How to behave when a big group of fast cyclists catches up with you.

[DCLane]

@T4tomo - that's the conversation I have with riders who are new to group riding. And probably why those at the back were annoyed and made comments the op could hear. It's not the op, it's their inexperience and/or fitness level.

Frequently I'll get those new to riding in a group to move towards the front and it does make things easier for them.

 

[rydabent]

I used to be able to track stand (briefly and not very well) when I was a yoof. It's a skill that I've completely lost.

I can track stand on my trike with no trouble at all.

 

[Jameshow]

When a big group of club cyclists comes along I tend to put the hammer down and leave them for dust, particularly on flat roads MVDP has nothing on me!🤣🤣🤣

 

[All uphill]

If I see a group of cyclists round here the chances are they are senior citizens riding at exactly 15.5 mph. Strange that.

 

[Milzy]

When a big group of club cyclists comes along I tend to put the hammer down and leave them for dust, particularly on flat roads MVDP has nothing on me!🤣🤣🤣

I once rode in Switzerland and an open roads race was on with Cat 2 standards. I held a guys wheel for about 1 min that felt like 5 it was a great little pull.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

If I see a group of cyclists round here the chances are they are senior citizens riding at exactly 15.5 mph. Strange that.

 

[rogerzilla]

I used to sit at the back because it was easier to stuff my face with food!

 

[PK99]

@T4tomo - that's the conversation I have with riders who are new to group riding. And probably why those at the back were annoyed and made comments the op could hear. It's not the op, it's their inexperience and/or fitness level.

Frequently I'll get those new to riding in a group to move towards the front and it does make things easier for them.

In group riding the hardest position is at the front second hardest at the back.

Front takes the wind and the concertina effect means the back marker is forever slowing and catching up. Average speed is the same as the front but time above average uses more energy than is saved going slower.

 

[cyberknight]

If I see a group of cyclists round here the chances are they are senior citizens riding at exactly 15.5 mph. Strange that.

oddly this has something to do with why my sunday rides have died , most of the club are not "old" riders but the average is about right and extra large cake stops .Now im not a super cyclist by any means but im aiming more for 17 over a metric century

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

oddly this has something to do with why my sunday rides have died , most of the club are not "old" riders but the average is about right and extra large cake stops .Now im not a super cyclist by any means but im aiming more for 17 over a metric century

Cake stops are fine - but I find that after a ride of any kind (and I am talking about an ebike on canal paths here!) if I stop then getting my legs and lungs going again is a pain and the longer the stop the worse it is
So I tend to go for a quick apple and a can of coke half way round for only a few minutes while standing up - cake stops are normally done when nearly home!

 

[cyberknight]

Cake stops are fine - but I find that after a ride of any kind (and I am talking about an ebike on canal paths here!) if I stop then getting my legs and lungs going again is a pain and the longer the stop the worse it is
So I tend to go for a quick apple and a can of coke half way round for only a few minutes while standing up - cake stops are normally done when nearly home!

indeed , on a normal ride i do like to have short cake stops and each to their own.As i am now riding on my own im planning routes to have a cake stop as such at home and do more to give me a good distance and save the cost of a stop .My stops are normally around 35-40 miles then another 25 ish miles .I can do the full distance if i stocked up .Anyway we are going off topic

 

[Jameshow]

In group riding the hardest position is at the front second hardest at the back.

Front takes the wind and the concertina effect means the back marker is forever slowing and catching up. Average speed is the same as the front but time above average uses more energy than is saved going slower.

And the last rider feels like he's being pulled back by the aerodynamic eddy's coming off him.

 

[cyberknight]

 

[rydabent]

This morning I had a bit of an "experience" with a group of cyclists just as I was finishing my ride.

As I was reaching the entrance to the village, a group of cyclists arrived from a lane that joins the main road on the right as I was going. The main road has a short ramp before the junction, so I was arriving slowly, and for a moment I thought they were going to come out around me as I was going past, but they held back. I expected they would overtake me, but they stayed behind though the road was clear.

About 300m further ahead there's a roundabout with poor visibility on the right, so I eased off, and saw a car coming onto the roundabout on our right, so I stopped. As I said, visibility is poor, so I stopped quite late. At this point there was a lot of swearing from the group behind me, several riders went around me through the roundabout in front of the car, and there were several comments of displeasure about me having stopped. The comments were not directed at me, but meant for me to hear them.

I am not sure what I could have done differently here, as I have no experience of riding with such groups. Any advice in case I find myself in the same situation again?

Who says I have to behave?? Everyone has to be somewhere. Do your own thing, and let them do theirs.

 

[Time Waster]

Remember those at the back of the group might be no faster than you. Riding in the draft of a largish group makes quite a difference to how much effort you need to maintain a speed.

This last bit is why you often get cut up by the last few in a group. They are hanging on for dear life, and if so much as a two foot gap opens up, they will be spat out the back.

In the case I described there certainly didn't look like there were any hangers on. Looked like they were cycling through quite well. Whatever the situation I didn't get cut up and they left me for dust. I was the only one hanging on, for 10 seconds, when they passed me. 10 seconds and then I was cooked. In suspect they were a team training or top local club riders. There's a triathlon club in the area I know has some good cyclists I've seen in this area occasionally. They fair shift!