What are your group ride pet peeves?

Great thing to remember on a group ride is to maintain the steady pace of the group when it's your turn on the front. Resist the urge to suddenly go faster unexpectedly. Also. it's great to have a ride captain who dictates pace and effort level and sweeps the back for stragglers who are getting dropped.

As an older rider (75+) I was not only at the back, but almost always dropped on any climb . I bought a very good e-bike. Now can not only keep up, but take my turn at least on the flats. It's so much more fun to be part of the group again. The group uses common hand signals, and when at the back, yell "Car back" when a car is coming up on the group.

Ollie screaming easssyyy at 9:02 is my new notification tone.

I Don’t ride in groups, but enjoy your content greatly. Thank you

All really great tips, and all new riders (and even experienced riders) should adhere to these rules. A few not mentioned that I feel are important for new cyclists: 1. If it's your turn on the front, don't wait until you're gassed to get off the front. You probably won't be able to jump on the back and you'll get dropped. Take a shorter turn if you need to, and pull off before you reach your max. 2. If you're the second wheel, don't surge when the lead rider finishes their pull. Keep the pace nice and steady. 3. Practice holding your line. If you're in a group that's riding side by side (double pace line), there's nothing more aggravating to other riders than someone who swerves back and forth, or worse yet, drifts toward you going through a curve. Hold your line. 4. Learn to repair your own flats. If you're on a group ride and get a flat, nobody wants to be there for 20 minutes while someone tries to fix a puncture. Learn how to do it and practice it until you're fairly quick. Your friends will thank you.

LOL, I ride with a group in France. When I moved here 12 years ago I was used to riding as 8n the video. I had to get used to everything being exactly opposite. Passing on the left not pulling out and letting riders move up, never stop for coffee despite having nice boulangeries, occasionally point out hazards but never ever shout out, It keeps me on my game.

Super-helpful, easy-to-absorb content....props always to GCN!!👍I've ridden hard for 38 yrs, including metro Houston, NYC, D.C., L.A., and now Durango, CO (18 years), and had 2 cautionary thoughts, especially for novice riders emulating the awesome riders on GCN. 1) Clearly, the weather is warm in the vid. Warm = flying bugs (and birds!)...sometimes big, and sometimes very fast. And yet, in several shots, some of the cyclists aren't wearing shades!? The "when, not if," result: Peloton chaos and an emergency road-side stop, and God help you if it's a bee, or worse, a wasp. (I've even had them come AROUND my shades, while at speed!) A horsefly in the eye will get you a trip to the E.R. Definitely not good for group-ride dynamics. 2) NOBODY wearing gloves!?! Holy cow. Even the very best riders wreck (usually not their fault, either!) I don't care how tough you are (or think you are!), but after being banged up, and THEN digging road grit, grime, and scree out of the palms of your hands (and praying you brought wipes and water (LOL...not Accelerade!!)...to rinse off!), and THEN trying to ride home bleeding and bare-handed, and THEN having abraded palms for 2 weeks, is bad. A solid "0" on the Fun-O-Meter. Of course, been there, done all that...a looong time ago, but never again. ;-) P.S. Thanks again to GCN...keep up the great vids!👍

Most people should sit further back than 20cm, just pedal harder and give yourself more room for error! Sitting close is necessary for maximal group speed but seen too many friends come off from being too close. And that really slows you down. Sometimes permanently.

Single file pace lines- it’s nice for the last person to tell the cyclist who is falling back from taking the last pull “last”. This allows them to know they can slide back in to the slip-steam.

I love this video. It is not only about cycling, its about working together, good social behaviour.

Pace - as a power meter user i'll keep an eye on output when on the front. Keeping the effort within a range to ensure that the group holds together. It's also a handy reference point for knowing when others are going to hurt on the surge for the cafe!

Getting out of the saddle: you can stand without your bike moving back. You have to think about it before doing it and make sure you are putting down a power stroke as you stand. Yes, it is still good to warn the person on your wheel. But, I also try to make sure I don't move back if I'm in a group.

