you are rolling your exposure to danger increases and so should your awareness. The following will help you stay upright and safe.
Can the Chatter
You probably enjoy the social aspects of training with others but this reduces your level of alertness. You have to be acutely aware of what is going on around you once on the road. Catch up with your friends before the ride or grab a drink after. If you are riding in areas with heavy traffic, you need to pay attention to the road; even more so than you would when driving your car. You must be on the lookout for road obstacles and debris, dogs, your fellow cyclists, as well as traffic. You are also not as visible to inattentive drivers. Remember that your bicycle does not have seatbelts, airbags, or crash protection.
Single File, Please
Many cyclists enjoy riding side by side so that they can converse during their ride. Not only does this pose a danger to themselves, it can cause traffic to veer even deeper into the oncoming lane. It also causes bad blood between cyclists and motorists. Although it may be legal in your area to ride in tandem, avoid disrupting the flow of traffic if at all possible. No one likes to be late for work.
Signal
If you are the ride leader it is important to let your fellow cyclists know your intentions via hand signals. Road debris can cause a safety issue. You can indicate a pothole, glass, or other hazard by pointing to the road towards the hazard (left or right). If you are stopping, extend your left arm downward at a 45 degree angle with the palm of your hand facing towards the rear. The hand signals for turns are a straight and horizontal left arm for a left turn and a raised left arm, elbow bent 90 degrees and hand up for right. I have found, however, that most people do not know what the right turn signal means, and this can put you in danger. When signaling in traffic I point in the direction I am turning (left or right arm), finger extended, and move my hand up and down. Make sure everyone in your ride group knows what these hand signals mean.
Speak
If a car is approaching from the rear, call out “car back.” If a car is approaching from the front, call out “car up.” If you see glass in the road, point and call out “glass,” or “bump,” “dog,” etc.. If you are stopping, call out “stopping.” One word of caution when calling out “clear” is that it may be clear when you begin to cross the intersection but this can quickly change as a car approaches at 50 mph. This means that the person behind you who took your “clear” at face value is now heading in front of a moving vehicle. For this reason, I avoid calling out “clear” and advise each cyclist to stop and cross when they see that the intersection is safe and clear.
Etiquette
Keep a safe distance from the person in front of you, at least a bike length even when drafting. If you are on their rear tire, you will have almost no time to react if they stop or swerve suddenly and you may crash into them. Your visibility of road hazards is also reduced. Do not overlap a cyclist’s rear tire with your front tire. If they move quickly to avoid a road obstacle, their rear tire will strike your front tire sending you to the pavement very quickly and perhaps them as well. A cyclist's rear wheel is protected air space. Do not assume that that they want you back there. If you encounter another cyclist on the road, it is considered bad form to draft behind them without their consent. Either pass or drop back, but don’t suck their wheel.
Pacing
Cyclists like to ride with other cyclists of similar fitness capacities, goals, and / or training objectives. This works well in small groups, but with each added cyclist the ego quotient can go up. If you are leading the ride, try to keep the pace steady and consistent. Take turns “pulling” or leading the group. Weaker riders may have a hard time in the front of the group and would be better served sitting farther back, whereas the stronger riders are more challenged leading. Keep your group together. If a cyclist is falling off the back, do not leave them. Stop at each intersection or turn and wait for them to catch up. If they are significantly slowing the group, politely explain to them at the end of the ride that they must keep pace next time. However, this in all likelihood will be self-evident. If a stronger rider is frustrated with a pace that is too slow, they can proceed ahead at their own pace and risk. Make sure they know they are now on their own. I have observed cyclists open a huge gap on the group only to miss the next turn. The group must chase them down in order to save them from being lost, and this does not build a lot of good will. Don’t lead unless you know where you are going.
Overall, the larger the group, the harder it will be to please everyone. You may be better served riding in a small group of 4-6 like-minded cyclists. It is okay to be choosy with whom you ride. One bad apple can spoil the barrel, as they say.
There are a lot of dynamics that occur with group training. Each little peloton is unique. Some are very aggressive; blowing through stoplights and wagging the middle finger. Others are very safe and consciences. Realize that those you ride with have a direct impact on your safety. They are a reflection on you and the cycling community. Ultimately, your group will affect your longevity and enjoyment of cycling.
Matt Russ has coached and trained elite athletes from around the country and internationally for over ten years.
He currently holds expert licenses from
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