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.
- Safety in number
- Social Activity
- Follow the leader and don’t get lost
- 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.
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