Your First Three Years ~ Part 10:

SHIFTING (AGAIN!)

A Guide for Beginner (and Experienced!) Cyclists, to the Art and Practice of Cycling.  Becoming Proficient, Fit, and Happy on your bike.

By this point in your cycling career you’ve probably figured out (in a general way) which of your shifters does what, how to make it harder, and how to make it easier.  Likely you are still getting a bit of frustration about being in the “right” gear.  You’ve had a chance to experience just how good modern drivetrains are, but likely you’ve also noticed that they can be a bit touchy too.  Now it’s time to refine your approach to shifting.

Riding a bike is often a balancing act between legs and lungs.  One of the two is often suffering.  A general rule is to shift to move the work from cardio to muscular, or vice versa.  If your lungs are burning and your heart is racing, but your legs are not on fire, go to a bit higher gear, transfer the load to the legs a bit.  Let the bike slow some, and recover.

On the other hand, if you are breathing easily, and your legs are on fire with that nice lactate burn, shift down to an easier gear, let your legs spin up.  They will recover fairly quickly, and you will take a bit more of a cardio load.

Technique:

Now is a good time to slow down and pay a little attention to your shifting procedures.  Get smooth now, and it will pay you dividends later.  (Remember!  Smooth is fast.)

Devote a couple of rides each week to practicing shifting technique.  This is best done on your slow, or recovery rides.

In the beginning you were told that you needed to be pedaling when you shift.  You’ve figured that out by now.  But there may still be a bit of a problem.  Likely you are doing one of two things (and maybe both) that have a negative effect on your driveline performance.

Shifting Under a Load:

We always tell new riders to “pedal while you shift.”  Unfortunately, new riders often hear this as “Make mighty power by pedaling really really hard whild you shift!”  NO! What we are actually saying is,  “Let the bike coast, completely ease the pressure on your driveline, and be turning it over lightly while you shift.”

Here’s how to practice this technique:  Go out and find a nice flat stretch of road.  Get the bike up to a moderate speed.  Now, let it coast, but turn the pedals easily and make a shift in either up or down.  Do this while keeping the pedals moving, but with no pressure on them.  See?  Isn’t this much smoother?

At first, you will have to concentrate to let the bike go into coasting mode, then make the shift, and then resume power.  But with practice you will learn how to “unload” your driveline for only a moment, during the shift.

Remember!  Practice makes perfect.  Do this drill a lot!

Shifting with too little Driveline speed:

This one is a little bit the opposite of the scenario discussed above.  The rider lets the bike coast (maybe) but turns the cranks very slowly through the shift.  The chain has a tendency to rattle and resist the shifting motion.

To fix this, concentrate on turning the cranks more rapidly, but not with more power.  In other words, very little effort should be applied to the cranks, but the cranks should be turning over briskly.  Shift while the bike is coasting, but spin the pedals.  And once again, Practice!

The Big-Ring Bobble:

New riders (and many more experience ones!) often see making a change of chainrings as a big challenge.  (“Chainrings” are the big gears at the front of the bike.)  All of the techniques discussed above apply, but there is one added consideration.  That is the concept of a “Recovery Shift.”

Usually the difference between one chainring and the next is equivalent to about two, or two and a half, of the gears on the back of the bike.  This is quite intentional.  Consider, if you shift from a smaller ring to a bigger one, you have made an effective shift of two gears.  If you then downshift at the back, your net upshift is just one ratio, and you now have one more gear available for upshifting at the back of the bike.

Conversely, if you shift from a bigger ring to a smaller one, you have made an effective two ratio downshift.  If you then shift up one gear at the back the net is just a one ratio change, and you have one more gear available for down shifting.

Those two scenarios describe the concept of a “Recovery Shift.”  Here’s how it works.  You are working a bit too hard.  You look ahead and see that the hill is going to continue, so you know you are going to need more of the lower gears.  You are in the big ring on the front.  It’s time to shift to the smaller ring.  But if you do that, you will have shifted to a gear that is a bit too easy.  So you make the big ring down shift, and then recover by shifting up one gear on the back.  Likewise, if you are accelerating, and going to harder gears, you will find that the shift to a bigger ring is likely one gear too hard.  You recover by shifting the back down one gear.

