Advice for riding in packs (in preparation for hopeful racing next season)

rob of the og

As I say above, I just don't see where this is coming from. We regularly taking complete beginners into our chaingang and I can't even remember the last crash on that. I can remember a crash on our sunday club ride, but that was years ago. In the last year or so at least 3 members of our club have ended up in hospital after serious accidents with cars while riding alone. Look at the number of deaths that occur in timetrialling and compare them to roadracing if you want some more statistical evidence.

I can see that if you ride in a group consituted entirely of beginners then there is some room for added danger (and this does happen increasingly with the current trend away from the club scene and for people to do all their riding alone, and then just jump into a 4th cat race) but trust me, even if you put me alone in a group of 30-odd complete beginners, after 5 minutes I'd have yelled at them all enough to keep them moving in straight lines and staying tight to the wheel in front. It's not rocket science.

If op wants to race his bike, then he needs to get in a bunch. End of.

Pendejo

It doesn't eliminate time trials.

ryanspeer

I don't see myself really wanting to do time trials. I want endurance races with the pack. Mano-el-mano. In 2 or 3 years I'd love to be racing cat 4 or cat 3. You can't get there by playing safe and hoping someone will wave you on through to the lead pack. I just don't see how avoiding a learning situation will help you learn. It doesn't sound rational to me at all.

graphixgeek

I was told the best way to learn is to start by learning how to draft and maintain a 2 person paceline. You start by getting about 6-10 inches of the guy in front of you. At this point you want to concentrate on staying straight on his/her wheel. As you progress and get more comfortable, you inch closer and closer until you are about 2-4 inches away. I've seen pros draft even closer. Eventually you'll get a feel for the drafting effect and how close you have to be. To slow down, you soft-pedal or come out of the draft a little bit to adjust speed. Now once you get that down, you can add a person or two (who know pack racing) and work on paceline and group skills. The key is to start far apart and to progress to being closer together. I'll admit, there's nothing like learning in the middle of a race, but it would be less stressful to learn on a training ride. In turns in large packs, you would soft pedal to slow down instead of slamming on your brakes. In a pinch you could feather your brakes, but be ready for the guy behind you. Pack riding is about flow and trusting the guys in front aren't going to do anything abrupt.

RapDaddyo

Yes, there are some "tricks of the trade." First, understand that if you overlap your front wheel with another rider's back wheel and you touch wheels for any reason, you're going down. He will only feel a little bump, but you'll go down. The main reason most riders overlap wheels is fear. They fear getting out of the draft and getting dropped. So, when you're learning to ride in a group, back off a bit and give yourself at least 1/2 wheel diameter gap. Second, keep your fingers wrapped around your back brake lever at all times. You may have to slow down quickly at any time and that's not the time to be reaching for the brake lever. If you do use your brake, don't jam it. Just tap it a bit to lose a little speed. Third, learn to anticipate when the guy in front of you is likely to slow down a bit. For example, if the group is approaching a hill, he may stand to climb out of the saddle. When he stands up, there is a momentary deceleration and you can easily run up on him and overlap his wheel. If you ride with the same guys repeatedly, you will come to learn their habits, but in the meantime you should assume they will stand at some point on a climb. The drafting benefit drops considerably on a climb, so it's not really a problem to open a larger gap and it's safer. Fourth, some riders are just not smooth in a paceline. They are constantly surging and falling back. Other riders (usually the best) are smooth as silk and they maintain a very steady cadence and pace. Identify these latter types and try and ride on their wheel. Some guys I ride with are so smooth I think I could take a nap riding on their wheel. Have fun.

Eden

I've got a few good things you can do and I can be specific since you are local -

1. Meet the team rides start in September - the exact times and teams will be posted on the WSBA web site soon www.wsbaracing.com
They all leave from Perts Deli in Leshi (thats on Lake Washington in Seattle) I know its a little far for you to come, but there are plenty of guys from your area who are on Seattle teams, but mostly train up north. Not only will you get to ride with teams and meet experienced racers, but people will give you tips for safe riding too.

