Lost art of the group ride
Every so often, I’ll ride a recreational group ride. I love the comraderie of cyclists, the talk, the last minute pumps of air, the clicking in, and the easy drifting out as a peloton. “I miss riding in a group,” I’ll think to myself.
The magic ends by mile 10. The group will surge, gap, and separate, only to regroup at every stop sign. I’ll hear fifteen repeated screams of “HOLE!” for every minor road imperfection. And then no mention of the actual hole. Some guy in front will set a PR for his 30 second pull. Wheels overlap, brakes are tapped, and some guy in the back will go across the yellow line and speed past the peloton for no apparent reason. A breakaway?!
I curse under my breath, remembering why I always ride with only a few friends. Doesn’t anyone else realize how dangerous this ride is? How bad it is for our reputation on the road? There are clear rules of ride etiquette, safety, and common sense. Does anyone here know the rules? Who is in charge?
But no one is in charge, and the chaotic group has no idea of how to ride together. As a bike lawyer, I get the complaints from irritated drivers, concerned police, controversy-seeking journalists, and injured cyclists. It needs to get better, but the obstacles are real:
First, everyone is an expert these days. The internet and a power meter do not replace 50,000 miles of experience, but try telling that to a fit forty year-old, new to cycling, on a $5000 bike. Or, god forbid, a triathlete. No one wants to be told what to do.
Second, the more experienced riders just want to drop the others and not be bothered. It is all about the workout, the ego boost, or riding with a subset of friends. But a group ride is neither a race nor cycling Darwinism. As riders get better, they seek to distinguish themselves by riding faster on more trendy bikes; but as riders get better they need to realize two things: 1) there is always someone faster, and 2) they have obligations as leaders. Cycling is not a never ending ladder, each step aspiring upwards, casting aspersions down. It is a club, and we should want to expand and improve our membership.
Third, different rides are advertised by average speed, but speed is only one part of the equation. This approach makes speed the sole metric for judging a cyclist, and creates the false impression that a fit rider is a good one. Almost anyone can be somewhat fast on a bike, but few learn to be elegant, graceful cyclists.
Fourth, riding a bike well requires technique training. Good swimmers, for example, constantly work on form and drills; so should cyclists. Anyone remember the C.O.N.I. Manual or Eddie Borysewich’s book? They are out-of-print, but their traditional approach to bike technique should not be lost. More emphasis was given on fluid pedaling and bike handling.
Before the internet, before custom bikes, and before Lance, it was done better. Learning to ride was an apprenticeship. The goal was to become a member of the peloton, not merely a guy who is sort of fast on a bike. Membership was the point, not to be the local Cat. 5 champ. You were invited to go on group ride if you showed a interest and a willingness to learn. You were uninvited if you did not. You learned the skills from directly from the leader, who took an interest in riding next to you on your first rides (and not next to his friends, like better riders do today). Here is some of what you learned:
To ride for months each year in the small ring.
To take your cycling shorts off immediately after a ride.
To start with a humble bike, probably used.
To pull without surging.
To run rotating pace line drills and flick others through.
To form an echelon.
To ride through the top of a climb.
To hold your line in a corner.
To stand up smoothly and not throw your bike back.
To give the person ahead of you on a climb a little more room to stand up.
To respect the yellow line rule.
To point out significant road problems.
To brake less, especially in a pace line.
To follow the wheel in front and not overlap.
The ride leader and his lieutentants were serious about their roles, because the safety of the group depended on you, the weakest link. If you did not follow the rules, you were chastised. Harshly. If you did, you became a member of something spectacular. The Peloton.
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Absolutely fabulous article on the dying skill of properly riding in a pack. If only every new roadie was forced to learn these skills through a truly organized club, I might consider racing again with the chance that my old, lugged steel bike would make it back to my garage intact and my flesh free from splintered shards of carbon-fiber.
Not really sure if group rides are any worse now than 40 years ago when I started racing. Maybe as we’ve aged we’ve gained a bit of riding wisdom (only a bit) and maybe more likely some riders have slowed down, mellowed, and switched a bit to cruise mode (not anything wrong with that).
There’s always been bozos in the pacelines and always will be. Its life.
Its Borysewicz not Borysewich. Very thoughtful article. It is the responsibility of the seasoned riders to bring new blood in the fold. It takes a peleton to raise a squirrel.