Okay, that’s the theory.  Go out and practice it and then come back and try the next bit.

The “Secret” of Smooth Chainring Changes:

Shift the back first!!

When you need to make a chainring downshift, first downshift the back one gear, then downshift the chainring, then recover upshift the back one or two gears.  This “unloads” the driveline and allows the shift of the chainrings to be much smoother.

When you need to make a chainring upshift, first downshift the back one gear, then upshift the chainring.  This puts the “recovery shift” before the chainring shift, but it “unloads” the driveline and allows you to spin the pedals and assist an easy front upshift.

Believe me when I say,  “This takes practice!”  And..  “It is well worth the effort!”

Now go have some fun learning to operate your driveline more smoothly and effectively.

Next Week: Hills  (fat guy fallacy)

~//~

This series began with the post on Tuesday, 19 June 2012.  It is intended to continue for three years.  Each week, we will discuss exercises, skills, practices, and activities designed to bring the new (or “experienced”) rider a high level of cycling competence.  We’ll address common problems, and (always) stress safe practice.

~//~

A Note on Timing:  This series uses Mid-June as the starting point of the “Cyclists Year.”  We do this because this is the time that most folks decide to start riding.  If you are following this guide, you can “adjust” the timing to fit your personal “first three years.”  Do note that some of the posts will concern weather and seasonal changes.  When that starts to happen, just swap the “months” around to fit your personal timeline.

Ride Report: A Nearly Perfect Mountain Day

On Thursday last we went north to ride one of my favorite routes, the one I refer to as the “Original” Three Gap Ride.  There were twelve of us, a good number for such a day.  (I’m not going to name anyone, as I didn’t get everyone’s name.  You know who you are.)  Among that group were eight folks with experience in the mountains, and four complete newcomers.  All of the new riders completed the route in good order.  BRAVO!

Conditions First:  Of all the many times I have been up north, I cannot recall a more perfect day for the ride.  It was sunny all the way ‘round.  The temp started out in the high 50s, and rose gradually as we rode.  It did not break into the very low eighties until I actually slipped into the outskirts of Dahlonega on the return.  Gentle breezes there were, from time to time, but none of the fierce mountain gusts that can blow a rider across the road.  Traffic was light and courteous.  The foliage was green and lush.  In short, the conditions were as good as anyone could possibly ask.

Some of the road surfaces have deteriorated in recent years, but none were truly bad.  I for one, would like to thank all who came for sharing in, and for helping to make this, one excellent day!

Your First Three Years ~ Part 9:

Riding in groups 102:  What should I look for in a Group Ride?

A Guide for Beginner (and Experienced!) Cyclists, to the Art and Practice of Cycling.  Becoming Proficient, Fit, and Happy on your bike.

Let’s take this up a notch or two.  To be frank, there are only a few reasons for riding in a group.

1. Safety in number
2. Social Activity
3. Follow the leader and don’t get lost
4. Training”

Certainly there are some other reasons, but these are the most common ones.

Let’s just take a moment to examine those.

Safety in number?

Sure it always feels like one is safer in a large group of like-minded, similar individuals.  But is this in fact true?  (When I was in the Army, we were encouraged to “Spread out!  Just one grenade would take you all out!”  May we softly suggest that one moving SUV embodies just about the same energy as a grenade?

Every year we read or hear of two or three tragic incidents where one automotive vehicle plowed into a group of riders, usually injuring several and frequently killing one or two.

Let us remember the “Gadarene Swine Law”:  Just because the group is in together and in formation, it does not follow that the group is heading in the right direction.

Corollary:  Just because an individual has left the formation, it does not follow that he is lost.

A large group of cyclists presents problems to motorists.  Seen from behind, the group can look like a very difficult obstacle.  More, individual members of the group may choose to interpret the following motorist’s reluctance to pass the group as a “permit” for them to ride out in the road, further complicating the situation.

