Originally Posted by balto charlie
I never ride in packs. I don't even know how? I am sure there are 'rules of the road' but am clueless. The idea of crashing because someone else FU bothers me. I see huge packs of riders and am always in awe.
Riding in a pack is not hard, but you do have to stay attentive to your surroundings at all times, so that you don't cross wheels, brake too quickly when someone is right on your wheel, blow snot (or other bodily expulsions) in someone's face or be a "squirrel", just to name a few. On BBC rides, if we are two abreast and someone calls "car back", then [usually] the riders have enough common sense to move into single-file.
But, there's nothing like being in the draft of a rider(s) in front of you, or taking a pull at the front and then drifting back to the end of a paceline. You'll hold speeds that you'd never be able to hold on your own, whether in a paceline or a mini-peloton. It's great fun! (and less dangerous than drafting motor traffic, imho)
No matter what, you have to be aware of what's going on around you at all times.