After a 15-year hiatus off the bike, I was saddened to find that cycling etiquette had all but disappeared when I resumed my passion. Self-proclaimed “cyclists” would buzz by me without the courtesy of a call-out. Never mind that it’s rude, but how about also unsafe? Moreover, most of these Lance wannabes treat EVERY ride as if it is a TDF qualifier. Not fun.
There are many more group rides in our area (SF East Bay) than there were in the 90′s, most of which usually result in some poor schmoe losing a few layers of skin, changing the direction of a limb, and causing a few thousand dollars damage to their one-year-of-college-tuition bike. Fortunately there are still a few local rides that only permit riders who respect the lore of the peloton. I’ll choose the latter.
Over 20,000 cyclists have read :The Lost Art of the Group Ride" since 9/1. Read it here: http://t.co/ufg5zHx (via @BikeLawPeter)
Lost art of the group ride | http://t.co/DGJb0qQ (via @summify from @ansonwlee) ^AK
Lost art of the group ride: http://t.co/W8LliqF Why I mostly ride alone.
This article is beyond amazing and the reason I rarely ride with others or on group rides. http://t.co/ZHpDrdk
@tedchauvin ha! Perfect description of my last club ride yesterday evening. http://t.co/CW9Frl4"
Lost art of the group ride: http://t.co/X22YHbA
Perfect. I thought it was just me. After many years in the saddle racing and clowning around, the art form of the sport startes to dissipate but you just reminded me why I like my “team” and the dipilined riding we expect from our younger guys on every ride, maybe something will wear off…..
@cyclingtips bunch riding mayhem not just in Melbourne! RT @MGridetoronto: Very cheeky article,the last line says it all http://t.co/mAeuRE4
Food for thought @cyclingtips Lost art of the group ride http://t.co/hFn7TGd via @CarolinaCycling
Lost art of the group ride http://t.co/JFleGNL via @CarolinaCycling
Great article to read before a group ride: http://ow.ly/6m4LM
http://t.co/ZmPtair @CMCycling I think we should make this a hand out on Saturday morning.
Brillant!!! I am a triathlete and had to laugh out loud and nod in agreement with everything touched upon in this article, even the point about triathletes. God forbid if you are a female cyclist and happen to casually ride past a guy on a hill or on a flat its off to the races on the guy’s part. Everything seems to be a competition or a race to nowhere. When I ride I want to enjoy the experience and I am always open to learn. I am a Roadie and I ride off road. In general, Moutain Bikers are better group riders than Roadies and the riding experience is supremely better, blissful friendly and fun.
Yvette you are so right. I was riding with Katherine Bertine last year on a parkway they close for cyclists a couple times a year, she was riding in recovery mode, 15-17 tops, and every time a guy would roll up and realize she was a girl they went apeshit…wtf is up with that. Are they so insecure they need to prove everything to a woman cyclist…c’mon guys. I know many roadies and by and large I think we are all good people but trust me, if I had had the welcome I get from other roadies on the road when I stepped into motocross in 1981, Id have taken up golf or something else. MX took me in life I was family, even though Id e the only Black guy at the track and sometimes only one racing at that. Its much different now, demographics-wise, but the openness and welcoming attitude still prevails, and as you say, MTB riders are also friendlier. I still dont understand it and will continue to suffer the indignities when other fellow roadies snub my simple wave, I got big shoulders and can handle it. If they wanted other people to run or stay away from road cycling, then keep doing what yer doing fellas. :-/
@michaelglacy That’s a good article! I read it over at http://t.co/2WA2yk1 a while ago.
Lost art of the group ride | Carolina Cycling News http://t.co/TkWUg53
Dropping some truthiness about group rides… That’s right, truthiness. http://t.co/MSL8OVOc
Lost art of the group ride http://t.co/6wxxJD4h via @CarolinaCycling
good piece.
Do a couple of C and D level rides if you want to rediscover the fun of bicycling. Yes, I said FUN, which seems to be a forgotten concept among too many roadies. There’s the camaraderie, looking at the scenery instead of the pavement and the rear wheel ahead of you, the deli stops, and the excitement of a novice rider who’s just discovered that he/she has ridden farther and faster than he/she though possible.
"Lost art of the group ride" Sad but so true…http://t.co/KWCWG9AP via @CarolinaCycling
Wow! Great article. Written so clearly and eloquently. Put down my thoughts and concerns better than I could have expressed them. You described part of why I have to ride solo. Thank you for boldly saying what needs to be said by every group that has a leader.
Cycling: The Lost Art of The Group Ride http://t.co/eIhsu6Py
I can relate, you?