Add to that the “diffused guilt effect,” or “mob mentality.  You do know what we’re talking about!  It starts with the statement,  “Well, everyone else was doing it…”

This is what causes groups of riders to blow through traffic signals, or commit other violations of the law, and practices of safety, as a group.

Add one more complicating factor.  When we are riding in a group, we also have to consider the skill and predictability of the members of the group.  Often, when riding in a group of cyclists, one is in greater danger from group members than from the motoring road users.

In short, if you are riding with a group, and it starts to feel scary, there is no shame, and a lot of good to dropping out of the group and “going solo.”

Social Activity?

A “social ride” can be just that.  (Sadly, it is often the case that “social rides” turn into “races without rules”)  Social rides come in just two categories, small and HUGE.  It can be a real delight to get out on the road with a group of like-minded individuals, for no purpose other than to share the enjoyment of a day’s riding.  But one does still need to remember that one is sharing the road with other users, and that the skill and attention of other cyclists is often not up to the task.

There is good companionship and good cheer to be had riding with others.  But caution needs be taken.  We must face the fact, it is devilishly hard, almost impossible to hold a conversation unless we are side-by-side.  If we are riding in that formation (and yes we are permitted to ride two abreast), we must be ever mindful of traffic.  Two cyclists abreast are harder to pass than two in a row.  It is simply good manners to yield the road to the faster vehicle.  Let most of the socializing take place at stops, and way out, on virtually deserted rural roads.  (In the future we’ll discuss strategies for riding as teams, to control the road safely in traffic.)

Follow the leader and don’t get lost?

This is a good strategy.  If one is new to an area, or riding in an unfamiliar locale, it is always good to have a guide.  Of course several important factors should be considered.

• Does the guide know that you are dependent on guidance?
• Has the guide agreed to ride at a pace that does not leave you behind?
• Is the route marked?
• Is there a cue sheet?
• Is this route downloadable from one of the online services?

All of these are good and valid things.  GPS devices can only tell one so much about a route.  Often a local and regular rider knows things that no map or electronic gadget can.  Which turns are particularly tricky?  Just where is the big, hungry dog?  Why should you brake hard at the bottom of this hill, just before you cross onto that bridge?  Just what does one do if CSX has left a train parked at this particular grade crossing?  Are there times of the day, or week, when one should not ride on these particular roads.  This kind of information is invaluable, and often just about impossible to obtain except from locals who ride these roads regularly.

“Training”?

We’ve said this many times before, but it bears repeating here and now.  If you are training, do not frequently do group rides.  Why?

If one is involved in a training program, one should have objectives for each and every ride.  On any given group ride, especially ones labeled as training rides, someone else always has an agenda.  It is absolutely certain that that agenda is contrary to what you should be doing that day.

Beware!  Group rides that are labeled as “Training Rides” almost always fall into the “race without rules” category.  They will be fast.  They will not wait up for you.  Often extremely dangerous practices will occur.

Under the right circumstances, this type of ride can be a lot of fun.  But if one is new, and especially if one is not particularly interested in racing, these rides should be avoided.

Next Week: Shifting (again!)

~//~

This series began with the post on Tuesday, 19 June 2012.  It is intended to continue for three years.  Each week, we will discuss exercises, skills, practices, and activities designed to bring the new (or “experienced”) rider a high level of cycling competence.  We’ll address common problems, and (always) stress safe practice.

~//~

A Note on Timing:  This series uses Mid-June as the starting point of the “Cyclists Year.”  We do this because this is the time that most folks decide to start riding.  If you are following this guide, you can “adjust” the timing to fit your personal “first three years.”  Do note that some of the posts will concern weather and seasonal changes.  When that starts to happen, just swap the “months” around to fit your personal timeline.

