Road Cycling - Pace Line issue...

This weekend I rode in an MS 150. Awesome experience to say the least! For a change, I was able to ride in some pacelines (I'm kind of the only roadie (it seems) where I live). Here's my question (eventually):

For various reasons (mainly that I started at the back and had to work my way past 1,000+ riders to finish with some pride (I know it's not a race, but...)) I only spent about 2-3 hrs in pacelines. For some reason, nearly half of that time was spent leading them. I led at speeds between 15 and 20 mph depending on the conditions. I found that leading the line was no trouble. I just noted the speed and set a cadence to hold that. I settled in and just pulled until someone offered to lead. I enjoyed it, too (and was complimented a few times)! The problem was that whenever I dropped to the back, I found the paceline took more energy than it seemed when I led. With the one exception in a beastly headwind, I usually felt like it was too much effort to keep up after a minute or so. I didn't notice a change in speed in most of the lines (though on one, the ***hole leader decided he'd be cool and jump the speed up a few mph, dropping half the riders) but still didn't feel like I was able to rest a whole lot. I usually left the line and just rode on up to the next one. Could I just be a person who maybe has a "natural" ability to lead a line but finds following one difficult? I think my problem was that I couldn't get a rhythm in the back since I spent so much time trying to compensate for the rubber band effect. Is there a trick to following tat I don't know? etc, etc, etc

Thanks!

I just started doing group rides and thus just started getting into pacelines. The first time I was fortunate to have a smaller group that we all cycled through and led,then followed. At first I had some trouble adjusting to leading, I kept thinking I had to bump the pace up, got called on that a few times! Following didnt seem too bad as long as everyone kept rotating through, say a new leader every 10 seconds or so. On the last group ride the pace was to high for me to do anything but suck wheel. The rubber band effect is pretty bad. I found that by going slightly to the left or right of the cyclist directly ahead of me, I could still get the draft but have more of an idea whats going on up front and could anticipate slow downs and speed ups. Are you sure there wasnt a crosswind during any of your pacelines? In which case being behind a rider is doing little. I played around on one part of the group ride one day and found if I rode to the right I got a better draft. Maybe you just werent in the 'sweet' spot. I dont know if any of this helped but there you go.

I did think of crosswinds once and compensated (but not enough road or group coordination to try echelons) and that may have been the reason the other times. I'll have to tink back over the route. Hmmmm...

Were you too focused on your cadence? Sometimes people try to use the same cadence leading and following. This mistake keeps them from being able to follow well. Because of the draft you have to adjust gears and/or cadence and take a break even though you will still be mainaining the same speed.

Well first off, at any significant rate of speed (over 20 mph), you will get a major energy savings by drafting. At high speed, most of a cyclist' energy is spent against wind resistance and drafting cuts really cuts that down. It works for everyone even people who like to pull. Shoot I like to pull but I do get a definite advantage from wheel sucking.

Well drafting in a paceline is tricky and it takes awhile to get the hang of it. You have to get in close enough to get a draft. You also have to find the "sweet spot". If there is wind, that will be a bit off to one side or the other.

A caution about pacelines, you are at the mercy of the people in front of you. If they do not avoid or point out pot holes and such like you can have a crash. Also if they are erratic, they can cause you to crash by hitting you, falling in front of you, stopping quickly without warning and so on. Cycling in pacelines, unless you know that the riders are safe, is a fair bit riskier then solo.

I suspect you spent too much time leading the paceline (it's a kind of adreniine high), not realizing how much energy you were expending....until you dropped to the back of the paceline! If you had a chance to follow the TdF on TV, you would have seen a constatntly rotating paceline with each rider at the front mere seconds.

Sitting in front for a long time is the best way to get dropped. People that have not ridden in pacelines often find that following is too slow and because it is easier and it feels like it would be easy to ride a few mph faster. Once you get to the front and you're freash, you give a strong long pull and by the time you drop back, it's hard to hold the same pace. Like Poppaspoke said, constant rotating pacelines at the TDF keeps the pace fast and everyone freash. But riding in the real world, it would be helpfull to stay in front for 10 to 20 strokes. And riding in pacelines should be practiced. It is important for the leader to point out potholes and debris, yell out "slowing" or "stop" to keep everyone informed. And be sure to there is no traffic around..."car back".

Could I just be a person who maybe has a "natural" ability to lead a line but finds following one difficult? I think my problem was that I couldn't get a rhythm in the back since I spent so much time trying to compensate for the rubber band effect. Is there a trick to following tat I don't know? etc, etc, etc

Thanks!

CarlJStoneham-
You sound like you really feel comfortable setting your own pace. Could it be you get too tense when you're following... trying to stay in the sweet spot? That can certainly suck your energy. Just a thought.
- rjtokyo

Here's a question:
What happens if you're in a paceline and you reach the front but you don't want to lead? - happened to me last weekend because I didn't know the route that day. Are you supposed to drop all the way to the back?

Rippin

Just do your pull. Usually if your new someone will remind you where to turn. At least in the club I belong to, its really not a problem. We tend to help each other out.

Jim :D

Sitting in front for a long time is the best way to get dropped. People that have not ridden in pacelines often find that following is too slow and because it is easier and it feels like it would be easy to ride a few mph faster. Once you get to the front and you're freash, you give a strong long pull and by the time you drop back, it's hard to hold the same pace. Like Poppaspoke said, constant rotating pacelines at the TDF keeps the pace fast and everyone freash. But riding in the real world, it would be helpfull to stay in front for 10 to 20 strokes. And riding in pacelines should be practiced. It is important for the leader to point out potholes and debris, yell out "slowing" or "stop" to keep everyone informed. And be sure to there is no traffic around..."car back".

Good points Fogrider. Also while riding in a paceline, you should be very aware of the people behind you. They are at your mercy. Avoid making fast lateral moves. Avoid changing speeds. It is a real pain, not to mention potentially dangerous, to ride behind a unpredictable rider.

And on a pull, always come off with a sprint in your legs. In many pacelines I have been in, the guy coming up will bump the speed up about 2-3 mph to show how STRONG he is. If you are coming off and rotating back at 2 mph less then you were riding that increase of speed means you need to sprint to catch the rear of the paceline. Of course, by the time you catch it that character in front has probably figured out that riding up front isn't easy and is now slowing down.