Group Riding 101
One way to keep your motivation and skills up during the off-season is to find a regular group you can join. A good group ride should offer both quality training and good social riding. We all know that not every group ride is the same so it is important that you find one that suits you and your training goals. Start by asking the following questions.
Do you have the proper level of fitness for this group? Is it too high or too low or just right?
Does the group usually cover routes that are challenging and beneficial to your development?
Are your riding skills sufficient to be comfortable and safe in the group?
And finally, does the group understand the need to adjust the intensity of the ride to the change of season or do they just go out and hammer every time?
My advice is to find a group that fits your skill and fitness levels. Varied skills and ability levels are common in groups so just try not to get in over your head or join a group that will cause you to get bored. It is a good sign if the group takes a different route each week and mixes things up a bit.
There are a few basic rules about group riding that can make the day easier for everyone. The following group riding techniques are common around the world and will help you fit in anywhere you plan to ride.
An experienced group will always ride in a paceline. Be it single or double, rotating quickly or slowly a paceline should always smooth and tight. You will find this to be the best indicator of the quality and experience of the group. If there seems to be a select few always at the front pulling the rest along you are in the wrong group. Sharing the work is key to good group riding.
As a group member, one of your responsibilities is to keep the group together, always be mindful of sharp accelerations and hard pulls that open gaps and break the rhythm of the group. These may be useful for a race simulation training ride but not for good group riding. Inexperienced riders may try to show off a bit by picking up the pace and pulling hard. Give them a friendly reminder and help them learn how to ride properly in the group. If a gap opens in front of you close is gradually and bring everyone behind you along.
Consistency is the key to quality training in a group. Find your own rhythm and do what you need to maintain it. Try to be a steady and predictable wheel to follow and always be aware of what is going on behind you. When rotating to the front, start firming up on the pedals a bike or two before you get your nose in the wind. Once on the front, hold that pace your pull and until your are squarely onto the front of the resting line, then soft pedal and drop back to make it easier for the next rider to pull through. If you want to take a longer pull, fine, just let the rest of the group know verbally. Most riders will be glad for the extra rest before their turn.
Groups always come apart a bit on the climbs. Just ride you own pace to the top and regroup as quickly as possible. This does not always mean the front rider stop and wait for every last rider. Their job is to work back up to the group. Just keep rolling and easy up a bit to make it a little easier for them to reintegrate.
The rhythm of the group will be quickly disrupted if a tired rider rotates to the front and slows down once they are in the wind. If you need to sit out a pull or two, just stay at the back and let the line rotate through just in front. Sitting on the back is fine, just let the rest of the riders know when they’ve reached the back that you are sitting on and resting. When you are ready to rejoin let the group know so you do not cause a mishap.
Do your best to not let gaps open in front of you. If you find yourself falling back, close the gap SLOWLY and bring everyone else along. You will not make or keep friends if you let gaps open and then charge across leaving a new gap behind you. A skilled group will remain tight most of the time even in uneven terrain or windy conditions. Learn to “feel” the gaps before they open and ride steady.
It is not your sole responsibility to monitor ALL the conditions for the rest of the group. Each rider needs to take responsibility for them self while they keep an eye out for things that might endanger the group. This means that everyone pays attention to the traffic and the road, even at the back. The riders near the front should point out hazards and steer the group around them while riders at the back keep an eye on traffic from behind.
The leading riders (this means everyone in the group at some point) are most responsible for the group’s safety in traffic and need to keep any eye out for stop signs and traffic lights. Be especially careful and cautious coming into and going out of in higher traffic areas. If the group gets split by traffic or an intersection the front riders need to ride slowly until the rear group has caught back on. The back riders just need to be safe when riding back up to the front group after the split. One last thing, NEVER EVER trust that a car will wait for you to cross an intersection. ALWAYS let the cars go first.
Unless you are with your team and on a special training assignment, the group ride should be considered OPEN. The best thing about good group rides, aside from training, is socializing. Don’t let trivial things like team affiliation, racing experience or other forms of snobbery exclude riders from the group. As long as a rider is safe and able to keep up they should be welcome.
The experience riders in the group, or the ride leader, should always accept the responsibility of pointing out mistakes, they have a greatest credibility. Obviously, this needs to be done with some tact but it is important to make people aware of things like unsafe riding and poor skills that are disruptive and dangerous to the group. Try to give everyone a fair shake and chance to learn and mix in. Competent riders are good for the sport and group riding is a good place to learn and hone skills.
The best group rides seem to meet at well known, central locations like cafes, plazas or town squares, coffee houses and bike shops. The start time of the ride should be consistent and honored by the group. At the appropriate time the group rolls out. If someone misses the start, well they will learn to be on time. This shows respect for the ride and the riders who show up on time ready to ride.
For brand new riders, it is a good idea to attend a skills clinic to get acquainted with basic group riding and bike handling skills techniques. Once they are reasonably proficient they can look forward to many hours of pleasant and challenging group training.