Many people new to the sport are nervous about cycling in a group, understandably so, and you certainly need to keep your wits about you. But it’s a skill that can be learned and apart from the energy saved, but it also has benefits from a safety point of view, while the comraderie with fellow cyclists can make the miles go faster.
Follow our tips to stay save and gain maximum benefit.
Don’t be afraid to ask
We were all newbies once, don’t be afraid to ask for advice from those around you. If you are new to group riding, let the other riders know.
Communicate
Good communication between the group is essential: familiarise yourself with the different hand signals and the verbal shout outs. Again, don’t be afraid to ask if you’re not sure what something means.
Be Aware
Listen and watch. Anticipate what the cyclists ahead of you might be about to do. When you gain enough confidence to take a turn at the head of the group, make those behind you aware of any hazards such as pot holes, parked cars etc
Don’t overlap wheels
Don’t let your front wheel partially overlap the back wheel of the cyclist just on front of you: If either of you has to change your line suddenly, or drifts off line slightly, you will take each other out.
Don’t Brake Suddenly
Use light braking to adjust your speed gradually, or freewheel, or sit in a more upright position to slow yourself down. Anticipate the actions of the riders in front of you. You don’t want to cause a domino effect behind by suddenly braking.
Don’t Go Tearing Off at the front
Keep a steady pace. Watch the speed on your computer when in the group, if or when it’s your turn at the front, keep it at that speed.
Here’s a helpful video from the folks over at GCN
