School of fish bike behavior
05-25-15, 02:48 PM
#27
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I ride pretty serious but almost all solo due to many things but the OP does bring up a valid point. At 54 I am not getting crazy and the few times I get in a pack during a cycling event or charity ride that scares the me to death. I ride 3-6k per year so much experience but to ride in a pack inches away from another bike would be too much work focusing on staying upright. Have a crash and being off the bike, or better yet dead is not worth the risk. To me it is like trying cycle down a steep descend and realizing that at some point it gets too fast and I simply chicken out and hit the brakes. I love to try and go fast and work as a group but the risk is high unless everyone has decent bike skills. I assume those pelotons I see in the TDF have guys that simply really handle a bike well, all I can do is marvel at the skill because no way could I do that type of riding even if the pack was a peloton of guys about my ability ( not much for sure).
05-25-15, 02:49 PM
#28
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I DO know my way around the block, thank you. And I do know why people draft in an organized bike RACE. But I also advocate for safer roadways and greater awareness about bike safety issues. And to me this is a bike safety issue and it seems hypocritical for bikers to complain about car drivers then bike in an inherently unsafe manner just because it's fun and lets them imagine that they're racing. I think all bikers should bike safely even when it means they may have to go a little slower and not have as much fun. Is that an unreasonable point of view?
05-25-15, 02:54 PM
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I DO know my way around the block, thank you. And I do know why people draft in an organized bike RACE. But I also advocate for safer roadways and greater awareness about bike safety issues. And to me this is a bike safety issue and it seems hypocritical for bikers to complain about car drivers then bike in an inherently unsafe manner just because it's fun and lets them imagine that they're racing. I think all bikers should bike safely even when it means they may have to go a little slower and not have as much fun. Is that an unreasonable point of view?
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05-25-15, 03:00 PM
#30
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I DO know my way around the block, thank you. And I do know why people draft in an organized bike RACE. But I also advocate for safer roadways and greater awareness about bike safety issues. And to me this is a bike safety issue and it seems hypocritical for bikers to complain about car drivers then bike in an inherently unsafe manner just because it's fun and lets them imagine that they're racing. I think all bikers should bike safely even when it means they may have to go a little slower and not have as much fun. Is that an unreasonable point of view?
05-25-15, 03:04 PM
#31
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And they're going to nit-pick and split hairs every way possible to find something to whine about. You know, defense mechanisms. Cycling is serious business.
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05-25-15, 03:05 PM
#32
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I DO know my way around the block, thank you. And I do know why people draft in an organized bike RACE. But I also advocate for safer roadways and greater awareness about bike safety issues. And to me this is a bike safety issue and it seems hypocritical for bikers to complain about car drivers then bike in an inherently unsafe manner just because it's fun and lets them imagine that they're racing. I think all bikers should bike safely even when it means they may have to go a little slower and not have as much fun. Is that an unreasonable point of view?
If you are experienced and know how to handle your bike along with the others, it's reasonably safe. But seeking absolute safety in everything and avoiding adventure makes life boring. As humans we naturally seek some excitement and quick group rides is one way to get that.
05-25-15, 03:09 PM
#33
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But I also advocate for safer roadways and greater awareness about bike safety issues. And to me this is a bike safety issue and it seems hypocritical for bikers to complain about car drivers then bike in an inherently unsafe manner just because it's fun and lets them imagine that they're racing. I think all bikers should bike safely even when it means they may have to go a little slower and not have as much fun. Is that an unreasonable point of view?
05-25-15, 03:15 PM
#34
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I just read a post in another forum about a fatal accident that occured as a result of a collision among bikers riding closely together in a pack. I've seen bike groups ride like that - many of them just inches away from each other - and I've wondered, "why do they do that?" I would never drive my car like that and I even keep a comfortable distance when walking behind someone else. Why would I crowd the person in front of me as we travel 15 to 25 mph? Shouldn't groups be smarter than this? But this tight pack behavior seems to be the expectation in some group rides. Is it aggresive competitiveness coming out? Either back off or pass, and if someone wants to pass, let them. It's group behavior because you won't see a solitary rider trying to hang just behind another biker s/he doesn't know. This is, literally, group think behavior modeled after a school of fish. So I simply ask, why?
05-25-15, 03:16 PM
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(Exhibits A thru D have already presented themselves.)
