Group riding methods
4 views
Skip to first unread message
Gary Cziko
Mar 1, 2012, 8:12:29 PM3/1/12
to ucbik...@googlegroups.com
People,
OK, I am going to try this again and hope that this time we might have some serious consideration of some group cycling issues.
I wrote last time about how best to ride as a group across "tight" spots such as narrow-two lane overpasses. There are three ways we can ride in a narrow lane on a two-lane road with traffic:
© CyclingSavvy 2011
In Method A, a group of cyclists is riding single-file at the edge of the road. This encourages carmobile drivers to squeeze past in the same lane (not good).
© CyclingSavvy 2011
In Method B, the group is riding single file closer to the center of the lane. This encourages carmobilists to wait until there is no oncoming traffic and change lanes to pass safely (good). But the motorist must spend considerable time in the opposing lane (not so good).
In Method C, riding double file and controlling the lane encourages motorists to pass safely in the next lane and minimizes the time and distance needed to pass. This is safer for everyone and more courteous to carmobile drivers (very good).
On our ride back from Mahomet this morning crossing I-57 on Bloomington Road, I moved up to Carl at the front to ride two abreast. But the rest of the group was a scattered single line of cyclists. Certainly not a compact group easy to pass.
So I would like to propose that when we are riding on two-lane roads with narrow lanes and significant traffic, we make an effort to get together to form a compact double file group as in Method C illustrated above ("C" = cool, correct, courteous and copacetic).
Another issue that surfaced today is regrouping after some of us take off for a sprint or other primal effort. One of the things I like best about the way we Sunday morning and slacker cyclists tend ride is that we generally ride at a moderate pace and yet there are opportunities for those who want to go harder at times. We usually always regroup after this. But sometimes some or all of the "moderate" group accelerate past the "hard effort" grupetto after the latter have slowed to let the moderate group catch back up. This is at best annoying to the slowed cyclists who must then make a harder to catch back on right after having made a hard effort.
All of this basically boils down to some principles. The default organization is one campact double-file group. We may occasionally split up for sprints or other harder efforts (for some) on the country roads, but we then come back together in our compact double-file group.
The only time we required in Illinois to ride single file is when riding two abreast would "obstruct traffic." We are not obstructing traffic when riding on a multilane road (carmobile drivers can just change lanes), when there is little or no oncoming traffic (again, drivers can go around) or when we are moving at the same speed as other traffic.
My purpose in discussing this at some length is to keep our rides fun and safe for all and courteous to the carmobile drivers we encounter on our group rides.
If there are no good serious objections or revisions to these suggestions, I might propose to Geoff to include a version of these group riding principles on the ucbikeride web page.
Let me know what you think. Seriously.
-- Gary
P.S. The 3-hour classroom component of the CyclingSavvy course (from which the above illustrations have been taken) will be offered by Carl Stewart and me three times this spring. Once for free and twice for just $5. For more info, see CyclingSavvyIllinois.notlong.com. The normal three-hour course does not include the section on group riding. So I would like to offer this in May separately to group riders, especially Illini 4000 and Prairie Cycle Club cyclists. It is just one hour long. Parts 2 and 3 of the on-bike parts of CyclingSavvy will be offered Saturday May 5 in Urbana.
--
Five Steps to Cyclist Empowerment:
(1) Knowledge of the Law, (2) Knowledge of Bicycle Safety, (3) Knowledge of Traffic Cycling Problem Solving, (4) Bike Handling Skills, and (5) Traffic Cycling Skills.
These five steps are provided by CyclingSavvy. See also Smart Moves for Cyclists
and CyclingSavvy handout (pdf).
Gary Cziko ("ZEE-ko"), PhD,
CyclingSavvy Instructor (CSI) & League Cycling Instructor (LCI)
Professor Emeritus, Educational Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Chairman, Champaign County Bikes
Member, Sustainability Advisory Commission, Urbana, IL
Member, Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Commission, Urbana, IL
OK, I am going to try this again and hope that this time we might have some serious consideration of some group cycling issues.
I wrote last time about how best to ride as a group across "tight" spots such as narrow-two lane overpasses. There are three ways we can ride in a narrow lane on a two-lane road with traffic:
Method A
© CyclingSavvy 2011
In Method A, a group of cyclists is riding single-file at the edge of the road. This encourages carmobile drivers to squeeze past in the same lane (not good).
