Group Riding Protocol
Safety, etiquette & basics
BE SAFE - RIDE SAFE - KEEP OTHERS SAFE
NO HELMET = NO RIDE! NON-NEGOTIABLE!
Arriving on time is already late! Please be prepared with your bike at least 5min in advance.
Make sure your bike is well maintained.
Always carry your emergency ID card & repair kit.
Always ride with traffic flow and on your right hand side.
Bring your smile :)
Be smooth & predictable
We want to share the road with you again
NO sudden accelerations or slowdowns & NO attacks.
If a gap opens in front of you, make sure you close it gradually.
Avoid sharp braking at all costs unless it is EMERGENCY!
Verbal communicating is important when it comes to stopping, slowing & sudden obstacles.
Communicate
“Every act of communication is a miracle of translation”
Use hand signals & verbal signals.
Point out obstacles and call them out in advance; so the rider behind you gets enough warning.
Move over to the left or right in advance for big obstacles ahead (car/barrier/etc)
Catching up & wheel overlapping
Dude… you don’t want to kiss the tire in front of you!
If you’re getting too close to the rider ahead of you, shift into an easier gear.
Pedal softly & sit higher to catch more wind.
Try to avoid freewheeling - when others see you coasting, they will slow down too and cause a chain reaction behind.
If this doesn’t work, brake gently while keeping on pedaling on an easy gear.
It is sometimes better to roll over minor obstacles than braking hard or make sudden maneuvers.
Passing over a rider ahead of you
We are not in the UK… always pass from the left!
Always pass from the left.
Notify riders verbally that you are passing.
Make sure you give riders enough room.
NEVER pass too close & NEVER cut in straight away!
Keep at least the length of a bike & a half before moving in front of the rider who is behind you now.
If you are in the front, make sure that you let the whole group clear before moving off your front position.
Ride steady & be a steady-wheel
Be a role-model for the rider behind you!
Ride safely & predictably.
Make others happy when they ride behind you.
Be the person you prefer to ride behind.
Don’t wobble when you want to drink!
DON’T TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF THE HANDLEBAR!
Hills
Learn to embrace them
Leaders in the front have to maintain the same effort from the bottom & all the way up.
Riders in the back should follow & respect the pace of the group leaders - Do not overtake!
On downhills, leaders have to keep pedaling - Do not cruise as this will affect riders behind you.
ALWAYS give a hand & verbal signal before standing up as your wheel can jerk back into the rider behind you.
TT Bikes, aero or tri bars
Smooth - Slick - Fast
These are great for time trials but should NEVER be used in a group ride.
When Riding in a Group
When you ride in a group, you have to stay shoulder to shoulder with your fellow rider while ensuring that you’re taking amount of space on the road. Also, keep in mind that you may be required to over-take or pass other riders on the road; so make sure that you over-take from the left side and then return back to the right side of the road and inside the yellow line.
Finally, always make sure that your handlebars are always level with the person next to you. This is very important when you are leading as you are setting the pace for the rest of the group.
Switching & Rotating the Lead
Each pair in the group will take a turn in the lead. It is important to know that the time spent leading is determined by weather conditions. For example, shorter turns are taken while having head wind. And it is also determined by the experience & strength of the pair of riders in the front.
If you don’t know the person you are riding next to, make sure that you communicate when you are ready to roll off. (Do not wait until you are over-tired as you need to maintain a steady pace). Once you agreed to switch the lead, the rider on the right goes right, the rider on the left goes left & the group moves forward from the center.
When you are ready to switch the lead:
Rider on the left have to check behind to make sure that no one is over taking.
Make sure that there is no obstacles ahead of you! (Cars, people, animals, sand, etc).
Make sure that you give a signal which notifies the rider behind you.
DO NOT STOP PEDALING! Accelerate for couple of rotations to open up, and then cruise back.
If you are the second pair in the group and it is your turn to lead, DO NOT ACCELERATE! Keep the pace steady until the leaders catch the tail.
DO NOT switch when:
You can see other riders ahead of you.
You can see an intersection, obstacles and/or cars ahead of you.
You are halfway up a hill! This will make it difficult to catch back on the tail.