First club ride tomorrow - tips?

nasahapley

After a lot of vacillating over whether to join a club or not I'll be going out on my first club ride tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to it, but I have absolutely no idea as to how to ride in a group (and I'm all over the place when I'm out by myself!). For instance - is it the norm to ride together on the flats and then have a free-for-all up the hills? And are there any universally recognised hand signals I should look out for?

I'll probably end up hanging off the back of the group most of the time, but all tips are welcome, no matter how basic/obvious they may seem!

Cheers
N

Monty Dog

Best to stick to the back of the group until you understand how the group rides. Groups usually ride in two abreast 'through and off' i.e. the front pair take a turn for a while and then drop back the line to take up position at the back. If you are sticking to the back, leave a gap in front for the riders dropping back so they don't have to come round you. There are numerous handsignals - the basic ones are: Left hand placed across the back and pointing right - obstacle on inside, move right. Right hand waving across to the left - move-over to the left, often due to oncoming traffic on narrow road and need to 'squeeze'. Left or right hand pointing down at the road - specific obstacle e.g. pothole. Left or right hand palm down to the road - rough surface. Finally, right arm, palm-down waving up and down - slowing or stopping. Good luck and have fun - remember not to overlap wheels with the rider in front, or half-wheel - he moves out, catches your front and you're on the floor!

willbevan

hmm thanks for the tips as well!

im going for my first 'social' ride with a local group come thursday night, so will be interesting and fun!

BeaconRuth

I'm sure Monty's right that some clubs do ride "through and off" but I've never come across a social clubrun that does. It's quite possible that the leader, those who know the route and/or those riders who are the strongest will migrate to the front and everyone else just falls in behind.

The most important thing IMO is to ride consistently and in a predictable way for the sake of those around you. If you're in a group with others behind you then never jam on your brakes hard, try to follow a straight line and point out potholes for those behind you. Try to ride 'tidily' two abreast, side by side with another rider.

But don't worry too much - watch and listen and pick up how the others are riding and follow suit. It's not difficult and if you make it plain that you're new to that type of riding I'm sure someone will soon give you some advice if you need it. Have fun and come back and tell us how it went!

Ruth

Panter

I did my first ever club ride today 8)

I'm a complete newbie too.
I just asked how it was done, and kept to the back and watched everyone else.

It was awesome fun, just make it clear you've never done it before and go and enjoy 8)

Cheers

Chris

duckiciao

I crashed on my first club ride

Its not recomended you do that.

andyp

Some sound advice so far. One thing I'd add - let the people who are there know that you're new to this and would like some advice on how to ride in a group. Hopefully then someone will be kind enough to give you advice as and when you need it during the ride.

I hope you enjoy it.

nasahapley

Cheers for all the advice! Doesn't sound too complicated really, 'reckon I'll just have to concentrate a bit more than I usually do. I'm pretty sure that there's going to be a notorious, hellishly steep climb en route as well, which should be a laugh...

Anyway, I'll be sure to post again tomorrow!

nickcuk

Does everybody soap each other down after the ride - or is that just a joke on the newbies by my local club ?

stevejmo7

Like Ruth, I very much doubt if it's a 'normal' club run (as against a training run) that it'll be through and off, it should be a steady pace. Another couple of things to above - car up means vehicle approaching from behind (i.e. up your ....), car down down means vehicle approaching from the front (i.e. down your throat as an easy way to remember which is which.) Both are just warnings to be wary - may be a single file warning depending on the etiquette of the club. Also if they call hole from in front, pass it on - means anything from a hole to stone, log etc, depending again on the club. Together with this they may call on the left/ centre/ right (of your lane), and inside can mean there is something on the road or a pedestrian on the left. Also take a spare inner or two and a pump rather that have to put others out if you puncture on your first run. Good luck, don't forget to take a fiver in case there is a cafe stop.

xover_runner

Another obvious one but if you puncture, shout out "puncture" loudly and they should stop. If you don't shout straight away and you're at the back they will disapear over the horizon very quickly.

Careful when you take a drink, its very easy to run in to the back of someone if you aren't concentrating and both hands aren't near the brakes.


Group rides are the best fun you can have with your clothes on IMO, get involved!!

stevejmo7

just thought of another - if you have to get out of the saddle on a hill, give an extra push on the pedal first just to aceelerate a bit as you tend to have a momentary drop of pace as you stand up which can lead to the guy behind running into you. Let us know how it went !

ricadus

Just keep your eyes and ears open and you'll pick up the essentials as you go.

Garry71

I had my first club run a couple of weeks ago with Beacon in south brum. I was with the beginners introductory ride, and they had to stop twice to let me catch up on the hills lol!
The only tip I can give is to avoid smoking 20 cigarettes the day before!
By the way, thanks to Ruth for hanging back with me even though I had to walk up the last 30 feet on one hill :oops:

Then later on I dropped out of the ride early :oops: :oops:

Garry

sonicred007

Garry71 wrote:

I had my first club run a couple of weeks ago with Beacon in south brum. I was with the beginners introductory ride, and they had to stop twice to let me catch up on the hills lol!
The only tip I can give is to avoid smoking 20 cigarettes the day before!
By the way, thanks to Ruth for hanging back with me even though I had to walk up the last 30 feet on one hill :oops:

Then later on I dropped out of the ride early :oops: :oops:

Garry

Did you enjoy it still? :?