Notes: “Gaps” Ride and Riding Here

First things First:  For some reason the “Original 3 Gap Ride” seems to keep disappearing from the Southside Cycling Club’s web Calendar.  I don’t know why this is.  Doesn’t really matter.  THE RIDE IS ON!!!  I see no reason why I would cancel it at this late date.  If a cancellation was necessary, I’d be putting out an email to all on my distribution list, posting the news here, and I would us the cancellation function on the club’s site to mark the ride as “cancelled.”  I would not just take it down.

While on that topic…  There is some good NEWS…  We have a volunteer to drive a SAG vehicle.  So my truck will be out there, with a driver, following the route.  There will be a generous supply of emergency water aboard, and Kelvin will be able to “make pickup” if someone is really in over their heads.  (Thank you Kelvin!)

~//~

About Riding and Training in the Atlanta Area:

I’ll say it again: 

“Riders who ride and train in our area are prepared to ride anywhere!”

I say that because our area is blessed with a wide variety of terrain.  We have the privilege and blessing of having lots and lots of hills.  If we look around we can find some good long flats to practice “motoring.”  We have a fairly mild climate, with four distinct seasons.  Anyone can manage to ride for three of the four seasons, and it doesn’t take a lot to stay on the bike all year round.

Let’s go back to the hill part again.  It’s good that we have plenty of hills, but…  there are some hidden traps built into our terrain.  Here, in the area south of Atlanta, we don’t have a lot of really long, or especially steep hills to work on.  We get plenty of hill work, but it’s rare that we face a climb of more than 100 feet gain.  It’s a mixed blessing.  On the one hand, we do get to train up our climbing muscles.  On the other, our hills are short enough to tempt us into some bad habits.

We who ride, and train, in this area can be tempted to get into the habit of “muscling the hills.”  That is, we know that it’s short, and so we know we can afford to go anaerobic.  We tend to get into the habit of attacking the hills, going anaerobic, and letting ourselves recover on the top, or on the next descent.

That’s not so bad, really, but it doesn’t translate well for sustained climbing.  In sustained climbs, two factors work against us.  First off, the hill (mountain) keeps on going!  Second, we don’t experience the effects of increased altitude.

Let’s take that first one.  The initial difference between our local hills and a mountain, is that the mountain keeps on going.  If we hit it hard at the beginning, we go anaerobic waaay  too soon.  Then we have to recover while climbing.  When we go to places where there are long and/or steep climbs we have a tendency to over-reach.  We do have the background to do these climbs, but we haven’t done the correct rehearsal.

What’s the solution?  Refer to the last two words in the previous paragraph.  Correct rehearsal.  We need to spend a goodly amount of time climbing with intention, climbing in a deliberate and fully aerobic fashion.  We can do that on any hill we happen to have available.  As for the sustained part of “sustained” or “prolonged” climbs, our best strategy is to do slow hill repeats.  Climb a good hill, focusing on staying aerobic, then, at the top, turn around, descend, and repeat.  Do this for 45 minutes to an hour, on at least a twice monthly basis, and you have a pretty good preparation routine for long climbs.

As for the altitude change, the air just gets thinner.  The effect isn’t too bad below 2500 feet.  But it is good to remember that half the atmosphere is below 5,000 feet.  Around 2500 feet we begin to feel some of the effects of the thinner air, and the reduced amount of oxygen.  At 4,000 feet the effect really kicks in.  The solution?  As the air thins, slow down until heart rate settled and equalizes.

In the long run, it’s more about habit and focus.  On long climbs we have to think our way around our habits and focus on steady, measured, consistent technique

Mid-Summer (Lughnasad) Night Ride: Ride Report

We never know quite what to expect from our Seasonal Celebration Night Rides.  This past Monday was no exception.  To begin with, we had a much smaller group than usual.  Most likely many were put off by an uncertain weather forecast, coupled with overcast sky.  Present at the start were Cindy, Scott, Judy, Dan, Courtenay, Chris, and your correspondent.  A small but happy group.

Things looked especially forbidding right at the 7:30 start time.  Th sky was lowering, and it was getting dark.  So of course we pushed off and rode.