Method B
© CyclingSavvy 2011
In Method B, the group is riding single file closer to the center of the lane. This encourages carmobilists to wait until there is no oncoming traffic and change lanes to pass safely (good). But the motorist must spend considerable time in the opposing lane (not so good).
Method C
© CyclingSavvy 2011In Method C, riding double file and controlling the lane encourages motorists to pass safely in the next lane and minimizes the time and distance needed to pass. This is safer for everyone and more courteous to carmobile drivers (very good).
On our ride back from Mahomet this morning crossing I-57 on Bloomington Road, I moved up to Carl at the front to ride two abreast. But the rest of the group was a scattered single line of cyclists. Certainly not a compact group easy to pass.
So I would like to propose that when we are riding on two-lane roads with narrow lanes and significant traffic, we make an effort to get together to form a compact double file group as in Method C illustrated above ("C" = cool, correct, courteous and copacetic).
Another issue that surfaced today is regrouping after some of us take off for a sprint or other primal effort. One of the things I like best about the way we Sunday morning and slacker cyclists tend ride is that we generally ride at a moderate pace and yet there are opportunities for those who want to go harder at times. We usually always regroup after this. But sometimes some or all of the "moderate" group accelerate past the "hard effort" grupetto after the latter have slowed to let the moderate group catch back up. This is at best annoying to the slowed cyclists who must then make a harder to catch back on right after having made a hard effort.
All of this basically boils down to some principles. The default organization is one campact double-file group. We may occasionally split up for sprints or other harder efforts (for some) on the country roads, but we then come back together in our compact double-file group.
The only time we required in Illinois to ride single file is when riding two abreast would "obstruct traffic." We are not obstructing traffic when riding on a multilane road (carmobile drivers can just change lanes), when there is little or no oncoming traffic (again, drivers can go around) or when we are moving at the same speed as other traffic.
My purpose in discussing this at some length is to keep our rides fun and safe for all and courteous to the carmobile drivers we encounter on our group rides.
If there are no good serious objections or revisions to these suggestions, I might propose to Geoff to include a version of these group riding principles on the ucbikeride web page.
Let me know what you think. Seriously.
-- Gary
P.S. The 3-hour classroom component of the CyclingSavvy course (from which the above illustrations have been taken) will be offered by Carl Stewart and me three times this spring. Once for free and twice for just $5. For more info, see CyclingSavvyIllinois.notlong.com. The normal three-hour course does not include the section on group riding. So I would like to offer this in May separately to group riders, especially Illini 4000 and Prairie Cycle Club cyclists. It is just one hour long. Parts 2 and 3 of the on-bike parts of CyclingSavvy will be offered Saturday May 5 in Urbana.
--
Five Steps to Cyclist Empowerment:
(1) Knowledge of the Law, (2) Knowledge of Bicycle Safety, (3) Knowledge of Traffic Cycling Problem Solving, (4) Bike Handling Skills, and (5) Traffic Cycling Skills.
These five steps are provided by CyclingSavvy. See also Smart Moves for Cyclists
and CyclingSavvy handout (pdf).
Gary Cziko ("ZEE-ko"), PhD,
CyclingSavvy Instructor (CSI) & League Cycling Instructor (LCI)
Professor Emeritus, Educational Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Chairman, Champaign County Bikes
Member, Sustainability Advisory Commission, Urbana, IL
Member, Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Commission, Urbana, IL
Annie Weisner
Mar 1, 2012, 8:37:49 PM3/1/12
to ucbik...@googlegroups.com
For regrouping, it's equally annoying if the "moderate" group has to brake when they catch the "hard effort" group, then try to accelerate back up to speed. Chances are, we're working really hard to catch up with you, too. For example, if the normal pace of the group is 15mph, the "hard effort" group takes off at 20mph and then slows to 10mph and is still going 10mph when the moderate group catches them, it's really, really frustrating to have to brake to 10mph and then immediately accelerate back up to 15mph.
Graduate Student, Stubbs Lab
Institute for Genomic Biology
Neuroscience Program
Medical Scholars Program
University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana
IGB Room 2500
1206 W Gregory Drive
Urbana IL 61801
annie....@gmail.com
615-478-1163
The Nashville group I ride with when I'm back home solves this problem by having the front group (the "hard effort" group in this scenario) pay attention to the rear group (the "moderate" group) as they catch up, and as they are getting closer, slowly accelerate so that both groups are going approximately the same speed when they meet up. If the rear group is still a bit faster, the front group can simply jump on the back of the pack as they pass. This really isn't a hard thing to do so long as the front group is paying attention to the rear group's advance.
