Originally Posted by
BikerPat
Well I think I am going to give it a go. It is only about 18 miles but I a.) haven't gone that far before and b.) never been on a group ride.
...
I guess I would like any suggestions as to what sort of etiquette to have? I don't know if we will be going fast enough to worry about drafting honestly. I figure if I feel well enough by the return portion I will see if I can hang near the front to see what that is like.
I most likely will hang near the rear to see what all happens in a group ride and then also be in a better place should I get dropped. Last week they had like 25 folks or something so that is an encouraging sign I think.
Well I will hope for the best!
based on a.) you've not been riding for long or just don;t ride often, or both. so my advise based on this is:
don;t worry about developing paceline skills yet.
more important:
Understand this and ride accordingly: Even though you are in a 'group', you are still riding 'your own ride'. That means, MAKE GOOD decisions for your self regarding safety, traffic and road conditions. I assume you're on an open road with traffic; ride smart and within your envelope. Just because riders in front of you do one thing don;t blindly follow like sheeple...
This is actually a tough thing to do. The 'group' mentality is contagious and can cause many to do things they wouldn't otherwise do, riding alone.
Don;t leave your brain at the start of the ride.
Develop the ability to scan ahead, beyond the rider just in front of you. The further up you can scan, the more time you have to react to other rider's actions, traffic, road conditions.
Try not to focus on the wheel just in front of you, no matter how tough the pace may get.
Look up, scan ahead.
This becomes second nature to accomplished riders... They hold conversations while still being able to see everything important happening ahead and within strike radius.
Work on developing a steady pace skill. That doesn;t mean pedal/brake/pedal/brake. It means trying to keep whatever steady pace, by moderating the pedaling....
pedal/soft pedal/coast/softpedal/pedal.... and so on - little or no braking while trying to be steady. This is a more difficult skill to develop and some never get it.
It's the cornerstone of being able to ride in a good paceline. It's the cornerstone of riding in any group at reasonable close proximity.
Pick a safe/comfortable distance from a steady rider (of your choice) in front of you and try to maintain that distance by using pedal/softpedal/coast in combinations which keep you steady. It will be hard at first; but will develop eventually.
hint: 'spinning' a gear more easily allows this than pushing a bigger gear. Pushing a gear usually cause a jerky riding style in untrained riders...
This will BASIC Skill will pay you back in Spades in any future group ride situation.
Be self-sufficient. carry what you need for drinks/eats, carry what you need for basic flat tire repair or tube replacement and know how to do it. Know enough about the route to make it 'back' to wherever you need to go, on your own if necessary.
I'm always in awe of the number of riders who come to a ride unprepared to take care of themselves. If that means just a cellphone and eventual pickup, well fine then, but don;t expect others to be waitin for you.
carry important contact info.
none of these comments assume that you would do anything inconsiderate - I'm just focusing on the 'common sense' expected things.
Group rides can be great fun and they always make the miles seem way shorter than doing them on your own.
And, of course, have fun
Oh, and comfortable riding shorts pay back immediately, whether they're the regular roadie kind or the MTB shorts with liner.