How To Ride In A Cycling Bunch

How To Ride In A Cycling Bunch

So you have bought your first road bike. Now you want to ride in your local cycling bunch with out stepping on the egos of the racing cyclists. I have compiled some information so you and others are safe and you don’t piss off too many people along the way.

Why Ride In A Bunch?

There are many reason why people ride in bunches. Some like to socialise, some like to show off their form, but the main reason is that it is a lot easier to ride with others than ride by yourself. By riding in a bunch you reduce effort and increase speed by up to 30 %. The other important reason that makes riding in a bunch advantageous is that it is safer as you are more visible to traffic.

Safety In A Bunch
The first thing you should be concerned with is overall safety. That is safety for yourself and those riders around you. Riders who are unsafe and do not know what they are doing will be a hazard to other riders. Eventually they will be bumped around and moved to the back of the group.

The second area to address is predictability. The most dangerous quality one can have as a member of a bunch is unpredictability. Actions that are not normal or predictable in a variety of situations, such as hard braking or swerving, are going to give riders behind you the shits. By swerving around and riding in a jittery or jerky manner, riders behind will be concerned that they will overlap wheels with you and risk crashing.

To counteract this we recommend the following:

1. Do not “over lap” or “cross” wheels. This means do not ride with your front wheel overlapping or beside the person in fronts rear wheel.
2. Become aware of what is happening three or four riders ahead of you. This will give you more time to react to situations that are arising ahead. If a rider has swerved to avoid something, you will be aware that there may be a hazard approaching.
Try to avoid focusing solely on the wheel in front. Split your attention on the wheel directly in front and the wheel three or four in front of you. Providing you are not overlapping wheels, you should not have an accident while splitting your attention this way.
3. Avoid sudden braking and turning. Try to avoid jamming on the brakes or skidding when needing to slow down. You can avoid this by becoming more aware of what is happening three or four riders ahead and looking up the road a bit further. This will give you more time to react and will allow you to apply the brake in a smooth and predictable manner.
4. There is one exception to the rule of over lapping wheels. If you are in a situation where there is very hard braking occurring ahead, it is more desirable to brake smoothly and move up beside the wheel in front than to jam on the brakes in front of the person behind.
5. Finally, R.E.L.A.X…… we know it is not easy, but it really is the best thing you can do. Relax your shoulders and arms, become fluid on the bike. When you are stiff and nervous you will overreact to the surrounds which is dangerous. Relax and enjoy yourself, after all that is why you are out there.

What Are Those Riders Doing?

Yes, good question. 150 + cyclists all riding in a uniform fashion. Who is the leader and who is telling them what to do? Obviously there are some unwritten rules when it comes to riding in bunches so I will get you up to speed so you know what is going on.

There are two types of bunch riding. Firstly, bunch riding similar to a race where everybody is going balls out and involved in a mock race. Secondly, a neat and tidy training bunch where everybody rides in formation. We will concentrate on the latter.

Bunch Riding Etiquette
There are certain rules of etiquette you need to follow in these bunches:

1. Ride in pairs following directly behind the wheel/rider in front.
2. Stay with the rider you are paired with, converse as you feel comfortable.
3. Stay behind the wheel in front as close as you feel comfortable, usually around 40-50 cm. Follow it until the rider in front peels off after doing his turn in the wind.
4. Try to do a turn in the wind consistent with the previous riders in speed and length, priority is given to speed over length.
5. Try to ride with your front wheel level with the rider you are paired with at the front. This will make it even for all riders following and means that you are not half wheeling.
6. When you are on the front, pedal on the down hills. Avoid the temptation to be lazy and coast down hill. If you don’t the riders following will be under brakes and this can be dangerous.
7. Point out obstacles that are coming up in front of you, like parked cars and holes in the road. When you are on the front you have the best visibility and it is the responsibility of riders on the front to point these out.
8. If you have had enough and wish to retire from the front indicate to the rider you are paired with that you are finished at the front.
9. When you are finished on the front, move to the side you are closest to and drift to the rear of the bunch in a timely fashion and move back into a position after the last rider.
10. Finally, remember that if you are uncomfortable riding within the bunch it is a good idea to stay on the back until you are ready to get amongst it. Fellow cyclists will appreciate the fact you are learning and will generally prefer that you stay on the back until you feel comfortable enough to ride in the bunch.
    Bunch riding can be an intimidating affair. Experience is going to be the best way to develop your confidence and allow you to fully enjoy the experience. Don’t be put off by some of the egos in the bunch, remember that everybody started where you are and learnt through mistakes.
    Remember that bunch riding is worth the effort to learn and after time will become a part of your cycling that you will enjoy and look forward to.