Guest Article: Get it together
It is my great pleasure to introduce this guest article, penned by my long time friend @Rob. I’ve know the lad since we were both in short pants. We both discovered cycling as something more serious than transportation at the same impressionable age. For Rob, his discipline gained from martial arts, his fearlessness on the bike and his innate enjoyment of the pain cave made for a potent Pot Belge* of a bike racer. His cycling career progressed up through the categories, high enough to see the rear wheel of Steve Bauer and throw his bike alongside Davis Phinney.
He has taught me many bike handling skills, including the pleasure of riding shoulder against shoulder in a casually deliberate manner, a skill of mine sadly lost through lack of group riding. Some may even have the pleasure of riding with him at the 200 on 100 Cogal this summer.
Yours in Cycling,
Gianni
—
The Worlds are long over, summer up here is a distant memory and now it is that bitter time of year where the life of a seasonal cyclist descends to the third or fourth level of trainer/spinning hell.
While the late fall kilometers are still fresh in the little gray cells, I would like to remonstrate my fellow riding companions. No names will be used. Many I do not know, many deserve no criticism. I am the first to acknowledge that cycling is not intuitive. One can ride for years, be an animal, comfortable at 29kph for many, many kilometers and still do things wrong – like be in such a bad position on your bike you can never go faster than 29kph.
So what am I exorcised about? I speak of good riding habits or put another way, the Art of the Bicycle. I was taught it by others who showed me and sometimes explained to me but more often I saw that this was the way to do it and only later did the reason and logic become apparent.
One is told, “don’t overlap wheels.” It’s simple- you the overlapper, will find yourself face down as the overlapped happily disappears in the distance never having felt a thing, wondering why it got so quiet behind. You can overlap and sometimes I do -but usually on the gutter side of the road and I’m always ready to bail right into the gutter or deal with my wheel connecting and I’m ready to throw my weight left on the disconnect.
If you have any doubt about what I am talking about or if you are not comfortable riding 2 inches from the gutter or edge of the road and are not comfortable looking 2 -3 bike lengths ahead as you keep your line while doing this, then do not try this at home. Do Not Overlap.
I was not a pro. I am not an expert. I have a long history on the bike and these things are just the foundations of good riding. How do you explain, “keep your line,” “stay close,” “be smooth?” These are the things that all my companions in the summer pace lines should know. Most of them are riding strong and well but there are subtleties that a few are missing.
Eddy, Fast Freddie, hell, even Sean in Ireland with no tracks (I don’t think?) would have learned these things before puberty. I do not blame my paceline friends, they have very little reference. There are so few role models, clubs, tracks, and training races, that they are not at fault. In fact most of them deserve huge praise for being out there at all. I had it easy- I was introduced to a 3 time Olympian and he rode morning training rides with me for the better part of two summers. Tuesday and Thursday training races and later group rides with teammates were constant practice.
If I have any point to make here it is that although I was brought along by others, I still trained myself to be smooth, ride close and keep a straight line. So next time you are in an informal paceline and you’re having trouble with those skills, go home and practice them. If you see the kid/adult next to you in a 2 up paceline who isn’t comfortable and is hanging out in the middle of the road, let the rider know they want to get comfortable next to you, shoulder to shoulder. Perhaps you explain as you ride, that if your shoulders and forearms are touching, it’s OK because that way your pedals or handle bars won’t get tangled, which really would suck.
Learn to ride between the white line and the edge of the road (4-6 inches – easy) better yet- learn to ride on the white line – for miles, casually without effort, because if you have to try, you are still not there. Do you really have a round pedal stroke? No, really? Can you stay smooth as you accelerate? Do you know how to look through the legs, under or around those in front, to be aware of the road even before the guy in front of you is? Can you sprint and look down and back between your legs to see who is coming up on you (or if you’re Cav, who you’re dropping) without changing your line so you do not get DQ’ed?
None of this is rocket science but it is, as I said above, the foundation of our sport. Many here are already one with the V. Pass it on to those guys in your Tuesday night rides who don’t yet see it. One last thing- my skills are still being polished and I do not think it ever stops, because riding has a habit of catching you out when you least expect it. To me that means I will always keep learning. Part of having experience is passing it along to those who do not have it so that. as they say, we can keep the rubber down and be safe.