Super video Manon and Hank!! LOL about the wheel sucker! Love the hand signals with voice! Remember going uphill learning group riding techniques for our CANBIKE instructors course on an urban street near the Pratt's Pond mill stream in Cobourg Ontario. The lead rider yelled "FISH!" and pointed down to a very large dead salmon! A first for all of us! The instructor couldn't believe it.

WOW! Short sleeves and shorts in winter in the UK!! Amazing!!

You don't have to let people know when you are getting out of the saddle. You just have to make that pedal stroke, when you stand, to be a hard one.

Farting on the slowest longest climb is always funny...

Much more comprehensive hints than your last group riding video.

Also, when riding behind someone and you can’t really see in front. Pay attention to the hips and feet of the rider in front of you. This allows you to know when they will be slowing, stopping, avoiding potholes, etc. Hand singles are way better then screaming in A or B group but, be sure to let everyone know before the ride starts.

That road is so perfect. You should try riding like that ( double or single row pace line) around where I live in Berkeley, Cal (northern California). The roads are hilly and pavement is shite. Potholes every 10 inches. Cracks running parallel to the road wider than a tire. and no shoulder. Plus insane traffic and road raging idiots. My favorite crashes were all in pace lines where the leader either stood up suddenly on a small hill, or the leader didnt signal a turn at an intersection. Both times, ride ending. With injuries. Be careful, and don't just go for speed when you aren't even in some stupid race. A paceline is a team, don't race each other.

This is why I often avoid group rides. While peloton riding is handy when riding with weaker riders or horrible headwind for long distance, I will put out the watts/kg riding solo, even at a slower pace but not having to worry about the lead rider not warning the back about roadkill or pothole. Even on group rides I often either stick with another solo rider and chat or hang in the back a paces away from the group.

I think the etiquette when going to stand up is to flick both elbows to warn riders behind!

3:50 That Transition tho so pleasing

Also, make sure it’s clear left and right before you snot rocket.

Got caught in a peloton on a flat ride that I couldn't out-ride. The head wasn't looking and slammed into a runner. Ambulances were called! I ended up with stitches and a cracked molar. I avoid group riding now. Even if the front rider is competent, not being able to see in front of me makes me waaay too nervous to join.

Excellent info, as always. I wonder... including all GCN Presenter/Staff from different countries, what is the biggest group ride you can put together? That would be quite the sight to see!!

Throughly enjoy this video & learnt a few new things. But spent most of my time admiring the bikes, especially the gorgeous Colnago😍

Florian's smile at 2:10 is the same that people normally do when singing the happy bday to them !! Like, what am I supposed to do now ??

Great video guys, love mallorca. Use to train there back in 90s. 😎👍

this video must have been filmed awhile ago, such lovely, sunny weather there

I am 5’4” and don’t enjoy riding with people with legs a foot longer than mine. 😂 i make a point to ride the opposite direction of local groups so all I do is wave.

Very helpful tips. Wish I was in Mallorca!

Great vid. Nice C-68!!! ❤

how incredible you had to go to Spain to make a video cause the weather in the southwest of England is so rubbish...

Hahahah the guy taking a leak at 3:16 😅😂

9:00 I did not expect that :D

Glad to see the Group Cycling video 😇 But, I'm a single cyclist in Switzerland 😅

Getting out of the saddle in a group should be done by CONTROLLING YOUR BIKE not by flapping your hands about. One: this is intrinsically safer; Two: If you are needing to get out of the saddle, taking a hand off the bars will likely make you slow more than just getting out of the saddle, particularly if going uphill; Three: Mainly for racing, controlling your bike means that you stay the same distance from the rider in front of you and you are less likely to be elbowed out of your position.

Be clear with the group that the leader in single file or draft will watch carefully for debris and hazards, and will point them out. I'm still recovering almost 5 months after a crash where the leader did not point out a rock, 2nd guy hit it and went down, I hit his bike and went down hard (5 bone fractures include vertebrae and neck, plus a bunch of other stuff). Don't just assume the lead rider is going to take looking out for the group seriously, talk about it beforehand.

Great advice, thanks, I only ride in a group on my Breeze rides, they do an average speed of 7 mph so can't put much of this into practice :)

For beginners, give yourself a good year or more before you join a paceline or any drafting. You need to be steady and smooth, not unnecessarily freewheeling. I definitely believe even beginners can enjoy group rides; however, read the description closely. Generally, the slower groups will have a "no drop, no draft group."