Almost immediately the clouds started to part.  By the time we crossed GA-16 the sky was a spectacular mix of awesome cloudforms, and the lowering sun was painting them in glorious colors.  The sky continued to clear, and by the time we had full dark, it was impossible to detect a cloud up there.  Stars yes!  But no clouds.  No rain.  Pleasant temperatures, down in the mid 70s.  A good night to be out on the road.

This route has its share of good hills.  Dan has a new toy, a brand new, feature-loaded cyclocomputer.  Apparently it has a grade detector feature.  At any rate, he was quite gleeful about reporting the grade percentages.  “This one is 7%!  No, now it’s eight!”

Every ride is different.  This one seemed to be about a lot of chatter and a good bit of laughter.  I rather enjoy rides like that. 

Traffic remained mostly light, even on the four mile stretch of GA-54alt that led us into Luthersville.  The smooth pavement of last year’s work on that road was greatly appreciated too.

Of course, as soon as we hit Luthersville, we turned back to the East, and continued on Luthersville Rd.  There the pavement could use some refinishing.  The surface is almost more patches than original roadway.  Bump and bouncy.  Some good hills add to the fun on Luthersville Rd, but the sky was great, and the traffic continued to be very light.

On the traffic, we only had one “horn-honker” and that was not until we had turned onto GA-85, in Alvaton.  More, as “honkers” go, this one was fairly benign.  He felt it necessary to give us a blast of his “train horn,” from a bit back, and then he roared by in his one-ton “dualie.”  My my, but we are all so impressed.

Have you ever noticed?  After leaving Alvaton, heading north, you descend to the new bridge, and from there it is uphill, not steep, but constant, all the way to Harralson!

We did manage to ride a fairly brisk conversational pace, covering the 40.6 miles of this loop in two hours and 50 minutes.  (For the enquiring minds, that’s a 14.33 MPH overall average.  Not too shabby.)  All in all we had us a good, incident-free, happy, quiet night ride.

I can hardly wait for the “Spoke Breaker” ride on September 24^th.  I’m referring to the annual Autumn Equinox Celebration Night Ride.  (Seems like someone always volunteers to break a spoke on this one.  Let’s break the hoo-doo this year!)

Your First Three Years ~ Part 8:

Traffic Survival 102

A Guide for Beginner (and Experienced!) Cyclists, to the Art and Practice of Cycling.  Becoming Proficient, Fit, and Happy on your bike.

Before beginning today’s post, you may want to refresh a bit.  This LINK will take you back to the post “Traffic Survival 101”

Now ~  On Ward!

The assumption is that we want to ride on the road.  It doesn’t matter if we are doing this for recreation, fitness, or transportation.  We are riding on the roads.  That implies a lot.  We must accept that there are other users out there.  We may not like it, but it’s a fact.  If we are to operate on the roads, and do so safely and well, we must consider what we are doing in a thoughtful manner.

Here are a set of principles to live by. 

Cyclists fare best when the act and are treated as the operators of vehicles.

From that, are derived the following set of cycling-specific principles:

Ride on the right side of the roadway, not on the left, and never on the sidewalk.

Yield to crossing traffic at superior streets.

Yield to overtaking traffic before changing lanes.

Position yourself according to your destination when approaching an intersection.

Between intersections, position yourself according to your speed relative to other traffic.

Just about everything we need to do in traffic is developed from that set of principles.  The above is from the work of John Forester.  I would advise anyone who is interested in using the road, to obtain a copy of Forester’s Effective Cycling.  One source (there are others) can be found by following this LINK

 Be smooth, competent, and confident.  This inspires confidence in others, most notably the operators of cars.  Consider.  If you as a vehicle operator are approaching another vehicle from behind, and that vehicle is swerving eratically, varying speed unexpectedly and sharply, you are not comfortable.  You are hesitant to pass because you don’t know what to expect.  The motorist behind your bicycle feels the same way.

Here’s a First Principle for smooth and effective road cycling:

Always be AHEAD of the bicycle.