Lost art of cycling http://ow.ly/6pvQZ #cycling
http://t.co/JXKZGJqE #fb
I am one of the “New Riders” and I am quite frankly afraid to ride in a group. I ride alone or with my daughter because I see other cyclist in groups going the other way almost get hit by cars, or worse cars that pass me on blind curves and then meet oncoming trafic. I think there are to many riders and to many drivers that feel they have some entitlement to the road.
We’re all guilty of some or all of the offenses listed here. Spark’s goal for our group rides next year is to… http://t.co/MGrgAxBo
Truer words have never been spoken. What a great article…. http://t.co/BR2UUSpg
Great article! If you ride a bike please read this…http://t.co/YpECkGO4
Should be required reading 4 cyclists RT @speedgoatbikes: Truer words have never been spoken. What a great article…. http://t.co/mKkHuUlg
Lost art of the group ride: http://t.co/OJ8n1zxt #cycling
"Before the internet, before custom bikes, & before Lance, it was done better. Learning to ride was an apprenticeship." http://t.co/HFLIMLOn
"Before the internet, before custom bikes, & before Lance, it was done better. Learning to ride was an apprenticeship." http://t.co/p56sZv7c
Your article really hit home. We must have learned from the same guy. I will always be grateful to those who helped me in my first years of cycling and who continue to make me stronger, safer and smarter. My only desire is to pass on what was so freely given to me.
Viva la Gruppe.
http://t.co/l2ACp8ko hopefully not entirely forgotten
Good article re: group rides http://t.co/vDo9l3qz
I learned the “Art of Group Riding” through the Charles River Wheelmen’s “Paceline Clinics.” I showed up and there were three groups identified. The fast (36 miles), medium (24), and slow (16). I chose the slow/short ride. We pulled out of the parking lot and our designated leader introduced herself. “I was asked to lead this ride because I have experience and a very smooth cadence.”
The other riders also introduced themselves and said something about their riding or desired skills. I introduced myself (the only male rider in the group), “I’m Dave and I’m good at being yelled at. You can correct me at any time. I’m here to learn.” That comment really broke the ice in the group.
The ride leader responded, “Well, I guess we checked our male ego at the door today.”
I had a great ride, learned a lot, and became a regular while I lived in the Boston area.
Thanks, CRW!
Good advice on the The Group Ride: http://t.co/AqNpfnVM
I came across this article while browsing for information on group riding etiquette. Peter Wilborn has done a… http://t.co/D3YQpWua
Peter, Thanks so much for this; very insightful. I’ve posted links on our club forum and fb page. This is one of those rare “stop and think a moment” writings – to help us realize why we truly lead the club rides and how those new to group riding must feel.
Thanks! – and if you’re ever in Frisco, Tx – we’ve got a spot for you on one of our rides… Shawnee Trail Cycling Club
If you ever come to Plano, Texas, be sure to look up the Plano Bicycle Association. We are a club of about 575 cycling enthusiasts whose motto is Fun, Challenge, and Safety. We have nine official leader-led PBA rides ranging from Novice to Elite leaving every Saturday morning, along with other rides during the week. We work hard to keep everyone safe. Please go to our website and scroll down to the President’s message. Then click on the PBA Ride Rules link on the right to see how we try to keep the rubber side down.
Please share ways and ideas you implement safety Natalie, always looking for useful tips. I can only imagine the challenges with the large numbers.
Overall and I like this article, but I see some issues with some of what is being said. Although I have “only” been riding for 5 or so years, I am now a certified USAC cycling coach and a cat2 racer in 2 years of racing. My skills were learned from a good group of pack riders. The ride was “C” paced. One Saturday I was kicked out and not because they didn’t like me, or because I wasn’t following rules, but because I’d “outgrown” the ride. They told me where I needed to go and before I knew it I was riding the “A” rides… Only to find out there are some fast guys that can hang with the “a’s”, but lacked the skills learned from the slow and steady guys. I am also a safety advocate. The ride can be fast and safe. Speed doesn’t always equate to dangerous, but dumb riding skills does. Lastly, some group rides are billed as training rides. If I’m on a 63 mile training ride and someone in the group can’t keep up, usually the “leader”, than maybe this isn’t the training you need. There is nothing worse than someone saying your going too fast when you’re keeping a solid 222+mph/avg pace. I think is why most seriously competitive cyclist don’t train in groups unless it is part of a race planned work out.