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05-25-15, 03:16 PM
#36
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That's an interesting point of view. Since you advocate for safety, what's the evidence that pack riding is more dangerous than riding solo? I would have thought the opposite -- that from the point of view of getting hit by motorized vehicles, riding in a pack reduces the risk.
05-25-15, 03:22 PM
#37
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BTW ! One doesn't have to be travelling at mach schnell to reap the benefits of drafting. Or be in a large group. It works with as few as two riders.
05-25-15, 03:25 PM
#38
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That's an interesting point of view. Since you advocate for safety, what's the evidence that pack riding is more dangerous than riding solo? I would have thought the opposite -- that from the point of view of getting hit by motorized vehicles, riding in a pack reduces the risk.
This appears to be a case of lack of knowledge and an assumption based on their own abilities. Many of us that frequently ride in pace lines feel very comfortable riding close together at higher speeds. This is a skill that takes time to develop.
05-25-15, 03:25 PM
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05-25-15, 03:34 PM
#40
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Hmmm. Well, unlike you, I wasn't being dismissive of others' points of view. I was asking for evidence to support what seemed to the be OP's central claim. I'm open to evidence, but some people seem to work on this principle:
?I just know? replaces systematic reviews at top of evidence pyramid | The Spudd
?I just know? replaces systematic reviews at top of evidence pyramid | The Spudd
05-25-15, 03:44 PM
#41
Kit doesn't match
I don't imagine the OP wanted to discuss the merits of pacelines, he just wanted to express his surprise that some folks choose to do that stuff.
Me, I want to see the fish bikes!
Me, I want to see the fish bikes!
05-25-15, 03:45 PM
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And to me this is a bike safety issue and it seems hypocritical for bikers to complain about car drivers then bike in an inherently unsafe manner just because it's fun and lets them imagine that they're racing. I think all bikers should bike safely even when it means they may have to go a little slower and not have as much fun. Is that an unreasonable point of view?
05-25-15, 04:00 PM
#43
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Hmmm. Well, unlike you, I wasn't being dismissive of others' points of view. I was asking for evidence to support what seemed to the be OP's central claim. I'm open to evidence, but some people seem to work on this principle:
?I just know? replaces systematic reviews at top of evidence pyramid | The Spudd
?I just know? replaces systematic reviews at top of evidence pyramid | The Spudd
05-25-15, 04:49 PM
#44
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05-25-15, 05:47 PM
#45
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Funny thing is, the reason fish school is for safety.
Thankfully, sardines school so tightly that it makes it easy to cram 'em in those little cans... Yay!
Thankfully, sardines school so tightly that it makes it easy to cram 'em in those little cans... Yay!
05-25-15, 06:06 PM
#46
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Simple solution. Don't like pace lining, don't do it.
05-25-15, 07:21 PM
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I DO know my way around the block, thank you. And I do know why people draft in an organized bike RACE. But I also advocate for safer roadways and greater awareness about bike safety issues. And to me this is a bike safety issue and it seems hypocritical for bikers to complain about car drivers then bike in an inherently unsafe manner just because it's fun and lets them imagine that they're racing. I think all bikers should bike safely even when it means they may have to go a little slower and not have as much fun. Is that an unreasonable point of view?
05-25-15, 08:59 PM
#49
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The pleasure you want, the protection you trust. Trojan Man to the rescue from a boring thread!
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Cat 2 Track, Cat 3 Road.
"If you’re new enough [to racing] that you would ask such question, then i would hazard a guess that if you just made up a workout that sounded hard to do, and did it, you’d probably get faster." --the tiniest sprinter
05-25-15, 09:27 PM
#50
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Congestive heart failure, bike crash, diabetes complications, skydiving mishap, stroke, motorcycle crash, cancer, backpacking fall, suicide, car crash, shot by a jealous spouse, emphysema, and so on.
You could pick your favorite, then live your life trying to get there. Or you could live your life how you want, day by day, and not concern yourself so much with the endpoint. A bit of a false dichotomy I suppose, but with age comes acceptance that life is temporary, and best if lived well for whatever time we have.
You could pick your favorite, then live your life trying to get there. Or you could live your life how you want, day by day, and not concern yourself so much with the endpoint. A bit of a false dichotomy I suppose, but with age comes acceptance that life is temporary, and best if lived well for whatever time we have.