This means that road situations, maneuvers, stops, and starts should never come as a surprise to you.  Anticipate the next three things you are going to do, and prepare for them mentally.

Example:

You are approaching a stop.  You know you are going to stop.  What else is in your future?

• Stop
• Negotiate traffic
• Start
• Transit the intersection
• Resume normal road position
• To do this, you must..
• Visually scan the road behind you for overtaking vehicles
• Take the road (move to the center)
• Downshift to prepare for your take off
• Apply the brakes
• Stop
• Negotiate the intersection (You were checking it for traffic as you approached.  Right?)
• Decelerate
• Make a complete stop
• Re-start
• Upshift and accelerate (always being ready to take evasive action as necessary)
• Once clear of the intersection, move back to the righthand side of the road.

If you have pre-thought this sequence of events, you are already preparing the next task as the current one is in progress.  This is much smoother than allowing yourself to be caught off-guard and by surprise by each element of the evolution.

Several of the points disccused above require cyclists to know what’s going on behind them.  I’m a firm believer in mirrors.  (We’ll have some discussion about that in the near future.)  I also strongly encourage each and every rider to master the “Lookback.”  (Mirrors fail, fall off, or get left behind at the worst of times.)  For a review of this technique follow this LINK back to the first post on Basic Bike Handling.

Next Week: Riding in Groups 102

~//~

This series began with the post on Tuesday, 19 June 2012.  It is intended to continue for three years.  Each week, we will discuss exercises, skills, practices, and activities designed to bring the new (or “experienced”) rider a high level of cycling competence.  We’ll address common problems, and (always) stress safe practice.

~//~

A Note on Timing:  This series uses Mid-June as the starting point of the “Cyclists Year.”  We do this because this is the time that most folks decide to start riding.  If you are following this guide, you can “adjust” the timing to fit your personal “first three years.”  Do note that some of the posts will concern weather and seasonal changes.  When that starts to happen, just swap the “months” around to fit your personal timeline.

Good Weekend Past & Upcoming Ride Plans

What a spectacular day it was!  I hope you all managed to get out and enjoy some part of yesterday on a bike.  You lived through it too.  You know, mid-August days do not come any better.

I know there were a lot of events and races going on, here and there, but I saw very few cyclists out.  For that matter, once the usual church dismissal flurry was past, there wasn’t much traffic out either.  Perhaps they were all at the mall?  School starts today, and this weekend past was one of those tax holiday things.

A note on School starting:  Be advised!  Traffic patterns have just changed, and done so dramatically.  Leave a little earlier, and do be extra alert.  There will be a lot more drivers on the road, and many of them will be quite distracted.

Tonight’s the Night!  Yup, it’s time to go out and ride at night again.  Sure, we’re celebrating Mid-Summer just a wee bit late, but that couldn’t be helped.

It will be a moonless night, so make sure your lights are in good order and well charged.

We’ll start riding at 7:30 P.M.  Local sunset is 8:26 P.M., and civil twilight ends at 8:52.  We expect to be out a bit more than three hours, so it will get dark.

Gaps Ride:

Seems like every time I do one of these, I get some of the same anxiety driven questions.  They all boil down to about two cogent ones.

Can I do this?

And…

Should I do this?

It’s reasonable.  Mountains are BIG and intimidating.  But if your fitness is up to it, they are quite do-able.  It takes time, patience, and the willingness to learn a bit on the way up and down.

I’ve often said it, and I will repeat it here and now:  “Riders who ride and train in our area are prepared to ride anywhere!” 

We do not have the sustained climbs one encounters in the mountains, but we do have plenty of climbing.  The difference is that on a sustained climb, you just take it easier from the start, and it goes on longer.

Montain descending is a bit different, but mostly it boils down to this:

Do NOT “ride” the brakes!  Let your speed build, and then “pulse brake” briskly before turns.

It’s okay to go down slower than the experts.

