Is paceline aero-braking bad form?

[Raptor]

I've done VERY little group riding over recent years, but did a massive non-competitive century last
weekend. I think I did okay in the groups, which helped me finish the damn thing. (Previous long
ride of the year was 32 miles.) I will be racing soon for the first time in many years, so I might
as well ask this question.

I saw someone complain elsewhere on-line about people pulling off to the side to aero-brake, which I
did plenty of last Saturday. With several thousand riders, there was a vast array of riding talent
so the lack of complaint may not be meaningful. I googled, and see that various sources do suggest
aero-braking is okay if done smoothly.

Anyone here disapprove of sliding sideways to slow down in a paceline?

--
--
Lynn Wallace http://www.xmission.com/~lawall "Let me tell you what else I'm worried about. I'm
worried about an opponent who uses nation building and the military in the same sentence. See, our
view of the military is for the military to be properly prepared to fight and win war and therefore,
prevent war from happening in the first place." George Bush, Nov. 6, 2000

 

[Mark Drayton]

In article <[email protected]>, Raptor wrote:
> Anyone here disapprove of sliding sideways to slow down in a paceline?

Why not just keep pedalling and feather the brakes? That normally scrubs your speed without
disrupting your rhythm or making the bike wobble.

Cheers,

Mark

 

[Deeznuts]

Raptor <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> I've done VERY little group riding over recent years, but did a massive non-competitive century
> last weekend. I think I did okay in the groups, which helped me finish the damn thing. (Previous
> long ride of the year was 32 miles.) I will be racing soon for the first time in many years, so I
> might as well ask this question.
>
> I saw someone complain elsewhere on-line about people pulling off to the side to aero-brake, which
> I did plenty of last Saturday. With several thousand riders, there was a vast array of riding
> talent so the lack of complaint may not be meaningful. I googled, and see that various sources do
> suggest aero-braking is okay if done smoothly.
>
> Anyone here disapprove of sliding sideways to slow down in a paceline?
>
> --

Dude,

 

[Raptor]

Deeznuts wrote:
> Raptor <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
>
>>Anyone here disapprove of sliding sideways to slow down in a paceline?
>>
>>--
>
>
> Dude,
>

My question seems pretty clear to me, although perhaps you took "sliding" literally? Can't see why
you would.

--
--
Lynn Wallace http://www.xmission.com/~lawall "Let me tell you what else I'm worried about. I'm
worried about an opponent who uses nation building and the military in the same sentence. See, our
view of the military is for the military to be properly prepared to fight and win war and therefore,
prevent war from happening in the first place." George Bush, Nov. 6, 2000

 

[Bruce]

Any side motion adds danger to a paceline. So moving sideways to control speed via air resistance is
bad form. Using your brakes while staying in line is better.

-Bruce

 

[Qui Si Parla Ca]

Bruce-<< Any side motion adds danger to a paceline. So moving sideways to control speed via air
resistance is bad form. Using your brakes while staying in line is better.

Agree....riding along in a pace line, guy behind you is watching your rear brake bridge, little
else. As you slide one way or another, he follows and then you stop pedaling..good way to get
rear ended....

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 http://www.vecchios.com "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

 

[Jeff Potter]

Yeah, ideally everyone is in same hi-spin gear, same tempo, no coasts, shifts fore/aft or
left/right---feather brakes.

--

Jeff Potter
****
*Out Your Backdoor * http://www.outyourbackdoor.com for modern folkways and culture revival...
...offering "small world" views on bikes, bows, skis, books, movies... ...new books featuring: XC
ski culture, a thriller about small town drug smuggling, and folding bicycles ... radical novels
coming up! ...lots more books, downloadable music and videos ... articles galore! plus national "Off
the Beaten Path" travel forums! HOLY SMOKES!

 

[Jc6239]

>"Jeff Potter" <[email protected]> wrote in message Yeah, ideally everyone is in same
>hi-spin gear, same tempo, no coasts,
shifts fore/aft or left/right---feather brakes.<<

And don't forget that everyone's leg position must be perfectly synchronized
<g>.

 

[Raptor]

Interesting feedback here. There are a couple web pages out there from riding clubs that disagree.

I'll practice using the brakes from now on.

--
--
Lynn Wallace http://www.xmission.com/~lawall "I'm not proud. We really haven't done everything we
could to protect our customers. Our products just aren't engineered for security." --Microsoft VP in
charge of Windows OS Development, Brian Valentine.

 

[Jeff Potter]

It's amazing how much closer you can get and yet safer it is riding high-cadence same-gear in a
group. Position adjustments can be easily done to a very fine fraction. Usually no one hardly ever
has to brake or coast you just slightly and easily alter tempo to shift position as need be.

I suppose that really unique/extreme terrain brings in different practices.

jc6239 wrote:

> >"Jeff Potter" <[email protected]> wrote in message Yeah, ideally everyone is in same
> >hi-spin gear, same tempo, no coasts,
> shifts fore/aft or left/right---feather brakes.<<
>
> And don't forget that everyone's leg position must be perfectly synchronized
> <g>.

--

Jeff Potter
****
*Out Your Backdoor * http://www.outyourbackdoor.com for modern folkways and culture revival...
...offering "small world" views on bikes, bows, skis, books, movies... ...new books featuring: XC
ski culture, a thriller about small town drug smuggling, and folding bicycles ... radical novels
coming up! ...lots more books, downloadable music and videos ... articles galore! plus national "Off
the Beaten Path" travel forums! HOLY SMOKES!