*Again, a disclaimer from the Velominati Legal Department, the term “Pot Belge” is being used here as a descriptive noun only and in no way is a reflection of @Rob’s cycling career.
@bc
Your post has been deleted. Welcome to the community, but in the future, please focus on content and not meaningless posts such as this one.
If all experienced cyclists had Rob’s humility, the “roadie prick snob” stereotype would not exist. Well said!
Alright, which BMC rider didn’t get the memo about everyone wearing matching black leg warmers AND overshoes? Tsk. Seriously though, I heart the BMC kit – I think the red pixelated bits merging into the black looks very sharp.
The issues pointed out by Rob are one of the main reasons I stopped riding regularly with the “come one, come all!” local club – tons of sloppy riders with questionable bike handling skills, and I witnessed plenty of close calls and bonehead riding. There were also some great riders as well and a good group of ‘old timers’ types to learn things from, but the positive didn’t often outweigh the negative.
So now I’m an orphan that mostly rides alone. Though I may start tagging along with @Scaler911 soon…
I have never been on a group ride. in fact I don’t know any one who rides(in the real world)
I truly prefer to ride alone, but eventually I do want to do some group riding. Every time I go to my LBS, the owner reminds me of their weekend shop ride and sells it exactly the way Rob is talking about. being a good rider is more than just fitness.
@mcsqueak
Tights? Gack!
@RedRanger
Group riding adds a whole extra level of pleasure to cycling, IF (and only IF) you are in the right group. Find a group (if you can) that’s a little stronger than you are, and someone in that group to show you the ropes. Most club rides welcome new riders, stay away from those that don’t. Until you know the ropes, keep your mouth shut and learn. If you get dropped, keep going and maybe you’ll catch back on. If you keep getting dropped, keep trying. Eventually you will become a better, stronger cyclist, meet a bunch of awesome new friends, ride more and have way more fun.
BTW, riding the white line is excellent practice, but if you’re on a busy road, you can always ride with a bar end over the white line. You get almost the same practice, but you can stay out of traffic a little better.
PS Great post, Rob.
Part of whats so great about that post is how rich it is and how short it is.
Is it just me or is this post dripping with the spirit of Rule #72? T’rffik stuff, Rob. And stoked that you’ll be a part of the Vermont trek. Looking forward to basking in the aura of such wisdom.
I swear to Merckx that I’ve actually yelled “Rule 59, dammit!” in the middle of a ride. And I’ve done that when around other riders too. Ark.
Great post, Rob. Reminds me of the club I used to ride with. First ride I had absolutely no idea – was just invited to Jon in by a rider I met on the road. An older guy rode up alongside and quietly pointed out the basics – speed, direction of rotation, and suggested I just watch and learn. So I did. Many rides later an even older guy was introduced to me – the club president, who’d been cycling for about there hundred years and had thighs as wide as my waist. Which he used to good effect to outsprint me. But before doing so he mentioned that the increased popularity of cycling was an odd thing for his generation to observe, as when he’d come up it was only for the tough and competitive, and while he thought the influx of enthusiasm was fantastic it was obvious that some folk had a lot to learn, and although he welcomed the additional numbers he knew that some of the other old-timers were less delighted. I couldn’t help but think that a message had been delivered in the nicest possible way: ‘Ypu’re welcome to ride with us, but you still have much to learn, so stay alert and don’t fuck it up.’ Eyes open, mouth shut.
I’ve been on a road bike for just over a year. Until today I didn’t know what I don’t know. Thanks, Rob, for the enlightenment. Thanks to the Velomanti for furthering my education as a cyclist.
Thanks so much for contributing even more to this place, Rob. Very fun to read.
This article got me thinking about all the characters in the group I ride with.
-The hairy little ape-man who gropes his noisy machine with his elbows poking out like a football player and climbs out of his bike when he’s off the saddle-scares me
-the Rule #59 breaker I hate getting stuck next to or behind but who is strong and pips me from time to time (pisses me off to no end),
-the old nostalgic who’s a decade older than the oldest dude in the group but is a true aesthete, Velominatus, and fun to lead out because he gets it and it makes him feel that old spark,
-the local hardman who truly is hard, a Velominatus, and does more than his part in organizing echelons and time at the front,
-the evolved ape-man who’s just like the above guy but is Rule #33 compliant,
and various other sundry types. It’s a good group and I’m honored to ride with them every Tuesday.
@Marko
Wonderful article. Many of the articles here at Velominati are geared (no pun intended) to how important it is to look “pro” at all times. Rob’s comments are priceless for those who are relatively new on road bikes, and sometimes forget there is more to being “pro” than just looks.
thanks rob superb article, as the first race of the season looms on to the horizon it’s easy to be distracted from the art.
All that we can do is put in the miles on the road, the place we are most comfortable and get a bit more comfortable
@mcsqueak
Amen. Too bad the folks I have up my way to group ride with mostly fall in the knuckle head category. They are also “old timers”, my age but with a few more miles in their legs. Unfortunately, they focus more on riding side by side to gossip, and stringing out a line so motorists trying to pass get pissed off. Much safer to ride alone, or with my son where we are able to focus on holding a line and and devloping that smooth transition to taking a pull. Besides, the token “chick” on the group ride is a dog magnet. Have been riding a route for the last year and never known all of the dogs that live in the backyards until the 1st time I rode with her. An eye opener to say the least but a good opportunity to get in some sprint intervals. Still, I miss the opportunity to ride frequently in a grupetto so it is nice when I get on the meteric ride and find a compatible group for an hour or so. Merry Christmas everyone!
I’m always amazed at how hard it is to correct for speed in the paceline smoothly so that one isn’t braking and drifting into the wind to slow back down. All those hours in the dark basement on the trainer working on threshold and muscular endurance and all that shit doesn’t do anything to teach that art. A 4 hour ride losing a little by little from over-compensating adds up. I love me a sufferfest hour, but…
One thing I wish I had been taught early on, is that you don’t have to blether when you are in a 2-up line – as a newbie, I assumed it was rude to rumble along and ignore the guy or girl beside you – in fact, I eventually discovered that riding in silence, and fully concentrating on maintaining your position accurately, is the essence of the sense of involvement
I’ve found with new folk, just like I did, they seem to feel that need to chat, which doesn’t help their line – I wonder how one can help them relax and focus on the ride, as a road to inclusion? Not easy to do – some elders seem to feel barking instruction is the way to go – that nearly put me off
All part of the process I guess, bit like the first day at school, or a new job
@Marko
That is a beautiful image, OK, a funny image beautifully rendered.
Many a funny moment spent on club rides with George, the LBS owner, ex-racer, who actually raced against Rob. He was always drilling us in the double paceline, how to meld back into a single paceline when traffic was coming up. When someone didn’t do it right he would pull us all over and curse at us, again and again. He was highly frustrated and I was highly amused. Oh I miss that.
I hate to inflate the egos of @Marcus and @kiwicyclist, but Melbourne has an incredible cycling community with tons of people who know how to operate a paceline (single or double) and keep a steady speed as a group.
On almost any morning of the week, you can join a ride that operates with almost military precision.
In contrast, Spring in Seattle is full of clueless teams who occupy the full width of two-way bridges and are generally oblivious to the other riders coming at or past them.
@GottaRideToday
Yeah, and that’s not to say I wasn’t one of those stupid riders myself – we all start at some point, and I’m certainly still very young in my “cycling life”. But eventually after a summer and fall of group rides, I started getting annoyed with people who couldn’t (or wouldn’t) signal or point things out, who couldn’t keep up with the a relatively normal pace (16-18 mph average) on flat ground, things like that. And as I would get to know people and actually trust them and feel comfortable riding with them, new people would join, they’d leave or whatever – and then I’d be riding with a whole new set of folks who I have no idea if they can handle their bike around me or not.
What I did like was the old guys who would lead the groups, and one dude in particular who I’d try to ride with. Always fast as fuck for being 60+ years old, and always ready to yell if someone was being an ass or give a complement if they were riding well.
I think group riding is certainly important aspect to growth as a cyclist, but finding the *right* group can be a challenge.
ALL – THANK YOU. I was very nervous about this post, as a newbie to the written word on cycling, you have all been very gentle and kind!
I am not able to give proper replies now to your thoughts and comments but will do so in the next day. I look forward to it and again, thank you.
Every one have the most peaceful and joyous Christmas with a new bicycle as a pressie and to those of us who get the 8 days of Chanukah I hope every day has cycling gear/kit!
Great post. on my next ride, tomorrow, i shall ride the white line, and be thinking of this post as i do.
@RedRanger
You are in Tucson? Is your LBS Fair Wheel Bicycles? This is not your starter group but I know there is a monster group (100+ riders) ride every week but something to work toward. Really you want a few trusted friends to ride with, or riders who will become good friends. If there is trust between riders then drafting up close and riding elbow to elbow becomes efficient and fun. Wheels will touch, people will swear, someone might go down but it’s all fun.
@Gianni
No, its not Fair Wheel. I did consider buying from them but I wanted to go with a smaller shop. Fair Wheel is a weird mix, they sell some real boutique stuff along side Trek. My shop is fairly new and only sells road bike.
That ride your talking about is called The Shoot Out, considered the oldest group ride in the US. They get some top level riders showing up including pros. I dont know that I will ever get to that level.
You have kids ?
They are aboout 8-12 years old ?
They are already cycling ?
LEARN THEM THOSE PACELINE STUFF !!!!
At that age, they will just listen to you and do it unlike teen or adult, they wont ask why do that, they will just do it. Shoulder to shoulder riding, getting pushed in the back, pace riding, single file , echelon, double rotating paceline. My coach did so when i was 11-12. Now i am 20 and those are not something that can be questionned, They are the rule when you ride. As for the follow your line and be smooth, strangely bmx and single track were always fun thing to do to train those two thing.
@sgt
I rode “The White Line for a few miles straight yesterday on a nice, outdoor ride. I never could do it before for any length of time but now, after many hours on the narrow rollers, it felt like nothing yesterday.
Rollers might not be the actual rode, but man, they develop riding skills.
@Rob- I am humbled just reading you article. I am fit, but have few of the skills you describe… Time to keep learning. Thanks for reminding us of the finer points of riding and racing.
By the way, Rob, anyone who leads off an article with a Hercule Poirot quote is alright by me.
I look forward to meeting you and riding with you on the 28th of June next year!
@otoman
Yeah, perfectly said. When a dude with that much juice is that mellow about it, his points will always be easily understood.
@Dr C
Yep. Just because I’m riding next to you doesn’t mean I want to talk to you. A few pleasantries, then I tend to dummy up. And if the group’s too chatty when I’m on the front, I know it’s time to turn the screw a bit. ;-)
A Merckx,
Rob. Great post & something that I have noticed over the past 14 months since I made my comeback from retirement. Guys on Pro Tour level bikes that can’t hold a wheel, drift out into trafic when they try to have a drink, cut infront of you when doing over & through & so on. The best one is when they stand on the pedals to ride up a hill and their bike shoots back into your front wheel as they have no idea how to climb. Cycling might be the new golf, but at least in golf you don’t have to worry about other road users or trucks punishing your mistakes. I have been told to “f&#@ off” when I have offered advice, so now I just shut up & watch these fools on their wasted bikes. Makes you think there should be a boot camp or training requirement that these guys could attend to teach them the finer points. No instead any one can ride a bike & give all cyclists a bad name!
@G’rilla
True that. Aussies are as casual as people get but we take our sport very fucken seriously.
@sgt
Touche!
@roche kelly
It is true that you have to find the right group but peopel have to go along with the right attitude.
Clearly Rob and others here have done that but some people turn up to the local club ‘A’ ride and either feel annoyed that they can’t keep up or think they are being patronised with advice.
It’s not that hard – plenty of websites have a section on ride drill and etiquette, and all you have to do is sit at the back of the group for a while and see how it is done.
