Signals on group rides

[Greenbank]

I wasn't impressed with some of the group riding skills (or even basic common sense) on the Dun Run. (The folks over at LFGSS got a little pissy at my comments when I mentioned it there but they're a touchy lot.)

I don't enjoy having my rear wheel overlapped by tired inexperienced riders with shit lights; I'm only surprised at myself for how long I let him sit there before I pulled out and along side and had a word.

The only thing worse I can imagine would be moving London to Brighton (or any other charity ride) to be an overnight ride. Try getting up Ditchling when the road is completely blocked and it's dark.

LEL should be much better given that most people will have a clue about group riding, and riding in the dark, even if there may be complications with languages.

[border-rider]

LEL should be much better given that most people will have a clue about group riding, and riding in the dark, even if there may be complications with languages.

Yes, and the big bunches will break up after the first night control anyway.  After that it'll be more like dribs and drabs on he road.

[ibrahim]

a couple of fellers on the recent dynamo kept shouting 'HOLE' every frigging 10 seconds or so... must have been some kind of running gag..

[Chris S]

a couple of fellers on the recent dynamo kept shouting 'HOLE' every frigging 10 seconds or so... must have been some kind of running gag..

We eventually gave up on the Severn Across between Membury and the finish, and started pointing out the few sections of intact tarmac instead... 

[giropaul]

a couple of fellers on the recent dynamo kept shouting 'HOLE' every frigging 10 seconds or so... must have been some kind of running gag..

It's not the shouting I mind, it's the swinging out around holes with no consideration to the rest of the group.

If you can SAFELY go round then OK, otherwise jump it or ride through. Better a knackered rim than a mass pile up.

In Belgian races there would only be one chance to swing round a hole - next time you would be inspecting the verge at close quarters!

[mattc]

The 84-hour lot were reasonably well-disciplined on the run out of Paris.  Much better than the 90-hour group were in 2003, anyway.

The '07 90h start was a bit chaotic. But I reckon the night passed without incident due to the generally immaculate surfaces (if we ignore the central cobbles thru villages, usually lit).

If LEL had a night start, I think I'd stay away from any bunches. I'm expecting typically 'English' road surfaces in the early stages.

[ibrahim]

Believe me, with my steel framed Raleigh and inbuilt potbelly and manboob based dampeners, it'd take some hole to make me swerve.

[Ian H]

I don't enjoy having my rear wheel overlapped by tired inexperienced riders with shit lights; I'm only surprised at myself for how long I let him sit there before I pulled out and along side and had a word.

He'd only have hurt himself...okay, and others behind him.

[Regulator]

a couple of fellers on the recent dynamo kept shouting 'HOLE' every frigging 10 seconds or so... must have been some kind of running gag..

We eventually gave up on the Severn Across between Membury and the finish, and started pointing out the few sections of intact tarmac instead... 

On the FNRttC we simply ended up calling "SURREY!" 

[Julian]

Whatever the group's going to do, it's important that everybody does it.

Damon can see over the heads of the rest of the group - I can't; in a group I'm totally dependent on the rest telling me what's coming.  I can't see hazards, I can't see oncoming traffic and I can't see the top of the hill!  So I may have all my faculties, but that doesn't mean I don't benefit from some collective responsibility.

On TRAT, although the group riding skills were generally very good, people wouldn't pass a call up and down the line - so one person would shout something incoherent and the other end of the group wouldn't hear it.  We also had one who freely admitted to being scared of riding two abreast and one who wasn't scared () but had safety issues with it, so whenever there was a call to double up, we'd end up with two twos and then a little line of four ducklings still in single file.  I don't think it matters particularly which you do, but it's really important that everybody does it.

[Wowbagger]

On Tuesday, when out with the over-40s, I shouted "Car up" at one point, to have some chap come and explain patiently that the norm on rides is to should "Oil up" or "Oil down" as appropriate. 

When Annie and I were out riding with just each other for company, we also developed a code for overtaking one another.

"Coming inside you" mean overtaking on the left...