Welcome to the forum
Riding through races
Just a quick note to say that it was noted by more than one rider this morning on the F14/25 time trial run by North Road CC that they came across a group of riders from Ashwell who were all over the place on the course.
If you happen to find yourself riding in the same roads as a time trial or a race it's important that you keep as tidy as you can and let the riders with numbers on their backs pass as safely as possible. They will most likely give a (very loud) shout if they're approaching at speed. If you're on the same roads as a road race and see a car with flashing lights come past my advice would be to pull over and get off the road completely, you may suddenly find yourself usurped by 80 riders going very fast. If this isn't possible, single out and keep close to the curb until the race passes.
At no point should you try and ride in the bunch of a race, or sit on the wheel of a time triallist. Not only is this exceedingly annoying but it's incredibly dangerous!
If you happen to find yourself riding in the same roads as a time trial or a race it's important that you keep as tidy as you can and let the riders with numbers on their backs pass as safely as possible. They will most likely give a (very loud) shout if they're approaching at speed. If you're on the same roads as a road race and see a car with flashing lights come past my advice would be to pull over and get off the road completely, you may suddenly find yourself usurped by 80 riders going very fast. If this isn't possible, single out and keep close to the curb until the race passes.
At no point should you try and ride in the bunch of a race, or sit on the wheel of a time triallist. Not only is this exceedingly annoying but it's incredibly dangerous!
Comments
I would say, though- if it was one particular rider complaining about the 9.30 group, I was there and fairly near the back, so had a good view. The group was actually reasonably tidy given the surprisingly large turn out this morning, but it was unfortunate that the moment he reached the group was on the s-bends, so it probably wasn't as tight on a straight, but certainly wasn't 'all over the place' - rather than 'assertively' (/aggressively?) shouting at riders to get out of the way, he could have shouted that he was passing on the right, but in the heat of his effort, a certain amount of frustration is excusable I guess... Just hope he didn't come across any horses or angry drivers during the rest of his ride..
Is there any kind of notification system that time trials are happening on a local club's patch? We could have avoided that road easily enough if we knew in advance...
Just like with any other slow moving vehicle on the road - like a tractor or horse or road roller or forklift or steam-vehicle (of which we passed 4 going out) or slow moving police/VOSA vehicle - the road user approaching must make every effort to slow down and abide by the highway code when attempting to pass.
1: we are all sharing the road and 2: we're the vulnerable ones. If you're riding on the circuit of a bike race you should know that the racers are not going to stop for you. Although this may not seem fair it's just how it is. That's why when we put on the races we have lead cars and motorcycle marshals to keep the riders safe.
Last season I rode a race that was on a course out in Essex where a sportive had been put on on one of the main roads on the circuit, only maybe half a mile of the course clashed with the sportive but it caused mayhem on pretty much every lap. Sportive riders getting caught up in the bunch (of around 70 riders) and sitting in suddenly getting caught out because of either quick accelerations or the realisation that the sportive course went straight on up the road and the race turned left. If you can imagine being caught up in that mess you can see why sometimes it's safe just to get out of the way.
I know that some of you will read this and be put out by it, after all we all share the road and we're all cyclists, so why should some of us have higher priority on the road than others? I would just ask you to use your judgement and stay safe, even if it means a slight disruption to your ride. Training and just riding are very different things to racing a bike.
As it was, we only saw one rider on the course who unfortunately met us on the corners at the bottom of the hill. The road is however two lanes there and as Dave and Nat have said we were pretty tight so would have been pretty easy to over take.
Maybe as Dave suggests we should flag it up on the forum if races/TTs are going on at the same time as a club ride.
Completely agree with everything!
I just feel that the false accusation against a really well managed group needed to be defended against.
Too many people, honestly, Will… I think an amazing testament to David as the ride leader that he kept (and always does) the group tight, tidy, and safe… And going in the right direction. A positive (and frankly, rare) problem for a club to have.
A bridge ride, when appropriate, between the 8am and 9.30 club run would make a lot of sense … 9.30clubride+ … It would deal with the large difference in abilities and often too-large numbers … There is a ride ‘beneath’ the club ride but (a great problem to have) there are now so many strong cyclists in the club run that there should be one above it when appropriate (the 8am is too big a jump for many so not an option)… I remember when the club ride stats were 35 miles at 15mph max….. and I was getting dropped most weeks! I don’t think human physiology has changed in 7 years so it makes you wonder how ‘new cyclists’ would fit in to a 45 mile / 16-17.5mph club run. It would be unfair and backwards-thinking to ask the riders who now have years with the club (years improving their cycling) under their belt who are perhaps faster than newer riders to slow down… So perhaps the club ride as it stands becomes the “clubride+”, and a new 9.30 club ride is formed for the less strong, and new/potential riders. Nothing technically changes it just gives the now large group of stronger club riders the opportunity to cycle without coming under criticism.
I would offer to help with a clubrun+ ride, now that I’m back into riding (woo), but I’ve had a few solid 10 hour weeks under my belt now so I am going to start riding at 8am/sunday9am again, which was always my goal getting back into this, and hopefully not get blown out the back 30 miles from home!!
Mark Wyer’s session really should have a lot of uptake - there are a lot of riders who aren’t happy riding bar to bar (because it’s never been taught to them as a possibility - so naturally why would you) and that really is, I think, the biggest concern with how the club looks to other road users. All too often there are riders 2-3 feet away from the rider on their left and it looks v untidy / is a hazard / etc etc etc. Also the huge responsibility riders at the front (and back) have for the safety and fluidity of the group - potholes, obstacles, potential hazards, oncoming vehicles, speed and gradient changes, being aware of power effort in relation to speed, the person on the outside subliminally noticing upcoming rough road on the left and preemptively moving over to give the inside line space… There’s loads to think about that is only learned over years of experience … or sessions like Mark’s. Bar to bar riding, and constant reminding / prompting of this on the road will solve most ‘tidiness’ issues on all rides. I don’t think a lot of riders know what “keep tight” actually means.
Ps nice time.
Ideally if the group is bigger than 12 riders it should be split into two groups. I know this is not ideal, but it's the safest thing to do. Remember that although it's annoying for us, as the vulnerable road users it's more important that we consider what does happen as opposed to what should happen in the majority of incidents with other people on the roads.
Learning to ride bar to bar and on the wheels is simple, pretty self explanatory really, you just have to practise to get used to looking up, seeing hazards up the road and feathering the brakes instead of anchoring them etc. As you say, the more you do it, the more second nature it becomes. I haven't been out with the club in some time but from the last couple of times I was out I seem to remember that some people's idea of tidy isn't maybe as tidy as it could or indeed, should be. The general impression given by the experienced club rider and racer who went past the group was not one of it being particularly tidy.
Regardless, we are by no means the least tidy of groups out on the roads and it's good to see that people are keen to make the club runs safe and enjoyable. If you see a race heading towards you though, probably best to get out of the way!
And he's a first cat!