I love group riding but you can only really enjoy it when you are with people you trust and who have a similar objective.
A good read indeed!
I am fortunate enough to have started riding road bikes after riding on the track for a year or so. My club is pretty full on and wouldn’t let me motorpace or race with the others until significant proving had been done.
I’m by no means a master, but no-one ever really is – you never stop learning.
I think a lot of bunch riding problems stem from the fact that its a lot easier to get fitter than it is to get smarter. Riding by yourself is ace, I love it, but some things you can only learn riding 3cms from 3 other people at 40km/h in the rain.
You can win (some) races with smartness when you don’t have the fitness.
@ChrisO agreed. You have to sus out your group, and more importantly let them sus you out first. Trust is earned over time.
@ChrisO
Word.
Amerckx rob: great one
+1 to mcsqueak, big sarge and marko
I was a douche when i began, didn’t ride with an ounce of souplesse, hit the chickenbones at the drop of the hat and did stupid stuff unknowingly.
so choose your group wisely, like you choose your roads
here is a deal though, no matter, the overlapping of wheels will occur. Its inevidible on a 100k ride, 150k ride or whatever…you will find yourself if your rotating through, overlapping. The key is if your in a good group, or better, a great group of guys/gals, you can overlap…and be careful…drift back and not go freak everyone out and cause a pile up because of nervous nelly.
flow….
@sgt
Agreed. I was out on a pretty big group ride a month or so back (2-3 different local high power teams involved), and a dude that was interested in joining our team lit up next to me and started talking. And talking, and telling me about his workouts, and his 10 second power output, and max HR (see where I’m going with this?). Point being, say “Hi”, then show me, don’t tell me.
Great article @Rob. I was taught the same way as you. We would actually take our Bike #3 out to soccer fields and practice leaning on each other, pushing each other, sweeping wheels. If you were at all sketchy in the bunch back then, the very least you’d get is a severe tongue lashing, publicly, but more likely, you’d get a head butt. Teaches you fast.
Great one Rob!
I would like to reply to all of you because as usual the crowd here has nailed much of what I brought up. The only point that most are making that needs attention is my supposed humility. Hey you are not humble if you have nothing to be humble about – Gianni is a totally biased old friend who would get excited if I got 5th and he has the picture to prove it (of the few ever taken it is my favorite). My palmeres were at a very regional level and just because some guys on the way up stopped by to do the little races does not mean I joined them then or later on the podium.
Both on the road and here in this article it is hard not to get preachy about the subject of bike handling and road etiquette . I have found that although I’d love to give commentary often it is always best to wait until some one asks, has a problem or is a complete d-bag and then there is no holding back.
Mc S, Red ranger, Sgt
When you are with a group of mixed talent pick the best wheel if you get stuck behind some one shaky get off as soon as is safe. Group rides are one of the best ways to push yourself and an A ride can be race like training so if you are in the B ride skills wise occasionally try the A ride and just sit in the back until you no longer get dropped!
Steampump
Rule #72 is the nuts! And I have started my routine for Vermont so with a little luck I should finish in under 18 hours… Really looking forward to it more the group and challenge than the actual miles… as to you basking in any aura it will only be of the smelly type.
Eight Z
Soon when we shout out Rule numbers everyone will know exactly what we are saying – the V is coming!
Gphant
You describe the change from years ago when it was just the team to now when in my very rural area I have the choice of 3 difference group rides. It does mean that there is an influx of newbies but as I said above there is no harm in changing wheels.
Kyle – keep on keeping on, it’s all about the knowledge.
Marko – you have summed up the cast of characters in every group and “fun to lead out because he gets it and it makes him feel that old spark” is me, the old dog who just wants to be there at the end because it is habit and where else would you try to be even if you end up being passed by just about everybody??
Sam – in those early races try new stuff and or pick the best wheel and pretend to be his Siamese twin, good luck.
Gaswepass – I remember the “conundrum of smoothness” and how do I do that? There may be no secret to pass on but I do know that looking 2 or 3 riders ahead and subconsciously seeing when their legs let up will allow you to also let up and vise versa when it picks up again.
