Have you had a close call like the one in the video below on a group ride? We have a solution to avoid this!
Group rides are a ton of fun but also can present some dangerous moments for the riders on them. The biggest challenge of a group ride is quite simply, the group! Anytime you put different people, of diverse experience levels, and who have different agendas together, you are gonna have chaos.
But it is just that chaos that brings the adrenaline that we are hooked on. However, there are ways to manage the riders so that mistakes that cause crashes can be avoided.
In today’s blog I am going to share a very simple way to help your group ride a mistake that causes many crashes. If you watch the video I show an example of the mistake and then my solution for preventing it. *At the end of the article I show a video of an example of the right way of doing it.
The big problem arises when two or more riders are entering and turning through a corner next to another. Things get dicey when each rider choses a different time to cut into the turn, takes a different line, and exits in a different location. This behavior often results in the riders in the turn running into one another or having a close call. Or, this behavior can cause chaos with the group who are trying to follow as they do not know who to follow. This cloudy decision making lends itself to irregular braking which either causes crashes or splits in the group behind.
The solution is a CINCH! When there are two or more riders entering a turn, give the rider who is positioned on the inside of the upcoming turn the right of way. This often looks like the riders positioned to the outside of the rider on the inside dropping back a little bit.
While giving the inside rider the right of way, the riders to the outside do their best to follow the line into the turn of the inside rider. I say “into” the turn as this is really the critical point. When you watch my video, you see the common mistake that is made where the outside rider chooses an earlier entrance into the turn than the rider on the inside. This “chops” the front wheel of the inside rider.
Once the riders are inside the turn, it is more about focusing on tracking the line you are on and trying to follow the path of the inside rider. If you are unsure of the ability of the inside rider you simply leave more room entering the turn. Do not ride super close to the inside rider if you are unsure of them. Giving the space on the entrance to the turn with the intent of closing the gap in the exit of the turn.
Finally, the big thing about this tip is to establish a predictable plan of what to do in each corner entrance. Even the pros in the Tour de France use this way of thinking by really watching the riders who are on the inside of each turn.
Give this a try and hopefully it will give you a little more direction and security in your group rides.