Food for thought ~ If you have done one of our Audax 200K rides, then you have, in one day, ridden 125 miles, and climbed 2546 feet.  The Original Triple Gap Route does about twice the climbing, but is only 2/5 the distance.  If you’ve done the one, you most certainly can do the other.  Put another way, distance is harder that elevation.  (Honest, it is!)

Another way to look at it is by actual climbing distance.  There isn’t much up in that part of the world that is flat.  So it’s not a 53 mile climb.  It’s really about 26 miles of climbing, interspersed with 26 miles of descending.  That’s a good deal!

Early Morning

Here’s an irony.  I work in a bike shop.  I really really have to scramble to find time to ride.

One of the way I deal with that particular irony is the early morning ride.  During the more clement months (the ones in which the over-night low can be depended upon to stay above 45 degrees F) I get up early and go for a ride.  Some of these rides are all out training rides.  Some (most) are for the enjoyment, to get my head cleared, and to get my body moving.

At the beginning of the morning rides I depend on routine.  The bike is there, the helmet here, and so on.  Thought is difficult for me this soon after rising.  I start out with a muzzie head, and that is fine.  I am content to not-think.

It’s almost always dark when I start these morning rides.  Lately, the sun isn’t up when I get back home.  Still, I see things.

There is the owl I hear regularly as I’m nearing home.  The other day she swept down and flew along just over me, gliding along just above and ahead of me as I rolled down the neighborhood street.  Startled me pretty good, but the sight was amazing.

Lately, I’ve been dodging a fair number of our thoroughly urbanized deer population.  I see some folks out doing their early morning run, the occasional other cyclist, the odd individual starting off for an early day of work, or towing a boat for a mid-week lake trip.  Sometimes I startle a yard-dog.  Sometimes the dog returns the favor.

At this early hour the world is quiet, traffic slight, the air is fresh, the world is calm.  I seem to glide through this pre-dawn world.  My headlights pick out the road in front of me, but I cannot see the bike beneath me.

For most of the ride, I do not look at my computer, do not consult for distance, speed, or time.  I know my surroundings well enough.  I will not embark on a route that will take me farther than I have time for.  I can read the time from the sky above.  When there are stars, they give me clock enough.  If it is cloudy, the increasing light level tells me when it is time to be moving homeward.

By the third part of these early morning excursions, my mind is alive again.  I am thinking, planning, full of ideas and inspirations.  On most days, I would prefer to keep riding, but the duties of the day preclude that.  It is enough.  I will return here again.

Your First Three Years ~ Part 7:

Riding in groups 101

A Guide for Beginner (and Experienced!) Cyclists, to the Art and Practice of Cycling.  Becoming Proficient, Fit, and Happy on your bike.

A parable with two morals:

Once upon a long long time ago, a Mighty King (herafter known as MK for short) had a bit of a problem.  You know.  Beautiful daughter, uncertain succession, wealth, the usual.

MK was conflcted.  On the one hand he wanted his daughter to be happy, and to find a suitable mate, one who could take over the job of Mighty Kingship.  On the other hand, he really didn’t like most of her suitors, and he really didn’t want the apple of his eye to marry and leave home.  So…

MK was struck by a thought.  He decreed that his daughter and half his gold would go to the man who could leap over the tall hill behind the royal palace.  And…  MK added with a touch of gleeful malice, any applicant who attempted the feat and failed would be put to death in the most horrible fashion imaginable.

Said hill was about forty feet high, and had an average grade of just over 10 percent.

Naturally, on hearing the decree, most of the potential suitors packed up and headed out to look for other powerful men with beautiful daughters.  The remaining suitors stayed around and studied the problem.  The strongest among them actually attempted the thing… with predictable results.  (I said they were the strongest, not the brightest.)

Then, one morning, and old and somewhat enfeebled man walked up to the palace and declared that he would take up the challenge.  “Now this ought to be good,”  MK thought.  The whole court went outside to watch the elder gent.

The old man walked up to the base of the hill.  He stood for a moment.  Then…

He took a small short jump up onto the hill.  And another.  And another.  And in so doing, he jumped his way up one side of the hill and down the other.