As for the two abreast vs. one abreast, in general I'm in favor of two abreast, except on high-speed roadways (like that little quarter mile stretch we do when we do the 35-mile Homer Lake route) where I prefer single file, but taking the lane. I'm not sure if it's all that rational on my part, but it makes me feel like I have more room to correct if a car passes me too closely.
Annie
Graduate Student, Stubbs Lab
Institute for Genomic Biology
Neuroscience Program
Medical Scholars Program
University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana
IGB Room 2500
1206 W Gregory Drive
Urbana IL 61801
annie....@gmail.com
615-478-1163
--
Visit the UC Bike Ride web page: http://www.ucbikeride.com
Please read our "Group Riding Primer": http://www.ucbikeride.com/group.html
**********
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Bike ride!" group.
To post to this group, send email to ucbik...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to ucbikeride+...@googlegroups.com
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/ucbikeride?hl=en?hl=en
Eric Gertner
Mar 1, 2012, 10:06:42 PM3/1/12
to ucbik...@googlegroups.com
Annie makes a good point. If a car does pass too close in a double paceline, the car-side riders really have nowhere to go.
Also, some drivers might think the double paceline is rude, in spite of all our well-formed logical arguments.
That said, the arguments for the doublewide option do seem stronger to me.
-Gertner
Andrew Hagen
Mar 1, 2012, 10:35:42 PM3/1/12
to ucbik...@googlegroups.com
Gary,
Those diagrams seem generous in their depiction of cycling. After 20 years of group riding, I've only seen sensible riding only a few times. What I'd expect to see realistically is a drafting pace line stretched double in some places and single in others trailing all the way nearly into oncoming traffic. Once upon a time there used to be a significant bunch of cat 1 racers around here. They played "alpha dog" on rides and when they told a group to slow up, you slowed up. When they told a group to pull it together and ride right, people did. It wasn't bullying, it was training riders to behave sensibly. There hasn't been serious best-of-the-best leading a ride around here in many moons. What makes sense is a group working together. There is no algorithm to being safe on a bike, I believe.
Most riders simply don't trust the wheel in front, beside or behind them. I'd say regular groups need to practice getting tight long before more complex issues arise. People need to ride even bars, not half-wheel each other, ride in narrow formation to cut the wind, not wide enough the breeze goes down the middle of a group blowing everyone all over or hang back 3-4 feet off a wheel which also denies the trailing riders a good draft. Trying to discern a best practice for how to navigate a group across danger zones belies the likelihood that responsive riders which trust each other will ride well and safely.
If riders need to go so hard that their needs outrank that of a group, then perhaps they should be competing.
Again, cyclists should learn to be savvy riders able to ride close, even and at consistent speed while respecting the group in which they ride.
-drew
Those diagrams seem generous in their depiction of cycling. After 20 years of group riding, I've only seen sensible riding only a few times. What I'd expect to see realistically is a drafting pace line stretched double in some places and single in others trailing all the way nearly into oncoming traffic. Once upon a time there used to be a significant bunch of cat 1 racers around here. They played "alpha dog" on rides and when they told a group to slow up, you slowed up. When they told a group to pull it together and ride right, people did. It wasn't bullying, it was training riders to behave sensibly. There hasn't been serious best-of-the-best leading a ride around here in many moons. What makes sense is a group working together. There is no algorithm to being safe on a bike, I believe.
Most riders simply don't trust the wheel in front, beside or behind them. I'd say regular groups need to practice getting tight long before more complex issues arise. People need to ride even bars, not half-wheel each other, ride in narrow formation to cut the wind, not wide enough the breeze goes down the middle of a group blowing everyone all over or hang back 3-4 feet off a wheel which also denies the trailing riders a good draft. Trying to discern a best practice for how to navigate a group across danger zones belies the likelihood that responsive riders which trust each other will ride well and safely.
If riders need to go so hard that their needs outrank that of a group, then perhaps they should be competing.
Again, cyclists should learn to be savvy riders able to ride close, even and at consistent speed while respecting the group in which they ride.
-drew
On Thu, Mar 1, 2012 at 7:37 PM, Annie Weisner <annie....@gmail.com> wrote:
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages