Road racing etiquette?

tommy_tommy

I dabbled with a few road races over the years without any success. I usually got dropped in the first few miles so never really took an active part in the racing.

This year after a good winter and early season brutal turbo sessions my fitness has improved and I have been able to hold my own in the 4th and 3rd category races. In the last few races, I found sitting in the bunch reasonably comfortable so I attempted a few turns on the front. I was surprised how aggressive and tetchy it can get at the sharp end of these races.

Two instances I recall; in a handicap race no one was really working so I put an effort on the front. I heard a few shouts from behind and I glanced behind and noticed a gap had opened between me and the bunch. I was not sure if the shouts were directed at me, or those who did not follow my wheel, I was unnerved, so sat up and dropped back into the bunch. In another instance, 2 riders were about 20 –30 meters off the front so I attempted to get across to them. Again, a lot of shouts from the bunch. I have no allegiance to any team and it very unlikely I am going to ride way into the distance. I am still not n any position to win these races but cruising around in the bunch for an hour or so with one sprint at the end seems a bit pointless.

Are there any unwritten rules that I am unaware of?

gandhi

The only unwritten rules that count are safety based. Other than that it's annoying when you drop a wheel, but it's fine to do it if you want (e.g. you want to drop someone who's struggling so you drop the wheel in front then sprint back to it).

In lower cat racing there's a lot of shouting and moaning - as people get better they tend to also get quieter. It's mostly just nerves and you should ignore it.

sheffsimon

Its your race, race it as you see fit, within the bounds of safety.

If no ones working and you ride off the front, thats up to you, personally I would ignore any shouts and moans, or drop back and tell 'em to "get some f***ing work done then". You tend to get more of it in handicapped races because the groups are supposed to work and chase the group in front. What can happen though is people coming through and then not easing a bit to drop in front, making the rider who was just at the front chase to get on the wheel. which isnt ideal.

Bronzie

Just a thought, but they could well have been shouting at the guys on the front to chase you down rather than shouting at you. The really gobby ones in races are usually the happiest to sit in and let others do the pulling.

LSJ

Hello This is my first post in here.

The way you descripe the to cases, I see as ify ou are just racing. That is what it is all about. The "shouters" are, as often said the ones who doesn't do any work them selfes. They are often people who is racing in a handicap above their level. So thererfor I see nothing wrong with what you are doing. But maybe you should be in a different handicap group??

If it's just a normal race (don't know the english word for it), then in order to get a good placement in the race, It's your way to drop the competition. If they can't keep up, you win the race... simple !!


Lars


PS Sorry for the spelling and language, but English is not my first language :P

alan_sherman

Sounds like you hammer through rather with the pace higher than it was. This is OK if you want to attack and get off the front, but if you do for gods sake don't just blow up a minute later!
If you are just trying to keep the peleton rolling along smoothly and take your turn then go through smoothly, good group riding is all about smoothness, no sudden accelerations or decelerations, no sudden changes of line (especially in corners). Everyone in a group relies of the others in the group for their safety.

I shout at people who hammer through too quickly when it is their turn on the front. This just spoils the rhythm of the group doing bit and bit, leading to gaps and actually slows the whole group down. Attack, take your turn smoothly, or hide in the group. Anything else is just playing silly buggers and bad etiquette

tommy_tommy

Thanks for the replies. Some good points. I suppose a handicapped race on a flat circuit removes some incentive for the 3rd and 4th cats riders to work too hard. I think most riders were happy for the fast group to catch up and then jump on the back of this group and have a go a the sprint. Which is exactly what happened. When the 3rds and 4ths joined the fast group the increase in pace was noticeable but most of the lower cat riders still held on. This leads me to believe that if the slower group could get organised and work together they would have a chance of staying away.

Lots of riders were flying off the front of the slower group early in the race only to come back a few moments later. I have to admit to being guilty of this on a few occasions. In hindsight, I can see that this approach is quite pointless on flat courses. Maybe, the shouts in my direction were justified. So for next, time move through slowly and try to keep the pace consistent and help keep the bunch moving swiftly. Lesson learned.

nolf

alan sherman wrote:

I shout at people who hammer through too quickly when it is their turn on the front. This just spoils the rhythm of the group doing bit and bit, leading to gaps and actually slows the whole group down. Attack, take your turn smoothly, or hide in the group. Anything else is just playing silly buggers and bad etiquette

Sorry but I've done some races where I've been trying to disrupt the chasers (friend in the break) and I've been abused by complete numpties who don't have a clue. "why are you attacking so much?!" "umm duh...?"

Only do work if it matches your race objectives. If you're in the front group try and stay there by working hard, but once your caught do as little as possible.

TBH I ignore pretty much all of the shouts by so called wiser people. Most of them are rubbish.

If you're not doing something dangerous then the shouters should just man up and get over it.
Going through too fast? Help yourself you'll just burn out faster.

Just stay safe and near the front, try some proper attacks to spice things up! It's what makes racing exciting!

BigDarbs

Ride your own race... end of story.

As long as you are reasonably safe (and there is an inherent risk in racing anything) then just do what you feel. Its similar to when Rob Hayles attacked on a downhill section of a national road race and went on to win, some guys were moaning that its not the done thing to attack on a downhill. Its a race, the fastest guy wins. (rules, safety etc observed of course)

I was in a race when a rider ran wide in a corner and moved over very sharply into my front wheel, I had nowhere to go but avoid him, and the guy behind me was half-wheeling me, so we clashed, he went down like a sack of spuds and a few guys barked at me for causing the crash. Sometime people will make a lot of noise, just ignore the shouting if you are comfortable with the way you are riding, there can be some very jumped up people in road racing. I raced mountain bikes nationally for 13 years and don't ever recall a cross word once. In my first 3 road races I heard other riders arguing, which in one case resulted in them offering each other out for a fight!

shockedsoshocked

nolf wrote:

alan sherman wrote:

I shout at people who hammer through too quickly when it is their turn on the front. This just spoils the rhythm of the group doing bit and bit, leading to gaps and actually slows the whole group down. Attack, take your turn smoothly, or hide in the group. Anything else is just playing silly buggers and bad etiquette

Sorry but I've done some races where I've been trying to disrupt the chasers (friend in the break) and I've been abused by complete numpties who don't have a clue. "why are you attacking so much?!" "umm duh...?"

Surely it's much more disruptive to go through like normal then sit up. Slows everyone down and messes up the rhythm.

Then if your mates get caught attack as hard as you can yourself. Usually people get sick of chasing pretty quick, cos they get an easy ride to the finish once the moves gone.

tommy_tommy

In my first 3 road races I heard other riders arguing, which in one case resulted in them offering each other out for a fight!

I experienced this in a vets race. A couple of old guys suggesting a scrap after the race to sort things. Surely they should know better, still makes me laugh thinking about it now.

Sorry but I've done some races where I've been trying to disrupt the chasers (friend in the break)

In this case, if you have a team mate in the break is it OK to try and attack and join your mate in the break or are you expected to disrupt any chase as you describe. I saw this in one race where one guy was really strong but missed the initial break. He tried to jump across later but his team mates in the bunch shouted at him because they had a rider from their team in the break. This strong rider just cruised around in the bunch, if i was him and had paid to enter a what was a low key race and trained hard, I would not have been happy to ride around doing nothing.

Tom Butcher

I think trying to disrupt a chase because you have a mate up the road is poor form - that's one time when the abuse would be justified.

brownbosh

Tom Butcher wrote:

I think trying to disrupt a chase because you have a mate up the road is poor form - that's one time when the abuse would be justified.

Utter tosh. Thats what team mates are for and depends on the nature of the disruption. If there are only one or maybe two guys wanting to chase your fella down it is perfectly acceptable to sit on their wheels and do nothing slowing the pace as soon as they stop working. They have the choice to keep towing you and everyone else has the choice to get involved in the chase but most of the halfwitts in the bunch wont lift a finger. Gob off all you like but if your legs cant do the talking or you are unable to generate enough interest from the bunch to get some allies interested expect disruption. Let me guess, wont your team mates help you????

Tom Butcher

I wouldn't call that disrupting the chase - I'd call that sitting on a group of chasers which of course is fine. I'm talking about getting in a line of riders who are working to bring a break back and then deliberately stopping them working through and off. What you describe isn't disrupting anything it's just not contributing - different thing.

gandhi

I mostly agree with Tom. It's very annoying when some one is disrupting through and off; I hate it being done to me, and I don't like it being done for me. However, if that's a technique that gets used a lot in the race style (e.g. lower cat crit racing), then I think it becomes a legit move - if others would do it to you, then you can do it to them (and would be silly not to).

Regarding bridging to a team mate: I think it's fine as long as you're not towing the bunch up too. If you attack hard enough you can get out on your own and then bridge. If you have a team mate up front I think the tactic is to do no work that helps others. You can be totally selfish, which is why it's good to have a team mate in the early break in longer races.

Rodrego Hernandez

brownbosh wrote:

Tom Butcher wrote:

I think trying to disrupt a chase because you have a mate up the road is poor form - that's one time when the abuse would be justified.

Utter tosh. Thats what team mates are for and depends on the nature of the disruption. If there are only one or maybe two guys wanting to chase your fella down it is perfectly acceptable to sit on their wheels and do nothing slowing the pace as soon as they stop working. They have the choice to keep towing you and everyone else has the choice to get involved in the chase but most of the halfwitts in the bunch wont lift a finger. Gob off all you like but if your legs cant do the talking or you are unable to generate enough interest from the bunch to get some allies interested expect disruption. Let me guess, wont your team mates help you????

Sorry but this is bullshit. It seems to only be in low category british races where people think that this is acceptable. Try it in any decent race or abroad and you'll seen be picking the grit out of your elbows and knees. If someone wants to chase, let them and be ready to attack if the break is caught.

DAVWOD

I'm in the same View of Alan Sherman ,but can I say it's off putting to new road racers when they bawled at. My advice is get some experience with the TLI Races and enter a lower
cat (with the wrinkly's) you will learn more about road racing with them - and you wont get shouted at.

knedlicky

Tom Butcher wrote:

II'm talking about getting in a line of riders who are working to bring a break back and then deliberately stopping them working through and off.

Surely this nevers works more than once or twice when it’s just a single rider doing it (as appears the case from the earlier post), because many in the group automatically decide to keep the guy off the front, or even drop him if the opportunity arises, either because they become savvy to what’s going on, or if not, simply for the sake of rhythm, like is sometimes done with a rider who can’t keep the rhythm for innocent reasons?
If someone does give it a go, though, I wouldn’t judge it ‘poor form’; it’s a competitive race after all, not a Sunday outing amongst friends.