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Tuesday, 20 January 2009 08:59 |
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The following “riding etiquette” is taken from www.bilbys.org/pdf/bikeetiquette.pdf, the list is a pretty good guide as to what is expected of riders during an event or training ride.
- Be predictable with all your actions.
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Maintain a steady straight line and avoid braking or changing direction suddenly, especially if contesting a sprint. Remember that there are riders following you closely from behind.
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Point out and call out any road hazards ahead. These include potholes, drain grates, stray animals, opening car doors, sticks or stones, parked cars, etc.
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Do not overlap wheels. A slight direction change or gust of wind could easily cause you to touch wheels and fall.
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Be smooth with your turns at the front of the group. Avoid surges unless trying to break from the bunch. A group will travel quicker when turns are completed smoothly.
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Avoid leaving gaps when following wheels. Cyclists save about 30% of their energy at high speed by following a wheel. Each time you leave a gap you are forcing yourself to ride alone to bridge it. Also, riders behind you will become annoyed and ride around you, especially if the bunch is working together to break away or catch a break in a race.
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When climbing hills, avoid following a wheel too closely. Many riders often lose their momentum when rising out of the saddle on a hill which can cause a sudden deceleration. This can often catch a rider who is following too closely, resulting in a fall from a wheel touch.
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If you need to get out of the saddle during a sharp rise, be sure to change into a higher gear to maintain the same speed and avoid the “dropkick” so you do not collide with riders behind you;
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Do not panic if you brush shoulders, hands or bars with another rider. Try to stay relaxed in your upper body to absorb any bumps. This is a part of cycle racing in close bunches and is quite safe provided riders do not panic, brake or change direction.
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If riding at the front, try to maintain a steady pace, not to slow down on rises and not to accelerate too much when descending, this avoids the “concertina” affect to riders near the back.
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After sprints in criteriums, get off the track as soon as possible. Do not impede riders in other grades who are still racing.
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Rider Etiquette
