Riding in a group requires heightened awareness and some degree of coordination with your team: When riding in close proximity, it’s easy for something as small as a touch of wheels or a water bottle popping out of a cage to cause an accident.
Here are some fundamental group riding safety and etiquette tips to help you maximize the enjoyment of the social aspects of a group ride, plus an intro to pacelines, the apex of group riding.
Communication
It’s more than calling “On your left” when passing. There are a number of verbal and visual cues to ensure everyone is safe and connected when riding in a group.
- Braking/Stopping – Use the “braking” hand signal before you begin braking. Give riders behind you an opportunity see that you are slowing so they can follow suit. You can also call out “Slowing” or “Braking” to ensure you have others’ attention.
- Turning – Use hand signals to indicate which way you’re going to turn and always look before you make your move in case someone is overtaking you or hasn’t seen that you are turning.
- Road Hazards – Pointing out hazards on the roadway, such as gravel, broken glass, and storm drain gates, gives riders behind you a heads up when you are obstructing their view of the road ahead. There are some specific hand signals for certain hazards, but in general if you make an effort to point out a problem before you get to it, you’ll do your fellow riders a huge favor. You can also couple this with verbally calling out out the hazards (e.g. “Glass!”).
- Vehicles – If a vehicle is approaching from behind, calling out “Car back!” lets cyclists ahead of you know so they can adjust their road position if necessary and aren’t startled when the car passes by. For cars approaching from the front, calling “Car up!” offers the same warning for riders behind you. This is particularly helpful for corners or hills where forward visibility is limited.
- Intersections – As you approach an intersection, call out “Clear!” to riders behind you to let them know it’s safe to proceed once you’ve confirmed there is no oncoming traffic or pedestrians. The rules of the road always apply (i.e. stopping at stop signs/red lights), but at uncontrolled intersections or where you have a yield sign, this will help keep bike traffic flowing and safe.
- 8 Cycling Hand Signals – A visual guide to the most common hand signals for cycling.
Safety and Etiquette
In addition to communication, how you ride in a group increases the safety and enjoyment for everyone.
- Stay Alert and Be Predictable – There is always a chance something will cause you to suddenly brake or serve, but in general you should avoid erratic changes in speed or direction. Keep your eyes on the road ahead and stay aware of the riders around you to help minimize the chance you’ll find yourself needing to make sudden and potentially dangerous maneuvers.
- Pace – Most casual group rides naturally adopt a “no-drop” pace, where everyone watches out for each other and ensures nobody gets left behind. The group may break up bit at times (e.g. on hills, if someone flats a tire) but it always regroups sooner than later. If there are specific expectations for the pace, such as wishing to go faster/slower, make sure that is established before you start riding so to ensure everyone is comfortable with the ride.
- Road Position – In general you should ride single file in the city, leaving ample room for motorists and other cyclists to pass on your left, but keeping yourself out of the door zone on your right. On trails or quiet roads you may have space to ride side-by-side, which makes it easier to have a conversation and offer additional aerodynamic assistance to riders behind you (see Pacelines below).
If you are able to ride abreast of each other, keep your handlebars aligned and avoid “half-wheeling” (getting your bike ahead of the rider next to you). This has a tendency to speed up the overall pace as the adjacent rider accelerates to match your position. - Braking – Unless it’s an emergency, avoid braking hard and in general try to stay off your brakes in order to maintain a consistent speed in the group. Stop pedaling and try to sit up to reduce speed. All it takes is a moment of inattention and a touch of wheels to bring down every rider behind you in a colossal pile up, and a rider suddenly slowing down is a common cause for this.
- Take Your Turn at the Front – Even if you’re not riding in a formal paceline, you get some aerodynamic benefit riding in the slipstream of the rider in front of you. Put in your fair share at the front of the group to set the pace and give everyone a chance to spin a little easier.
- Global Cycling Network “How to Ride in a Group” – Great video primer on group riding, including etiquette for mechanical issues and when/how to spit during a group ride.
Note: While you’re there, check out GCN’s extensive and entertaining video library of cycling tips and tricks. - CTS Group Ride Etiquette and Skills – Fundamentals for group pacing, spacing, and safety.
Pacelines
Pacelines are a tremendous help by letting riders take turns “pulling” at the front of the line while other cyclists enjoy the aerodynamic benefits of riding in the slipstream. However, this can be incredibly dangerous for riders not familiar with paceline riding, as one cyclist out of position or crashing could take down several riders with them. Here are some tips for riding in a paceline, and resources on how to do it right:
- Practice – Get a group of friends out on the Burke Gilman, Interurban, or a quiet stretch of road and see how a paceline works. You’ll be surprised at how much more you work at the front than you will in the middle or back, and learning how to regulate your speed/power output is key to a safe ride.
- Keep a Safe Distance – You don’t have to be inches off the wheel in front of you to get the advantages of the slipstream. The closer you are, the more benefit you’ll receive, but always ride within your comfort zone. The more you ride with your team, the more confident you’ll feel in a paceline.
- Introduce Yourself – Don’t just jump on the back wheel of an established paceline and start riding. Say hello and ask if you can ride along. If you see a group in matching team kit, they’re probably more likely to decline your company, however in large organized rides, people tend to be social and pacelines organically form along the way.
- Bicycling.com ‘How to Draft’ – Good primer on how pacelines work and getting started.
- Bicycling.com ‘9 Paceline Rules – Expands on the above article.
- Four Types of Pacelines – Overview of the mechanics and movements of the most common paceline formations.