Road Cycling - What are the rules for riding in a group?

I'm new to road biking and honestly, I'm really enjoying it. It started as a way to build up strength and endurance for mountain biking, but it's become more. I just recently started riding with some new friends and I am confused and curious about the correct ettiquette.

Can anyone tell me:

1) When do you pass? do you wait for your turn at the front? or do you just blast and go?
2) What are the correct hand signals? I understand pointing at small obstacles in the road, but what are the others?
3) What is the correct way to draft? Is it cool to ride right on someone's rear wheel?
4) I understand that when passing you say "on your left/right", but do you do this when you are in group? Are there more sayings or vocal alerts you need to use?
5) How do judge a good pace? Do you ride at what's comfortable or do you keep an eye out for everyone else?

I'm sure there are more questions, but if I can get some help with these it would be GREATLY appreciated. I'm trying to train for a century I'm shooting for in May, so I want to be ready, not only physically, but mentally.

Thanks,
Dwayne

Good questions. A lot would depend on the group you're with....and how well you know them.

1) Pass when you want, but alert the riders you're passing by saying "on your left", "coming around", or whatever convention they like to use. If they are doing a pace line, take your turn at the front if you can, at the same speed. Don't blast away, then you won't be helping the group. (Except for state lines, city limits and finish-line sprints.)

When done, glance left and then pull out to the left and slow just enough to drift back to the back of the pack before getting over to the right again. Check traffic of course always.

2) In addition to pointing/calling out bad road stuff, we use the hand down, open palm sign for braking...as you call out "braking" of course. This one's really important in a group, since beginners often due erratic things....like stop pedaling to reach their H2O bottle..... without thinking about the guy on their wheel.

3) Draft right in back of the rider, never overlap your front wheel with his back. If you do, and he swerves, you'll likely go down. Let him/her know you're there..."I'm on your wheel", or "Fred, I'm back here". I wouldn't get too close, unless you really know you're with a steady rider...2-3 feet is fine at first. Don't look down at his wheel, but ahead, and keep hands near the brakes just in case you have to slow. (Call out first) Be aware of other riders in back drafting off you...you've got responsibility to them to signal/yell when you're braking/slowing.

4) That, and "braking" and "I'm back here" are about all I know, other than "when's the rest stop?" or "you sure we're still on the right road?" etc. Whining is bad form.

5) Pace-wise, try to select rides/groups that are at your comfortable pace. No need to kill yourself at first trying to hang on, or slow down a faster group. You should be able to carry on a conversation, except maybe up the big hills. If you're stronger, take the lead more often and let them draft behind you.

One other signal. If you are in front and are ready for the guy behind you to pass. You signal him by. Do this by a hand down by your hip and then motion forward. Sort of a scooping motion.

With drafting sometimes you need to move to the left or right of the rider you are drafting if there is a cross wind. You can hunt a little for the sweet spot. Do NOT overlap wheels.

Pace depends on the group. A more casual ride will ride more for the slower riders, stop for flats, etc. An agressive training ride is a lot different. If you can't hang on they will shoot you out of the back like a cannnon.

And don't run in to anybody!!

And watch out for flying phlegm... As a corollary, watch where you fly your own phlegm. :)

1) When do you pass? do you wait for your turn at the front? or do you just blast and go?

In my experience it's better to wait for the front rider to pass on her/his turn to the next rider (by signalling and then swerving a bit to the left, making room for the next rider). Frequent overtaking of the front rider might lead to (undesirable) shifts in speed and a bit of danger.


4) I understand that when passing you say "on your left/right", but do you do this when you are in group? Are there more sayings or vocal alerts you need to use?

In our little group, it is also good custom to warn one another about oncoming traffic and about sharp turns ahead.


5) How do judge a good pace? Do you ride at what's comfortable or do you keep an eye out for everyone else?

Depends whether you want to continue solo or not. ;) Or whether you want a regular paceline ride or an interval effort. It is generally good to keep in mind that the rider who has just completed her/his turn at the front, is less fresh than the ones in her/his wheel. Hammering off is not really a nice way of thanking her/him for the draft.

I'm new to road biking and honestly, I'm really enjoying it. It started as a way to build up strength and endurance for mountain biking, but it's become more. I just recently started riding with some new friends and I am confused and curious about the correct ettiquette.

Can anyone tell me:

1) When do you pass? do you wait for your turn at the front? or do you just blast and go?
2) What are the correct hand signals? I understand pointing at small obstacles in the road, but what are the others?
3) What is the correct way to draft? Is it cool to ride right on someone's rear wheel?
4) I understand that when passing you say "on your left/right", but do you do this when you are in group? Are there more sayings or vocal alerts you need to use?
5) How do judge a good pace? Do you ride at what's comfortable or do you keep an eye out for everyone else?

I'm sure there are more questions, but if I can get some help with these it would be GREATLY appreciated. I'm trying to train for a century I'm shooting for in May, so I want to be ready, not only physically, but mentally.

Thanks,
Dwayne

It depends on the group. Groups vary quiet a bit on their local customs. I knew of one group that was very competitive and, to tell the truth, a bit brain dead. They rode very fast through a suburban area. They felt that using signals just gave away their intentions. That was probably true because people who were getting dropped would and did try to block the riders behind them. Also it was considered quite a nice tactic to drop people by blasting through a stop sign in front of an oncoming vehicle and that way being able to "break away". Obviously, this group was toxic. Anyone showing the least bit of consideration in this group would have been rather out of place. I recall in one ride, a person from out of town had joined in and asked me what the signals were. I looked at him and said, "These guys don't signal anything". A little later, he said "I see what you mean". The ride got more and more crazy and I gave up riding with them. That ride no longer exists so I suppose that other people came to the same conclusion.

Passing - usually you wait your turn to take over in rotation. If the group splinters or you get behind someone who is getting dropped, you pull out to the left and say "on your left" as you pass.
Signals - these have local variations but most hand signals are pretty self explanatory.
Drafting - high speed competitive groups it is as close as you can get. In a more relaxed group, 18-24 inches is more like it and farther if conditions get dicey (lots of potholes or something).
Pace - when you get to the front you should either maintain about the same speed or the same effort level as the guy who just pulled off. I consider it rather nasty to accelerate 3 or so MPH because you often end up dropping the guy who just did a pull. Pulling should be encouraged. But that is in a civilized group. In many groups, the whole point is to drop everyone.

There do seem to be regional differences. Here in Florida, most people will try to keep up with the fastest group they can possibly stick with. So you get very large groups with only the front part of the pack in rotation. I have seen riders crash because they had gone so hypoxic that their little brains had ceased to process information like changes of speed and direction :eek: . So what happens is the fast riders customarily tend to put the pedal to the metal to drop the slow guys :p . It can get REALLY nuts.

I have ridden in other parts of the country where the rule for pacelines is rational. You do the rotation. If you can not take a pull, you drop out. If the group gets larger than say 20 riders, it splits into smaller groups. But does not seem to be the case here in central Florida. :rolleyes: I don't know what it is, maybe it is something in the water down here.

Some links on paceline etiquette:

http://www.bgcycling.org/outspoken/2003/v2003406.html

http://www.teamabsolut.net/wisdom/group.htm

http://www.mssports.com/JMC/pdf/group_basics.pdf

http://www.tri-ecoach.com/art14.htm

Pace - when you get to the front you should either maintain about the same speed or the same effort level as the guy who just pulled off. I consider it rather nasty to accelerate 3 or so MPH because you often end up dropping the guy who just did a pull

Thanks for mentioning that. There ain't nothing like pulling a group along at 26 mph, dropping off and having to latch back on to a group that is now doing 29.

As far as what distance to maintain, I felt comfortable being 12" to 18" behind the wheel in front of me.

passing is an art form. you are not racing against these riders. you are essentially their teammates (till the sprint at the end). pull through, take your turn <when reaching the front, the guy directly behind you shouldn't need to quicken up or slow> - you are just an extention of him.

if fatigued, wait to drink till you are sure you can negotiate riding in the pack with drinking and placing the water bottle back in its cage. i've seen more near accidents from people dropping their water bottles in a pack than i care to see.

many rides are like buzzing beehives. you work yourself up through the group till you get to the front, take your pull (as long as you can) then recede through the group till you get to the back. (don't get dropped off that back wheel) repeat. hug a wheel of a guy you trust <no jerky movements>

***never show other riders that you're tired. they are tired too, but there are some riders who see that as weakness and will speed up to torture you.

***never overlap wheels
***when you taken your pulls at the front, always look at the road ahead of you. never pull when the road turns up (a rise or small hill) --> i learned early on that when you rise over an overpass of a highway, that is not the time to be at the front.

***know the route (length and conditions)

Paceline etiquette calls for the rider in front to decide when he is tired of "pulling". He/she should move to the left and fall back to rear of the line. Braking should be avoided; instead, back off on your cadence or stand to allow wind to slow you. Pull at the same speed as the previous leaders and don't stay in front too long: a couple of minutes is sufficient (your not trying to prove anything, merely giving everyone an equal shot at drafting). I would reccomend a year or so of honing your bike handling skills before participating in a paceline, depending on the tolerance and good humor of your riding partners.

It's amazing how the basic concept of the ride is pretty much self-explanatory, however it's the small details that sometimes need to be explained.

All the advice so far has been VERY helpful. I feel better about the upcoming rides already, so it's gonna be great fun trying these ideas. Granted, some things are going to become clear as we get to rolling (hand signals, passing and pulling).

If any of you can think of anything else to keep in mind, let me know...I'd love to learn everything I can...

also, depending on the roads you are on and the amount of traffic and its visibility, saying 'car up' and 'car back' or the like can be helpful in keeping people from being startled into swerving if a car passes that they werent aware of.

Kind of an aside... if you're out for a ride by yourself or with some others, see someone and want to latch onto their wheel... announce yourself. "Hi! Mind if I sit on your wheel for a minute." Or at least, like HarryK said, "on your wheel." It's dangerous and rude to draft behind somebody who doesn't realize you're there, or doesn't want you there.

Just a safety thing or two since you are new. Don't get in the middle of a wide pack. Stay to the outside. I would start in the back and just try to hang on and watch. Keep your drafting distance pretty large for the first few rides. Also when drafting, and I see a lot of people not doing this, keep a finger or two on the brakes. Alway assume that there is someone behind you and on each side, until you can prove otherwise.

We ride a lot of double pace lines down here when keeping it social, Since we are peeling off the front to our respective sides, A shout of "car back" is nice when one is coming to keep the group from being 4 abreast with traffic trying to pass.

The pointing out of road hazards in the norm, the guys I ride with have some crazy signs for RR tracks and the like, but If you paying attention to the riders body language in front of you, you will know they are coming.

We have conflicting views about yelling "clear" when crossing an intersection. Some guys want it said, while others think everyone should make their own decision as to whether or not you want to cross. No one wants to be responsible if someone else gets greased by a car because they heard "clear" and didnt look for themselves.

I agree that Newbies should keep a finger on the brake lever, and maintain a larger distance to the wheel in front of them.

I have a friend/training partner who is a former Pro, he is really something to watch in a group. He can follow someones wheel in a sprint within 6 inches while looking up the road or around the guy.

I've also seen him sit up, ride no handed and twist around to look behind him all while riding on the inside of a double pace line, with a guy in front, behind and beside him. He didnt slow down or swerve an inch.