As we near the end of our Winter cycling hibernation, thoughts of warm sunny days, blooming plants and more sunlight are creeping into our heads. We are nearing the beginning of another wonderful riding season and I, for one cannot wait. The Winter doldrums have really hit us all hard this year with record snowfalls and frigid temperatures. As we approach the Spring of a new riding season, I would like to remind everyone of our guidelines as they apply to any recreational rides a BVC member plans to participate in. Most of these are common sense practices, but we can always use a reminder to keep things fresh and ready to go. These are the same guidelines and safe practices I covered in the last club meeting if anyone missed them.
- Helmets are required on all club rides. I can personally attest to the benefit of wearing a quality helmet during a crash. This should be a no brainer (no pun intended hehe)
- Lights should be clearly displayed front and rear on any rides during the hours of dusk, dawn, or nighttime. This is actually a N.C. law, but anything that allows us to be more visible to drivers is a good thing.
- Ride leaders and sweep riders. These are the go-to individuals for any particualr ride where we may be in a large group of mixed speeds and/or abilities. Should you have any questions regarding the route, feel that you need to rest, or make a quick exit back to the starting point, please ask one of these individuals. They should be clearly introduced prior to the ride's beginning.
- Trash: If you take any kind of food, gels or other such items and consume them on the ride, please keep your wrappers in your jersey pockets until you find a trash can or return to the starting point. We are all stewards of our hobby and the environments we ride in. It is our responsibility to keep them clean and show that we set a good example for others.
A quick 101 course on pacelining:
Pacelining is the style of riding where groups of cyclists will "single up" one behind another to increase efficiency of the group and occasionally they may ride side-by-side or staggered depending on the group dynamic. Riding in this fashion is much safer and easier on your body than attempting to ride alone. It takes a bit of practice and an increased sense of awareness to master this, but it does not take too long. Here are a few tips to help you out:
- Peripheral vision is key. always scan your immediate area by using your peripheral sight lines. This allows you to not only concentrate on your task, but take in as much of what is going on without moving around too much.
- Always try to watch at least 2-3 bikes ahead of you. The rider directly in front of you may not see what is coming up as far as obstacles, or if the group slows down. Try to anticipate what may happen by occasionally glancing ahead a few riders.
- Stay to the left or right of the rider's tire in front of you. There is no need to ride directly behind the person in fron to of you. It is just as easy to find the draft pocket by staying a bit to the left or right of their rear tire. Just be sure to let them know if your front tire will block them from making an evasive maneiver if the need should arise.
- Notifying riders behind you of obstacles in the road, or group changes. clearly declare if you should see, or hear another rider call out, for dogs, holes, trash, glass, walkers or if the group should begin slowing or stopping. The same holds true for notifying those in front of any vehicles approaching from behind. Yell out "CAR BACK" as loud as you can for others to move out of the way.
- Notify the riders in front if someone starts falling off the rear of the paceline. We don't want to strand a rider that may no know the route.
As the ride(s) progress, pay attention to a potential weak rider and try to help them stay with the group, or at least stay with them until you catch the group.
Lastly, prepare yourself and your bike for mechanical failures along the route. At a minimum, you should have a spare tube, pump (or CO2 cartridge), cell phone, ID, a little cash and enough food and water to sustain you until the next rest stop.
Enjoy your rides and, as always, keep the rubber side down.
James
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