Using the seatpost of the rider in front is a good visual reference.

my first group ride was me lying about my cycling experience and riding with ex elite-pro cyclists and having no idea how to switch positions 🤣

Group riding etiquette: don’t answer your phone, Manon! ❤

I eat plenty of beans before group rides. Then my mates BEG ME to sit at the back. 😬

I got a nice chuckle at the couple stopped at 3:14 so husband could take a leak. What is the cycling etiquette for that?

Is it worth riding in group formation when there's a fairly large gap between the abilities of the riders? Also, is it worth doing these group ride practices with groups smaller than 4 riders?

It has been about 30 years since riding at all. Started back and went on a huge group ride about 50 people and was a nervous wreck and got dropped lol.

Not a group riding topic... but a gripe of mine is if a rider starts spitting/snotting without checking if someone is behind them... (or on purpose if they think your drafting). Its vile in any case

My first and only group ride and I took the lead position and stayed there until the end. At one point I got lost a little bit and the group followed me. It did not make me a fan of group rides. I want to do climbs my way and descends also.

While bikepacking for three months with two mates, tight group riding and the confidence in it naturally came by itself. Saving energy felt very nice when the wind resistance is high, the bikes are heavy and we're doing it all days long. Eventually we found ourselves going down a mountain in Austria at 60km/h terminal velocity among the cars for 20 minutes on a straight road. It was so much fun! While being in the slipstream I could feel my bike reaching higher speed than my mates in front of me so I naturally had to go out into the road to pass them. That's kind the opposite of what you're doing on the flat road in this video, but at the same time I don't see any other choice unless I want to hit the brakes by sitting up more straight to use my body to catch the wind. We all took turns passing each other like this when we had to because that was more fun. What are your thoughts on long downhill slipstream etiquette?

Honestly I wouldn't rteally advertise answering phonecalls when cycling. I just mute my phone and send a grp text to my family & friends grp I'm on a ride and can't pick up for a while and for the other callers there is voicemail :D

Also if you get a puncture or drop a chain, put up your hand and keep your line if possible. Rather than immediately swinging to the left or right side of the road. Not completely his fault as he was a bit compromised, but I got taken out by a guy who hit a pothole and lost his footing who then swung to the left with his brakes on leaving me nowhere to go at high speed. As he just assumed no one was behind him.

I feel that it is rude to shout loudly. If you see a pothole 20 feet ahead of you, point and speak in a normal voice. Riders two or three behind you will pass the word back through the group. (if they don't, they will gain a bad reputation).....In a race, it's a different story. Some riders (I'll never tell), will ride close to a pothole, to see if others in back of you, will ride into it. (No quarter asked, no quarter given)

Nice

2:11 GCN filming on both sides of the road.

Florient Chabbal seem to enjoy the ride and the English commentator 😅

Hey Global Cycling network! I have a question. I'm a type one Diabetic and I struggle with rides sometimes because the second I start to pedal harder than say a 13KM/h avg my BS tanks. I'm talking starting the ride high at a 12-14 and going below 4 in maybe half an hour. Are any of your team Diabetic? How do other Diabetics handle long rides (50K plus). Do they just eat constantly?

The only issue with your video is the yelling about hazards. Most times just indicating a hazard by pointing is sufficient . Save the loud comments for really dangerous situations. There's nothing worse than a group ride where riders are constantly screaming "HOLE", CAR UP or BACK"

Our group "steady through and off" usually ends up getting quicker and quicker.

I organize unruly, ruthless, nasty group rides of 10-20, and at the end (last 20km) it’s all out until the finish where we are usually only 5-6 left while others dropped or something. No quarter. I never have the map on my Garmin so I gotta stick with those who have it. It makes for a good motivation.

I have ridden behind a person who was excessively sweating. I thought it was raining on a cloudless day. Eeewww.

I always check my speed when I'm second in line. So when I get to the front I continue at the same speed. Sometimes the rider who gets to the front is rested so they up the speed and the rider coming off the front gets dropped. I'm talking to you Tony Jones.

