How long are intervals in a chain gang?

phreak
phreak Posts: 2,892
edited April 2009 in Road beginners
By that I mean, how long is a good time for each person to spend on the front before a team mate takes over? Are there rules or do people make it up on the day?

Comments

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    However long you feel like and how strong the rest of the group are...
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,892
    Is there a typical sort of time though? I presume you wouldn't spend 10 minutes on the front each.

    I was looking at this video earlier http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5CfRsmtQ44

    They seem to spend no time at the front at all, it's a constant rotation.
  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    If you haven't done a chaingang before, I think the best recommendation is to turn up and try and hang on, rather than worry about how much work you do at front :wink:
    I like bikes...

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  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    phreak wrote:
    Is there a typical sort of time though? I presume you wouldn't spend 10 minutes on the front each.

    I was looking at this video earlier http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5CfRsmtQ44

    They seem to spend no time at the front at all, it's a constant rotation.


    Yes - it's a constant rotation. As soon as you get to the front - keep moving through until you can move over and let the next rider take over. You shouldn't be at the front on your own for more than 15 seconds.

    Unless you're doing a team time trial - in which case you might spend a little more time on the front. :)
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,892
    :lol: Probably. I was just thinking, because I'm doing a sportive tomorrow and a few friends are doing it as well. I wondered if we could get ourselves organized and ride around properly as a team rather than the free for all you so often seem to get at sportives.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    If it's a sportive, it will probably be a more relaxed affair than if it was a chaingang in the usual sense, you could probably, say, initially try a minute each and see how it goes...
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    If it's a sportive, it will probably be a more relaxed affair than if it was a chaingang in the usual sense, you could probably, say, initially try a minute each and see how it goes...
  • Shezzer
    Shezzer Posts: 229
    There isn't a 'set' interval that you need to aim for. The thing to remember is it's a team effort so the stronger riders may sit at the front longer than weaker riders. Sometimes you feel good and can do more of the work ... other days you feel lousy and just need to accept you may not put in as long at the front. You just need to be honest about it and do what's best for the team.
  • markos1963
    markos1963 Posts: 3,724
    Just do what feels comfortable as most people are stronger/weaker than each other especially in a sportive. On our club runs we tend to rotate after a couple of minutes but a newbie would only be expected to do a few revs on the front just to get used to the process( this is for a slow group) The club chaingangs tend to be much more organised and flowing as the riders are more evenly matched, the pace can be quite high and its expected that a rider will keep up or be dropped( which will happen if you loose the wheel)
  • softlad
    softlad Posts: 3,513
    technically, a 'proper' chain gang is strictly 'through and off' - the only time you spend on the front is when you come through and then move over to let the next one through - hence why it's called a 'chain' gang. The killer is the effort and overall speed, as opposed to any time spent dragging the group along....
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    markos1963 wrote:
    which will happen if you loose the wheel)

    If you do that then it is highly likely that you will crash. If you just lose the wheel in front however ;)
  • eh
    eh Posts: 4,854
    the slow group was doing 23-24 along the flat, and you would have to do 25 to get past the group to go on the front, I didn't understand it

    You aren't wrong there, if you as an individual need to go faster than the group you are doing it wrong.