I was riding at the Green Road out by Suvarnabhumi recently and it struck me that the majority of riders were newbies with no knowledge of the rules of the road, and there were several crashes and even broken bones. There are no instructions at the Green Road on riding safely, so this week is all about keeping safe and the worldwide code of group riding.
Communicate
The most important factor to successful group riding is communication. Make sure you know the meaning of and always pass on any verbal signals through the group. As well as obvious shouts such as "slowing" and "braking", others to be aware of are "car up", meaning there is a car ahead to be aware of, "car back", meaning there is a car behind and "single out", meaning to adopt single file. Be aware there are local variations of these shouts, so use your eyes too. There are a number of hand signals you should also be aware of.
Be aware
Stay relaxed in the group but constantly look around and don't mindlessly follow the wheels. Look past the riders in front to get a heads up of the road ahead. Always look first and let the riders around you know before moving within the group.
Obey the rules of the road
Most events take place on roads that are open to traffic and, even with those on closed roads, there's no guarantee that there won't some traffic on the course, so ride accordingly. Respect junctions and always stay on the correct side of the road.
Ride consistently and predictably
Your movements will affect everyone in the group. Hold a straight line, don't weave and always overtake around the right hand side of the group. Don't grab your brakes and, if you stand out of the saddle, don't let your back wheel drop back. Also, when you come to a feed station, no matter how relieved you are to see it, don't veer across the road.
Don't overlap wheels
In case the riders ahead need to brake, don't follow their rear wheel directly. It's perfectly acceptable and you'll get the same drafting benefit from riding 10cm either side of it. However it's essential that you don't overlap their rear wheel as any sudden movements by them will be likely to bring both of your down.
Drinking and Eating
Practice taking your bottle in and out of the bottle cage WITHOUT looking for it so it becomes natural, the same applies to food in your jersey pocket. Try to eat and drink on the slower parts of the course and not at speed. DON'T slow when you drink and eat as this will cause the rider behind you to crash into you.
Hand Signals
- Hand straight up in air: Group is stopping for a junction, puncture or because there is an obstruction in the road.
- One hand as if "gently patting an invisible dog": Group is slowing down or just ease things back a bit.
- Left or right hand extended out to side: Direction of turn/change in direction coming up.
- Pointing down at road, sometimes with a circling motion: Obstruction on road such as a pothole or drain cover that needs to be avoided. Be sensible with this one and only point out major obstacles. This signal is often accompanied with a call of "below".
- Waving/pointing behind back: Indicates that there is an obstruction such as a parked car or pedestrian and that the whole group needs to move in the direction indicated to avoid it.
Coach JJ is a sports scientist and lecturer on cycling biomechanics at Thammasat University. He can be reached via facebook.com/jj.koolstof or jjcyclingpa@gmail.com