2. Take a skills clinic at Cycle U http://www.cycleu.com/Services/Road.aspx

There are several road skills clinics coming up and they run racing specific clinics that can earn you your CAT 5 to 4 upgrade. (5 to 4 can be earned through experience or clinic work - you don't have to win anything to get this upgrade)

3. Go on more group rides - you could try some of the Cascade CTS rides. Though I really don't think that these will prepare you for racing, they will however get you started with safe pacelining. www.cascade.org

ryanspeer

Hey Eden - thanks A LOT for that link in Leshi. I wonder if by showing up to something like this, that I'd find myself in the midst of a bunch of cat 4, cat 3 and better? In other words, would a race-inexperienced guy like myself be able to hang with them well? I'm imagine it's not a terribly competative atmosphere, but hey - guys have testosterone and a need to experience triumph, and I wonder if at that point I'd realize I'm the High School Junior Varsity football player who suddenly discovers that he's trying to play with guys who are up for the NFL draft? Am I incorrect there?

My big fear in joining a ride like that is that I'd be the hapless boat anchor who inevitably slows everybody else down or eventually gets left in the dust and hopefully joins up with the rest of the group before they all get in their cars to head back home.

Nonetheless I'm definitely going to check out that link and - hopefully - get involved in something like that.

The touring atmosphere would be fun, but I am a competative person and might get easily tired of the non-competative atmosphere. Maybe. Either way I want to do a few of those as well.

Thanks for the tips Eden and RapDaddyo.

ryanspeer

What about cornering - especially towards the start of a race when the pack has yet to really spread out much? I'd hope that in my first race next year the organizers wouldn't have the course take a quick turn or two in the first several hundred yards, but I also imagine that's not terribly uncommon either. I could see myself and many others potentially getting tangled during something like that - something that I obviously want to avoid completely - although I imagine it's not entirely avoidable either.

Eden

Meet the team rides are specifically for those who are not on a team, but want to join - some teams are selective, but others are open enrollment. The rides are at least supposed to be conversational pace and are generally the south loop (Lake Washington Blvd - up to Ranier Ave- down Rainier to the Renton Airport- up the other side of Lk Washington - across I-90 back to Leschi. Its about 30 miles) There will be plenty of newbies there along with experienced riders from the teams who are hosting that weekends ride. The point of these rides isn't to hurt the new guys, but to get to know the people who are interested in joining so you'll usually see the team guys circulating around and talking to all of the new people - they are usually pretty low key. I made a pest of my self and went on the one for my husbands team last year and did not have any problems keeping up with them. I'm pretty sure they aren't up yet, but keep looking back at WSBA - the schedule is coming soon. You'll get bonus points if its raining and you already have fenders and a buddy flap on.

RapDaddyo

Every group has its own "ride ethics." I lead most of the "A" rides in my club and we regroup at the tops of major climbs. This is because climbs are where power differentials among the riders really come into play. With a 30+% drafting advantage on the flat, anybody who really belongs on the ride can keep up while drafting. But, the drafting advantage goes to near zero on a climb and the more powerful riders will smoke the other riders. The downhill segments aren't the place to get a good workout anyway, so I follow the practice of regrouping at the tops of climbs, even if it means waiting several minutes. Other clubs aren't so considerate. If you don't get to the top of the climb with the group, it's sayonara. And, recognize that going to the front and taking a long pull is something you do for yourself, as a mini-interval. Initially, when you find yourself on front, just keep the pace for a few strokes and pull off. Unless you're in a TTT or in an organized chase group in a race, when you're on front pulling, you're not actually working for the benefit of the group. You're working for your own benefit, for training adaptation purposes.

Bobby Lex

Not necessarily. I guess you didn't watch the TDF last year when Rasmussen crashed 3 times in the ITT.

Bob