 

[Ns>]

<cut>

Now I may be wrong, but, in a club ride or public ride I'd say pull your pull or as much as you can
pull and then move on back. To me there's no need to slow the group because as soon as you pick up
at the end of the line you aren't working nearly as hard. Everyone is trying to have the correct
line in the group. So, if you move to the left or right the group would follow (it could be tragic
in a dual line and extremely ineffecient). I say rotate but don't slow...

My2c,
NS> (the slower fatter U.S. version)

 

[Kurgan Gringion]

"Raptor" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Interesting feedback here. There are a couple web pages out there from riding clubs that disagree.

Either method works.

Some are able to feel subtle differences in wind resistance. They will use drift as a "brake" and
use their brakes also.

I'll guess those who use brakes exclusively don't have quite the feel for resistance deltas.

> I'll practice using the brakes from now on.

 

[Raptor]

Kurgan Gringioni wrote:
> "Raptor" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
>>Interesting feedback here. There are a couple web pages out there from riding clubs that disagree.
>
>
>
> Either method works.
>
> Some are able to feel subtle differences in wind resistance. They will use drift as a "brake" and
> use their brakes also.
>
> I'll guess those who use brakes exclusively don't have quite the feel for resistance deltas.

I think I have a very good feel for wind resistance, and aero-braking comes naturally to me. I'll
ask whichever paceline I join which they prefer.

--
--
Lynn Wallace http://www.xmission.com/~lawall "I'm not proud. We really haven't done everything we
could to protect our customers. Our products just aren't engineered for security." --Microsoft VP in
charge of Windows OS Development, Brian Valentine.

 

[Kurgan Gringion]

"Raptor" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Kurgan Gringioni wrote:
> > "Raptor" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> >
> >>Interesting feedback here. There are a couple web pages out there from riding clubs that
> >>disagree.
> >
> >
> >
> > Either method works.
> >
> > Some are able to feel subtle differences in wind resistance. They will
use
> > drift as a "brake" and use their brakes also.
> >
> > I'll guess those who use brakes exclusively don't have quite the feel
for
> > resistance deltas.
>
> I think I have a very good feel for wind resistance, and aero-braking comes naturally to me. I'll
> ask whichever paceline I join which they prefer.

Do whatever feels right - if you don't move suddenly (into the wind or braking) you'll be fine.

 

[Kaiser]

I was always taught to slow down this way. I'm more used to hearing people get razzed for using the
brakes at all.

However, I can imagine when riding in something such as a fun ride or a century, where one is
surrounded by novices, that people might get a little freaked when they see you pull off the line.
Most novices just have a tendency to follow you over instead of understanding that you're just
trying to slow it down. Guess you never can win.

Raptor <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> I've done VERY little group riding over recent years, but did a massive non-competitive century
> last weekend. I think I did okay in the groups, which helped me finish the damn thing. (Previous
> long ride of the year was 32 miles.) I will be racing soon for the first time in many years, so I
> might as well ask this question.
>
> I saw someone complain elsewhere on-line about people pulling off to the side to aero-brake, which
> I did plenty of last Saturday. With several thousand riders, there was a vast array of riding
> talent so the lack of complaint may not be meaningful. I googled, and see that various sources do
> suggest aero-braking is okay if done smoothly.
>
> Anyone here disapprove of sliding sideways to slow down in a paceline?
>
> --

 

[Raptor]

kaiser wrote:
> I was always taught to slow down this way. I'm more used to hearing people get razzed for using
> the brakes at all.
>
> However, I can imagine when riding in something such as a fun ride or a century, where one is
> surrounded by novices, that people might get a little freaked when they see you pull off the line.
> Most novices just have a tendency to follow you over instead of understanding that you're just
> trying to slow it down. Guess you never can win.

It's not that you're (I'm) trying to slow "it" down, I'm trying to slow myself down so I don't
overlap (so much). If the trailer follows me over, that's fine unless they too are overtaking. If
so, they can either ease out further into the wind, or the extended draft from the rider in front of
me is weakened at their position.

The only safe thing to say is, whatever you do, do it smoothly.

--
--
Lynn Wallace http://www.xmission.com/~lawall "I'm not proud. We really haven't done everything we
could to protect our customers. Our products just aren't engineered for security." --Microsoft VP in
charge of Windows OS Development, Brian Valentine.

 

[Deeznuts]

Raptor <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> kaiser wrote:
> > I was always taught to slow down this way. I'm more used to hearing people get razzed for using
> > the brakes at all.
> >
> > However, I can imagine when riding in something such as a fun ride or a century, where one is
> > surrounded by novices, that people might get a little freaked when they see you pull off the
> > line. Most novices just have a tendency to follow you over instead of understanding that you're
> > just trying to slow it down. Guess you never can win.
>
> It's not that you're (I'm) trying to slow "it" down, I'm trying to slow myself down so I don't
> overlap (so much). If the trailer follows me over, that's fine unless they too are overtaking. If
> so, they can either ease out further into the wind, or the extended draft from the rider in front
> of me is weakened at their position.
>
> The only safe thing to say is, whatever you do, do it smoothly.
>
> --

Jesus H. Christ. How long of a discussion can you have over such a simple thing?

 

[Raptor]

Deeznuts wrote:
> Raptor <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
>
>>The only safe thing to say is, whatever you do, do it smoothly.
>>
>>--
>
>
> Jesus H. Christ. How long of a discussion can you have over such a simple thing?

I've annoyed you enough to join in, so this'll do it.

--
--
Lynn Wallace http://www.xmission.com/~lawall "I'm not proud. We really haven't done everything we
could to protect our customers. Our products just aren't engineered for security." --Microsoft VP in
charge of Windows OS Development, Brian Valentine.

 

[Ns>]

I second Raptor's opinion. I have had a friend who crashed frequently and it was always someone
elses fault. So whatever you do ...do it smoothly.. NS