Bronzie

stevejmo7 wrote:

Like Ruth, I very much doubt if it's a 'normal' club run that it'll be through and off

I think that MontyDog just meant that riders take turns on the front, rather than riding "through and off" where riders change on the front continuously like a conveyor belt - normally on our club runs, riders will move up on the outside line (furthest from the kerb) and spend 5-10mins on the outside front before yelling "change" then moving over to inside front for a further 5-10mins. This way, everyone gets to ride on the front on the way to the cafe.

We do occasionally ride proper "through and off" on club runs, but the speed is kept very steady so nobody gets dropped (well, that's what's supposed to happen anyway ahem :oops: ). This is great training for anyone new to riding on a wheel and in a group.

A decent club run will keep the speed steady and will adjust speed to that of the slowest rider on climbs - however if someone is very much slower on the climbs and they do get dropped, it's probably better for the group to slow up over the top of the climb and wait for the dropped rider - good practice if another rider at the back stays with the dropped rider and helps pace them back to the group (especially into a screaming headwind - ahhhh, the joys of winter approach!).

It is extremely "bad etiquette" to push the pace up climbs or "half-wheel" the other rider on the front with you (that is to ride so that your front wheel is further ahead than the other rider). This is doubly the case when the other rider turns out to be an ex-GB squad rider who could have eaten you for breakfast when they were in their prime! :oops:

BeaconRuth

Garry71 wrote:

I had my first club run a couple of weeks ago with Beacon in south brum. I was with the beginners introductory ride, and they had to stop twice to let me catch up on the hills lol!
The only tip I can give is to avoid smoking 20 cigarettes the day before!
By the way, thanks to Ruth for hanging back with me even though I had to walk up the last 30 feet on one hill :oops:

Then later on I dropped out of the ride early :oops: :oops:

Hey, Garry, you didn't drop out early. You actually did what we intended - that is, to go straight to the cafe - but some of the others wanted a few extra miles, so we promptly got a bit lost and everyone else from the hill-climb had left the cafe by the time we got back there!

You did absolutely fine for your first ride with the club, it's hard to know what to expect until you try it. Keep getting out for rides as much as you can and you'll get stronger gradually. Everyone has to start somewhere.

Ruth

Monty Dog

As others said, I didn't mean through and off in a racing sense, just riders peeling off after a turn of 5-10 minutes - obviously depends on the type of group and what's normal practise and on all but the most social of rides, I'd expect a degree of 'taking-turns'

nasahapley

Time to don my sackcloth and ashes...

After receiving so much good advice from you all it pains me to say that in the end I didn't make it out with the club today. Basically just felt crappy as soon as I got up and, having had glandular fever quite recently, I didn't want to take any chances. It's doubly galling as it was such a beautiful day; I bet we won't have another weekend as good as this one for a while

Oh well; next Sunday's only seven days away!

Ste_S

I normally feel slightly hungover and usually have had about six hours sleep when I chip up on mine. Great fun !

Probably a wise move though on your part not going if you're still recovering from glandular fever.

Panter

Sorry to hear that, roll on next week 8)

emaichael

nasahapley wrote:

Time to don my sackcloth and ashes...

After receiving so much good advice from you all it pains me to say that in the end I didn't make it out with the club today. Basically just felt crappy as soon as I got up and, having had glandular fever quite recently, I didn't want to take any chances. It's doubly galling as it was such a beautiful day; I bet we won't have another weekend as good as this one for a while

Oh well; next Sunday's only seven days away!

Owell, why don't you find out how far these guys in your club do... so you can go out during the week on your own, or with a couple of other people etc. and get the distance done the club ride will be, in advance, so your well prepared! it's always nice to know you can/have done the distance already.
i live 15miles from where my club meet up to set off on the ride. so i have to cycle in, then set off normally straight away with them (god help me i will die someday) then after doing about80-90miles on the club ride i have to get home....alot of long hills home hehe. so if any of them wonder why i dont have that last extra sprint in me, this is the reason. i carry about 6bananas with me, hehe.
what hurts your legs will just make them stronger.
take in a few extra breaths of air if you know a hills coming up, then you will have more oxygen in your blood to cope with the lactic acid build up quicker! works for me.
and stick about half a foot behind the back wheel of the guy in-front, 20%more efficient. (slightly aside of the wheel so if he brakes you don't go into the wheel)
good luck, have fun. (i find i don't feel like going on club rides on some weekends, but i know il regret it within about 2hours of when i didn't get up for them) I live in the IOM. lovely hilly place.... lots of pot-holes.

Garry71

sonicred007 wrote:

Garry71 wrote:

I had my first club .....
Garry

Did you enjoy it still? :?

Apart from my low level of fitness, it was very enjoyable. It's much better riding in a group than on your own as you've got some company and more motivation to try a bit harder than you normally would. Plus I got to see a hill climb competition and some nice carbon bikes!

Garry

Garry71

BeaconRuth wrote:

Hey, Garry, you didn't drop out early. You actually did what we intended - that is, to go straight to the cafe - but some of the others wanted a few extra miles, so we promptly got a bit lost and everyone else from the hill-climb had left the cafe by the time we got back there!

You did absolutely fine for your first ride with the club, it's hard to know what to expect until you try it. Keep getting out for rides as much as you can and you'll get stronger gradually. Everyone has to start somewhere.

Ruth

Hope you didn't get lost too badly!
I'll be giving the next intro ride a try, just hope I can cut down the fags enough to make a difference. The main reason I bought a racing bike was to help cut down on smoking, and it worked for a couple of weeks, so I knowit's possible if I'm in the right frame of mind.
Thanks again, and hope to see you soon.

Garry