Originally Posted by
mkadam68
Being a larger rider, I almost always have to ride off to the side a bit (echelon myself) so if they move suddenly, my momentum doesn't crash me into them.
That said, you need to do some drills involving bumping, over-lapping & touching your front wheel, leaning, etc... to make yourself more comfortable on the bike. Do this, and you'll become more comfortable around others you don't know.
This sounds like excellent advise, thank you. I wonder which of my poor friends I'll hit up for help with these...
Originally Posted by
shovelhd
In a race, you are often surrounded by lots of wheels ridden by people you do not know or trust. You'll probably never trust many of them, so you have to look out for yourself. The same goes for group rides. If you're feeling a little squirrely, then back off a little. It's better to open a gap or overlap a wheel a little than use the brakes, just know where you're going. Finally, I would take more rides with the people you trust so you can get to the point where you are relaxed, enjoying the scenery, and not paying attention to the wheel in front of you. It might take a while, but once you get there, it will become second nature, and unfamiliar groups will be less anxious. Best of luck.
I'm pretty good when I'm on group rides as I'm usually able to find some riders I know. It's charity rides that are driving me nuts, especially now that it's getting hot, but your points still apply. In the spring it seemed easier to find small pockets of good riders to hang with but the last month or so I'm finding a big cluster of unpredictability. Yesterday I asked a friend why this was and his answer was, "t-shirt rallies are dangerous and it's racing season." Oh. Then he told me to try a club ride that leaves before the larger group. From the sound of it I'll likely get shelled in the first few miles but that's okay, I know the route and when I find myself alone I'll hoof it to a shortcut. If I'm lucky the group will intercept me and I'll get another chance or two to hang on.
Originally Posted by
merlinextraligh
Some wheels are better to follow than others. Look for people who are smooth, aren't wearing damaged clothing, and appear to know what they're doing, then try to work your way on to their wheel.
That said, ultimately you can't trust anyone for your safety, and you have to be responsible for yourself. Keep your eyes up the road, looking past the hips of the rider in front of you, with their wheel in your peripheral vision. This allows you to see what's developing and prepare for it.
If your vision is locked onto the wheel in front, it's too late to react when you become aware of a problem.
(haha)
I've also found that staring at the wheel in front of me has some sort of hypnotizing effect which makes reacting to a problem next to impossible.