First published October 21, 2019
Previously, after a very close encounter with a pothole, I shared a post on cycling calls and signals. This week, after an outpouring of likeminded people who are sick and tired of the lack of social awareness of so many others on two wheels, I’m sharing another extract from Simply Road Cycling, and this time it’s on road cycling etiquette.
We cyclists share an unwritten code of conduct. Knowing this code enriches our riding experience and ensures that we don’t inadvertently madden our fellow riders. The following list, although not exhaustive, will help you avoid unintentional gaffes.
Hill bagging – a rider who does not share the workload at the front of the group and saves their energy to sprint to the top of climbs before other riders is known as a “hill bagger” – often known by far less savoury terms. Hill bagging is a guaranteed way to lose friends and become the least popular member of the group.
Take your turn – it is harder to ride at the front of a group than to ride within it. Take your turn and share the workload. If you genuinely don’t have the strength, say and try again later during the ride.
Don’t be a wheel hugger – similar to take your turn but generally within a small group. No one appreciates someone sitting on their wheel watching them do all the work, especially on climbs.
Half wheeling – is when a rider sits behind another rider but allows their front wheel to overlap the front rider’s rear wheel. It’s dangerous and annoying for the rider up front - don’t do it.
Nose clearing – a lot of people suffer from a build-up of mucus as they exercise. If you choose to clear this whilst riding, move to the side, or preferably the rear of the group, before doing so – no one appreciates being covered in snot!
Undertaking – professional riders pass each other on the left and the right, but they’re massively experienced and not riding on open roads. Always pass people on the outside – undertaking is unexpected and can be dangerous.
Eating/drinking/changing clothing – from time to time you’ll need to eat, drink, or modify your clothing – for example, removing arm warmers or donning a race cape. When you perform these actions, you’ll be sitting up and taking one or both hands off the handlebar. This compromises your ability to react to movements or changes of pace within the group. It follows that it’s good form to move to the back of the group so that your actions don’t endanger your fellow riders.
Loose cannons – you hope that everyone knows how to ride fluidly as a group, but from time to time you’ll encounter riders whose actions are hard to predict and who make sudden and unexpected moves. These loose cannons can be dangerous or, at best, make you warier thus diminishing your enjoyment of a ride. Learn to spot loose cannons and avoid riding near them.
Punctures and mechanicals – from time to time people puncture or experience a problem with their bike. The correct procedure is to call out that you have a problem and carefully pull over to the side of the road. During social rides, all or some of the group will pull over and help the rider. On the other hand, in some instances such as fast rides, the group may continue and it’s up to the affected rider to catch up with the group or make their way home solo.
Regrouping – a group of riders breaks apart when tackling a climb. The following descent is normally a place for riders to regroup. Common etiquette is that faster riders freewheel or soft pedal to allow trailing riders to regroup, and that slower riders make a concerted effort to catch the leading riders.
Being dropped – when a slower rider loses contact with the main group, they have been dropped. All riders have been dropped at some point whether it’s because they are not strong enough to stick with the group or they’re just having a bad day. Most social rides aim to keep everyone together for the duration of the ride, but many other rides will see riders dropped. If you are dropped, don’t worry - it happens. Enjoy the ride home and hope that you’re in better shape for the next ride. If you constantly get dropped, you should consider moving to a slower group or finding different rides within which to participate.
Acknowledgements – normally when a rider passes another coming from the opposite direction, the riders acknowledge each other with a simple signal such as a hand raised from the handlebar or a nod of the head. You will, however, find that in areas where there are lots of cyclists, people simply don’t bother acknowledging each other. There are no hard and fast rules of when and when not to acknowledge people – you just have to go based on feel.
I hope you enjoyed this refresh of the unwritten rules of group cycling. Please feel free to share liberally and help make all of our rides safer and more enjoyable. And, remember, if you want to boost your riding skills, Simply Road Cycling is packed with tips and advice that will boost any rider’s skill and performance.
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Photo Credit: Jonathan Borba