A Group Reflections

[trevor]

Hey folks.
Some thoughts from my experience riding with the As as of late that I'd thought I'd post. If you disagree, so be it.
1. The chicane on Mt Doug X at Glendenning needs to be ridden more safely. Let's not cut the corner at the cross walk.
2. Let's keep our distance from parked cars at Beacon (everywhere of course) and avoid the risk of getting doored.
3. If you're choosing not to get in the paceline and sit on the back (we all have the right to do so) please just let riders know they need to pull through in lieu of you. Otherwise flow is compromised.
4. If you get dropped at KGT and beyond and then get lapped or find the leaders again, don't sprint against them. I have a good feeling that guys would dig harder at KGT if they knew, truly, that it'd be the end of their ride if they didn't stay in contact. And besides that, it's cheesy.
Collectively the ride is all of ours so I'd love to hear feedback.
Cheers,
Trevor

[Lund]

To Trevor's #4, I would add that regardless of what group you're in, sitting in for 3 7/8 laps of BHP and then reappearing suddenly in the sprint is nearly as cheesy.

Unless you're told otherwise at the start of the ride, chances are you're not the day's protected rider.

[wonger]

3. If you're choosing not to get in the paceline and sit on the back (we all have the right to do so) please just let riders know they need to pull through in lieu of you. Otherwise flow is compromised.

Regarding pace line etiquitte, generally speaking you should not jump from the slow lane into the fast lane if there is a gap. I was cut off three times by three different people on Friday's B1 ride and it seems to be a habit for a lot of people.

There are a bunch of reasons that a gap might exist:
Maybe I wasn't paying attention and the last wheel went by and I'm working hard to catch it;
Maybe the person in front of me can't sustain the pace and I have to go around her/him and work hard to close the gap;
Maybe I'm behind an unfamiliar wheel and I'm leaving a bit more space just in case;
Maybe it takes me a bit longer to make the transition from the slower lane to the faster lane.

In any case, if you're jumping into a bike length gap from the slower lane, you're causing two problems. First, you're cutting me off unexpectedly and forcing me to slow. That disrupts my flow and increases the potential for an incident. Second, you're creating a gap for the person behind you, forcing them to work to close the gap and disrupting their flow.

Having said that, I understand that if we are doing laps around the park and a separation is taking place, people will want to work to not get left behind.

I would suggest that we all stay patient and work at being smooth so that a rolling paceline flows for all of us. If there is a gap that is significant, like a couple three bike lengths, have a good look and point to indicate you are going to move before you go. Just like riding doorman and communicating like Trevor suggests, the more you can tell people what you're going to do, the better. Especially if you are starting a sprint - then I can catch your wheel! Let's keep it safe.