I have to admit that the last competitive race I rode was 46 years ago, (placed third), and have been a recreational rider since. But, I have had the opportunity in the past year to ride in our club paceline. While on their Saturday Morning Ride. After a five-mile warm up, the group splits into three ability category and goes on separate routes, meeting back at one location for the ride back to the shop.
Until this past year, I have avoided riding in pacelines because I was inexperienced in doing so, and I recognized the danger of riding so fast in so very close proximity to each other. I was a danger! And I knew it. It is a dangerous way to ride, just watch any TdF TTT. At least one team goes down every year. I guess the older I become, and experience how much longer it takes to heal from an injury, I have become much more safety conscious.
But . . . riding as part of a well-organized, smooth functioning paceline is one of the most exhilarating experiences one can have on a bicycle! It just feels so right and good! The thrill eclipses even a high-speed descent with gentle curves.
Originally Posted by
droy45
Humm, interesting info guys, I guess I never knew how this type of riding was done. I didn't know it was an activity with rules to follow like a ball game.
There are no "rules", but there is tradition and an expectation that other members of a paceline know how to ride safely and efficiently. On most rides over twenty miles or so and less than a century, I can expect to easily average fifteen miles per hour for the duration of the ride. I'm not really pushing myself and am taking time, while riding, to "smell the roses". If I really wanted to push it, I can probably average close to 17-18 mph for a ride duration below about 30-35 miles. But, I'd be pretty bushed afterward.
Paceline, by contrast, can easily maintain speeds between 25-28 mph, sometimes faster, for the same type of ride. Speed is dangerous! We had this brought home to us last week with Paul Walker's death. Another example is the numerous NASCAR crashes. Watch how they draft closely, (which is what a paceline does).
If the opportunity presents itself where I can be part of a paceline, I do several things. I tell them that I am not very experienced in paceline riding and that I would be a hazard to the other members. If they say it is okay to join anyway, then I do, but they will also know to keep an eye on me. (I'm sure I'm still scared because I'll usually keep about twenty-four inches or a yard between the back tire of the person ahead of me and my front wheel.) I am always told that when I rotate to the front of the line, to not accelerate, but hold the same speed; to keep it up as long as I feel able to do so; then swing out and drift back to the end of the line.
Again, there are no "rules", but the expectation that one knows how to ride in the line.
Bandera's advice is spot on . . . shut up and observe/listen, then emulate.
I have never seen any of that type of riding around here. We have several charity rides and new events coming up every year but you can "run what you brung". You don't need a racing bike. So correct me if I'm wrong, all participants would need very similar racing bikes of equal performance and weight etc in order to participate successfully in such an activity.??
Any type of bicycle can be part of a paceline. The important factor is being able to ride at the pace of everyone else. If everybody is on a beach cruiser, then it is just a slower speed paceline. You just want to make sure that when you get to the front, that you maintain the same speed as you rode while further back. Otherwise, you'll have several bodies and bikes all over you on the ground and some very pissed people.
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A funny story about the last time I rode in a paceline. I hadn't ridden with the Saturday Morning club ride for several months and woke up early enough to do so one day. We did our traditional warm-up ride, then split into groups. Up to then, they only had two groups, the fast guys, and the not so fast guys/girls.
The very first time I rode with the club, I went on with the fast guys. I fully expected to be dropped . . . but not within the first quarter mile! I haven't ridden with the fast groups since, but always with the intermediate, slower group.
So, when we were, at the split point. The ride leader was explain the routes, but with forty something riders, and stopping in the street at a stop sign, it was next to impossible to hear what he was saying. I knew the fast guys would go "that" direction, so I went with the others.
On our split group, the fast guys took off, leaving the rest of us behind. I chased after them and hooked on is short order and we developed a little pace line of five riders. I rotated through once, back to the end, and eventually back to the front again. I was feeling pretty good, the road was on a 0.5 or 1.0% down grade, so I just motored on, pulling extra time.
I finally decided to swing off, but took a quick look back to see if it was safe to do so. To my great surprise, the rest of the paceline was more than a half mile behind me! What the???? So, I just put my head down and motored on, setting some personal bests and even got into the top-10 on a Strava segment.
Back at the mid-ride meet up point, I discovered that there were now three groups, and that I had joined the beginner group! The intermediate group went off with the advanced group, but made a right turn a mile up the road while the advanced riders continued on straight.
Oh well, I had a good ride. It felt good! Speed is fun, too much speed is dangerous.