Best strategy: find a rider who is way bigger and much stronger than you. Then go for an easy spin ;-)

There were multiple "last things you want to do" in this video. Surely there can only be one? The last thing you want to do is confuse people.

Very informative 👍

i need to learn this tips :)

Forgot about half-wheeling, my strongest pet peeve of riding with anyon!

My wife always yells at me for getting out of the saddle without telling her on a climb, but she hit the brakes so hard in front of me once that I ended up hitting her from behind and knocking her into the grass and knocking myself out when I fell head-first onto the road (so I'm told - still no memory of the actual event, didn't come to until I was in the ambulance. Thank goodness for helmets!) So I guess we're even? :)

Remember the other riders who are not in the group. Don't block the whole road (trail), go single file around corners

So many “rules” I’ll stick to riding alone!

No half wheeling, ride level with the rider next to you. I'm surprised no one in the video has gloves on! I even go running with gloves on now after I tripped and p ut my hands down to break my fall. 😵

Always signal when I'm in a group. Crap on the road, railroad tracks ect.

I will have to disagree with shouting as loud as you can. this is just going to give everyone an unnecessary panic shouting as loud as you can should only be used when there is real danger.

Thirty percent! How much? Thirty percent! Thirty!

How about learning to stand without doing the drop kick. Drop down one cog, and stand like you are climbing up a staircase.

I have a screen on my nav specifically designed to being on the front. It has the map, next nav cue, and speed. My normal nav screen has different pieces of info like power/cadence, wind, heading etc. but on the front I need to know where we're going and I want to hold a consistent speed.

No comments about considering other road users. A group of riders take up space and can be a dilemma when come across when driving. I ride to work each day on a busy road with a lot of cars and trucks of varying sizes. Not all give the legal distance. I have a rear view mirror. I want to know what is coming up. I don't want to contribute to the anger and frustration people can have about sharing the road with cyclists.

Why dont you ride single file all the time ? Instead of taking up the whole lane and slowing cars ?

Phone call on bike? In Spain it will cost you 200€ and 6 driver license points. Half of all your points.

I'm usually stuck up front, breaking wind. But also the weakest rider with severe asthma.... go figure... I need new friends

Honest question: Leading group of say 4 people in a line formation. Large organized ride like say steamboat gravel or seattle to portland. Catch slower group and start passing on left. Do later riders in faster line yield to slower line if pinched, or does slow line yield to faster paceline if pinched. Honest question. Me as lead, once I pass first rider in other group, I'm committed and cannot see what's happening behind, what should expectation be? It all looks good on paper, but our "Team" has been griped at a couple times for "not leaving enough space" but I honestly didn't think I was breaking etiquette by passing in what at the time was open. Care to educate me? Please be kind, honest question.

Riding in a group is one of the worst things about riding on the road. There's always that 1 rider that takes it way too seriously. Maybe I am just grumpy, but much prefer gravel and MTB where its less structures.

Wasnt this video done a few years ago?

You can get ‘round all these unwritten rules by cycling on your own - it also means cafes don’t have a fit when you turn up unexpectedly and you don’t have to put up with other cyclists. A win, win!

Is there a word for the opposite of wheel sucker? Pulling at the front all the time and riding yourself into the ground too early? That‘s me.

Question - one of the people in our group ride cannot pull for very long (but he tries), and several other riders refuse to ride with him because of that. I still ride with his as do a couple of others. Is it poor etiquette to refuse to ride with a rider like that?

What's the etiquette for needing a right good fart?

1:50 you save 30% less energy than the guys in the front😅

The train 🚴‍♀️🚴🚴🚴💨💨💨💨

A group ride video that did not mention half- wheeling!? Who are you guys and what have you done with GCN?

Was that hand or Hank signals?

Good etiquette would be to leave devises at home.

France is a good place for riding, huh? #justsaying

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

Hole!!! lol

What exactly ORBEA Bike does Hank ride? Which model? Please :)

And don't be the squire in the group 😆

I always wonder what the etiquette is for (possibly) drafting a random rider you encounter on the road? (asking for a friend...)

I don’t like riders who power up on every hill. They are usually the non-climbers.