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This morning, I kept with my Sunday tradition and headed out for a long ride. I normally ride solo or with my friend who also rides, but this morning we decided to join a few guys from the local bike club who were riding 50 miles.
Solo rides are a great part of the cycling experience because absolutely nothing beats cruising along and looking at the scenery, or attacking a climb at your own pace and intensity.
On the other hand, riding with a small group of friendly riders can be even more fun. You cover ground faster, meet people, and experience the thrill of a shared effort.
This morning was actually my first real “group ride!”
It was a blast, but it didn’t take me long to figure out there there are certain rules that you need to follow when riding with a group. I was the newbie, but I definitely picked up on them pretty quickly!
1. Do NOT overlap wheels!
When wheels overlap and “bump”, it’s usually the rider in the back that goes down. We had this happen twice and it wasn’t a pretty sight. Luckily it didn’t happen to me!
2. Communicate with other riders
• Point out objects in the road
• “Elbow wave” to pull off front
• Use hand signals for:
– Turning
– Slowing for traffic signals
– “Expressing yourself” (I am talking about showing your feelings to an asshole driver).
3. Look ahead
- This is pretty self explanatory.
I also learned that we were doing something called a paceline.
We did a single formation.
According to Bicycling Magazine:
When carried out properly, a paceline is an effective tool for a group ride: It enables cyclists to share the work of pushing through the wind. When performed poorly, the formation becomes counterproductive. "Most people are never taught the proper way to ride a paceline," says Ray Ignosh, a USA Cycling expert coach based in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. "So they make the same common mistakes that eventually become habits." Whether you’re riding in a single or double formation, try these tips for taking your pulls and pedaling in line.
It definitely made the ride A TON easier during a few of the windy segments. I started to feel tired around mile 40, but having the other guys around me for encouragement really helped me dig deep the last 10 or so miles.
All in all, it really was a great ride and I met a few great people.
I liked it so much that I am riding with them again next Sunday 
Have you ever done a group ride? Did you like it? Or do you prefer to go solo?
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{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m not a cyclist, but on the running trails near me there are special bike lanes and I see cyclists all the time! To be honest I just thought they biked together in a group — I didn’t know there was a code to follow — pretty interesting!
Holly @ Couch Potato Athlete recently posted..Back to Normal Life
I would’ve toppled over, I’m sure
Interesting about the pace lines….didn’t even think of the wind factor. But it sure makes sense!
Thanks for your comments on my blog! That first one had me roaring (about the moan)
I look forward to reading more — great blogging!
LOL. I am not usually that raunchy in a comment, but it needed to be said
I’m on a cycling race team. I get the crap kicked out of me on a weekly basis! The guys are really great at keeping the paceline together on the way out (at like 22 mph….oof), but all bets are off after the turnaround.
It’s great this time of year, because most of the guys’ cardio fitness is down. When I hit the front, I’ve been dragging them pretty hard. This won’t last more than a week or two, I imagine.
Oh, and in Illinois, you better believe that echelon formation is super important. It’s a windy mofo here pretty much constantly.
Luckily my cardio fitness is the best it’s ever been in my life
congrats matt on your first group ride!
KALLI! So excited to reconnect with you
I posted My TOFU Pumpkin Pie Recipe today.
xoxox
Kathleen
Kathleen @ KatsHealthCorner recently posted..Does Your Breakfast Make You Amazing
It looks great
Hey this is random but on your pizza post you mentioned needing the nutrition. I know you got it but for future http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php?process=resubmit&count=56
this is a great website!
that cycling group sounds awesome!!
I’m not experienced with riding .. but when I do go for bike rides I usually go with a friend if it’s around the neighborhood or by myself at the bike path.
Julie @ Lettuce Choose Healthy recently posted..Strangest cake I’ve ever made
Wow, that sounds so complicated! Just hearing you talk about riding in a group makes me nervous – I enjoy casual biking, but I don’t think I’m cut out to be a cyclist. I think that’s great that you had so much fun with the group. As far as running, most of the time I love being alone but some of my best runs have been with people, so a little bit of both is nice for me I think!
I’m so glad to see that it’s actually possible for a fellow experienced runner turned newbie cyclist to break into the world of group cycling
! I’ve been adding some more serious cycling into my training routine and just got myself a respectable road bike, so now it’s my turn to man up and figure out this “biking like geese fly” thing. But congrats to you!
What kind of bike did you buy? Are you interested in triathlons?
Well done man! Even if you are only with one other person, you can still draft which makes a fun game of pulling and drafting
Sounds like a lot of work
I’m loving all these biking posts! I’m an experienced runner and know how to ride a bike, but I’ve never really done the group ride thing before. This is so interesting! It makes me nervous for joining a group though. All sorts of things I don’t know.
Are you interested in more biking posts in the future?
Definitely! I’d rather read about it first than crash on my first group ride or bonk because I forget to eat
Beth recently posted..Four Courts Four Miler- Race Report
We have some great riding groups in Orlando, and every time I think about joining them…I panic about the riding rules! Thanks for this.
You just gotta bite the bullet and give it a shot
Trust me, riding with a group is a blast!
Nice info! I have never ridden with more than 2 or 3 other people. Truthfully I have always been intimidated by group riding. Sounds like it could be fun though!
Laura (LunaChickRuns) recently posted..Chocolate thunder
This was my first group ride, but I loved it! Met some cool people!