MK wasn’t happy but he was a man of his word.  “You have won the hand of my daughter and half of my gold,”  he declared.

“Sire,”  the old man said,  “You can keep the girl.  Beautiful young women are nothing but trouble, and I have no need of that.  But your gold will certainly come in handy.”

MK flew into a rage and had the old man fed to the lions.

Moral the First:  Often the best way to tackle a big task is a little bit at a time.

Moral the Second:  Know when to shut up and walk away.

Learning to ride a bicycle well, competently, effectively, and safely is a bit like leaping over that hill.  It’s best done in small steps, incrementally, and with close attention.

The above is especailly true of going out on group rides.  The “big group ride” can be an intimidating thing.  How does one act?  What’s the protocol?  Will I hold them up?  Will I get elft behind?  What’s the etiquette on these things?  Is there a secret password?  What are the rules?

The truth is, there are not many rules.  The customs and conduct of group rides vary depending on the group, and on the purpose of the ride.  But before getting into that, there are two very important principles. 

Always, each of us is alone in the responsibility for our own safety. 

The Law, the rules of the road govern our behavior on the road.

Now on with the discussion…

It’s hard to know, in advance, just what the character of a given ride is like.  Some are all-out, take-no-prisnoners, suffer parties.  Others very cordial and relaxed.  Sure, there’s sometimes some printed, or posted, information.  This can include things like average speed, distance, and the conditions that will cancel the ride.  That’s useful, but it can also be misleading.  Ultimately, you need to go and try it.

For good measure, it’s usually a good idea to do your first group rides in territory that you are familiar with.  That way, if things work out that you are “dropped,” you will know how to get home.

Remember the parable above.  If it seems like you’ve got in over your head, or things are a bit too intense and weird…  Bail!

When you first go out to a group ride, don’t be bashful.  Arrive early.  Get yourself and your equipment ready in good time.  Then introduce yourself around the group, and be quite honest about your capabilities and experience.  Most likely you will find one or more members of the group who are willing to show you “the ropes.”

Behavior on the Ride:  Do’s and Don’ts

Do be on time.

Do make sure all your gear is secured and do it before the ride starts.  (More crashes are caused by dropped water bottles and computers than by motorists.)

Do leave an adequate amount of room around you.  (You can learn to pace line later!)

Do Communicate!  Shout it out.  “Slowing!”  “Car back!”  “Right Turn” etc.  You simply can’t give the other riders too much information.

Do shout those warnings out.  You are facing into the wind, they are behind you!

Do point out obstacles and hazards.

Do use hand signals.

Do  look through the riders ahead of you.  It’s your responsibility to avoid obstacles and problems.

Don’t drop your water bottle!

Don’t hit the brakes when you do drop your bottle.

Don’t drop your ride leader.  This will get you talked about and likely lost.

Don’t let your wheel overlap another rider’s.

Don’t assume the other riders heard it.  Repeat the warnings.

Don’t take it personally!

Don’t become an obstacle or a problem.

Don’t pass another rider if there is a car behind you!!!!!!!!

And here’s a great big one.  There is a weird sort of “shared irresponsibility” syndrome on many group rides.  Just because all the “big kids” are doing it, does not make it right!  Be a grown up!  Follow the law and ride safely!  Don’t blow stop signs.  Don’t block traffic.  Be courteous.  Remember!  You reap what you sow.

Next Week: Traffic Survival 102

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This series began with the post on Tuesday, 19 June 2012.  It is intended to continue for three years.  Each week, we will discuss exercises, skills, practices, and activities designed to bring the new (or “experienced”) rider a high level of cycling competence.  We’ll address common problems, and (always) stress safe practice.

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A Note on Timing:  This series uses Mid-June as the starting point of the “Cyclists Year.”  We do this because this is the time that most folks decide to start riding.  If you are following this guide, you can “adjust” the timing to fit your personal “first three years.”  Do note that some of the posts will concern weather and seasonal changes.  When that starts to happen, just swap the “months” around to fit your personal timeline.