Domestique Group Rides
Part 1 – Group Ride Etiquette
Monday, Sep 14, 2009
by Kevin Wallace
Riding in a group of cyclists is similar to living your life with integrity in a community. If you express grace, your group will grow. If you are out there for yourself, you will end up by yourself.
“Everyone in a community suffers if someone gets left behind.”
Group etiquette is very important and I can admit that I have experienced the lack of it from all sides and how it only ends up negatively when it is disregarded. For me, it began with being dropped, bonking or being left to feel that there was little regard for my experience, which evolved into me being the guy that enjoyed making other people suffer while looking for a little payback.
I imagine it’s similar to being a bully. A bully feeds his ego until he inevitably meets his match and is humbled. I use to compete at a high level of paddling. Once during a race, an athlete in our team boat screamed “I love beating other people.” That was okay to fire up the team in a competitive environment when we were searching for the win; however, that mentality has no place in a recreational group ride environment.
Before we discuss any technical aspects about group road riding, it’s important to understand the values and etiquette of riding in a group.
Wear a helmet
Respect the group and other riders
Be attentive for your safety and others
Communicate
Gauge your effort
Utilize your God given cycling instincts
“Nobody Gets Left Behind”
- There is just no excuse for not wearing a helmet. If you need an example of why you should wear one, there are other groups to ride with that tolerate this behaviour.
- It’s not always about you. When you join a group you will add to the value of other riders if you forego your experience to improve the experience of others. This will feed your own soul at the same time. If necessary one can fulfill the desire to be challenged by giving someone at the back a push up a hill or doubling back to check on the back of the pack. This will rack up some bonus miles.
- Be attentive at all times. Try to always have a third eye on the bike always looking through wheels at potential hazards. When I hit a pothole that someone didn’t point out, sure, it would have been nice to have warning but I don’t blame anyone but myself for not reacting quick enough to the obstacle.
- It’s very important to ride within one’s ability. If you are riding outside of your comfort zone your response time diminishes much like after having a few drinks. You might touch another wheel, end up in the gravel, rub shoulders with a fellow rider or fumble a water bottle out of the cage. These things all happen and it is important to stay calm. Communicate to a fellow rider that you are at your limit and a decision can be made on how the group will respond.
- If you are not able to keep up to the pace it’s important to let somebody in the group know. A responsible group will adjust the pace so “Nobody Gets Left Behind.” Faster riders will stay close to the front while less fit riders will stay at the back in the vacuum of the group. A decision may also be made to separate the ride into two groups. Communication is so important in a group ride.
- Humans are pack animals such as dogs, fish, birds, caribou, locusts etc. It is interesting to watch these flocks, herds, swarms and schools migrate in a group. They don’t use hand signals to communicate danger or an obstacle. They instinctively move gracefully around and through space. This instinct is most evident while watching the Tour de France. As the pro peleton moves around roundabouts, migrates around corners or speeds over train tracks. Hand signals are not used and the group mostly gets through safely. Hand signals are very important but they are secondary to what should happen instinctfully on a group ride. Don’t take forgranted your best defense in a group your instincts! Be alert, be aware and don’t be a victim on a group ride! Be accountable for your actions the more you ride in a group this skill will inevitably increase dramatically!
Next Issue we will touch on the technical aspects and challenges of riding in a group.