Dr. C – One thing that works (sometimes) is the gentle chat after the ride. “Hey I might be wrong but you looked a little tense out there, you know if you relax your arms and shoulders the bike will steer itself” – etc. and then throw in “and you might try *STFU too?”
* = Shutting The FU
Buck R – I love the rollers and the thing I miss the most from the day was winter roller racing – not on stationary bikes but your own fixed track bike on rollers side by side flat out 1 kilo!
And hey if you even know who Poirot is we are going to have a lot to “chat ” about.
Anjin San – Domo arigato gozaimasu!
Roche kelly – sometimes the patience to wait for the right moment pays off and when the connection is made I have found that often the guy/gal is very appreciative.
Rhys – am very jealous of your track start it should be THE requirement for all beginning riders!
Souleur and Scaller experience is the final teacher, like you I too went out to that field and then when shit happened I at least was prepared. The first time I overlapped badly in a race when the disconnect happened I was ready for it from that practice session – to this day I am slightly proud that I did not go down…
and you know the head is a great bike riding tool as any sprinter will tell you!
@All thank you and Merry Christmas.
Thank YOU Rob. As a relative newbie to road cycling (bought my bike in July) there are plenty of articles here teaching me how to look like a pro. Your article gives invaluable advice on techniques I should learn so I can ride like a pro.
Have a very merry (and safe) Christmas.
Rob, as for the fixed track bike on rollers, did you cyclocomputers to gauge your distance and go on honor system? Sounds like an awesome idea!
@Buck Rogers @Rob
They still do that sort of thing here, called Gold Sprints.
@doubleR
Thanks and safe riding in the coming year.
@Buck Rogers
This was way before cyclocomputers, hey it was before computers! I think we used a new fangled digital read out set of clocks from MIT.
@mcsqueak
Is that in a pub with the rollers up on the bar?? Thats the way I heard it was done in your part of the world?
We have goldsprints set up in a bar for the bicycle film festival every year. Usually the bar owners make you do terrible things like shot free tequila 5 seconds before a 300m race. Once that ~12 seconds is over you best have a champagne bucket handy.
Ahhh, fun times. Can’t do this with football now can you.
@Rob
Yeah I’ve seen it at bars and bike shows, either bikes on rollers with the front fork on those stabilizer bars, or specialized “spin” type bikes connected to a screen showing distanced cycled by each person.
@rhys
You know you guys just have way more fun than us puritan types in the North East US.
@mcsqueak
Sounds like fun but I loved that we were riding Kreitler rollers with no stabilizers and it was the quick learning curve to pro like smoothness.
Rob: Where are you from and when were (maybe you stil are) racing? I am a 7th generation Vermonter and went to UVM for 8 years and was racing from the late 80’s through the early ’90’s. My best friend was a pretty strong rider who went on to become a US Pro. His name is Bill McDonnell. Just curious as I have probably been to some of the same races, although I never was better than Cat 3 pack fodder myself!
@Rob
Were you here, in an article featured in today’s NYTimes?
@Buck Rogers
I raced in New England in the early 80’s. Putney (it snowed once) VT was a great spring race back then, Stowe was another through Smugglers Notch – I think I saw god on that climb!
@xyxax
Hey very cool, thanks, thats the kind of roller racing I’m talkin about! I now live in down state NY so I will have to check those out if they have a masters category. Any other Velominati in the area in??
Fantastic post Rob.
I was lucky enough to have a local training ride/race every Tuesday night in my neighborhood as a junior in the mid 80’s. At first there were no separate starts for different classes, everyone raced at the same time and they sorted things out after the finish. I remember being extremely nervous taking the rolling start as a 14 year old kid next to guys who looked as old as my Dad, were hard as nails and weren’t afraid to scream at you when you put the group in danger. It never felt like they were being jerks about it though, just telling you how it was in a way that you never forgot. The ride grew in popularity quickly and within months there were separate races for each class with separate starts, judges etc..
The lessons learned in those first months races shaped much of my understanding of the peloton and have stuck with me all these years. You touched on many of them in this post.
Thanks and great job.