Bike Safety for Group & Mass Event Rides

Group Rides bring out some of the best social benefits of bicycling.  It's fun to ride with other like-minded folks, and you often ride maybe a little harder and faster when riding with others than you would push yourself if riding alone.  Mass event rides also allow us to raise funds for different charitable causes, as well as to show the numbers of bicyclists in our communities and provide a vivid picture of the economic impact that bicycling can have in our communities.

But mass ride events can also teach bad riding habits.  Many rides are scheduled on roads that are closed to other traffic, or which have police escorts and traffic controls which allow cyclists to ride past traffic signals under the police officer's supervision.  But more often, group rides take place on the open, public roads of Arkansas, and we must share and follow the rules of the road just like any other driver.  No traffic law in any state allows cyclists to ride in a mass like a swarm of bees...  such a "peloton" must be restricted to racing or mass ride events where the roadway is closed to other traffic for the purpose of that ride or race.  When riding on the public roads, riding single file (or no more than two abreast) is the law.

To ride safely in a group, you should first be familiar with the techniques for riding predictably, on public roadways, as an individual — such skills as proper lane positioning and emergency bike handling. However, cycling in a group places added responsibilities on each cyclist, so all must understand and practice the principles of group riding.

The Arkansas River Trail or any other multi-use path is no place to stage a fast or mass group ride, or to practice your time-trialing ability.  Be aware, and alert to the needs and rights of other trail users, and always yield to runners, hikers, children, and other pedestrians.  Control your speed when around pedestrians -- "ride no faster than your guardian angel can fly."
     

Riding Two Abreast vs. Single File?

Arkansas has no specific, statewide law which allows bicyclists to ride two abreast. In most cases, you should ride single file, especially where the roads and traffic lanes are narrow (12 feet wide, or less).  In most communities you may get away with riding two abreast unless you are significantly impeding traffic. Only in Little Rock does a city ordinance specifically allow riding two abreast, as long as you

State law is difficult to interpret, and it's left to the police officer’s discretion as to what "impeding traffic" means. It is also unclear as to whether a rider may pass two riders abreast, although logic would dictate that this practice is legal. Under Arkansas law, "impeding traffic" applies only to motor vehicles, but you should not push the envelope on this rule by filling the entire roadway with bicyclists.  The idea of "sharing the road" applies to bicyclists and motorists alike.

Do not ride more than two abreast for any extended period of time. While on a two-lane road, if continual oncoming traffic prevents motorists from easily passing, ride in single file or consider splitting the pack into smaller groups of a dozen riders or less.  Be aware that unsafe passing by motorists can happen frequently when riding single file.

Depending on the lane width, ride far enough from the right edge of the road to be visible, to have adequate maneuvering space, to avoid surface hazards, and to discourage overtaking motorists from attempting unsafe passes.

Riding double file is fun, and on group rides we are eager to get out of town and onto quiet roads where we can double up. Most state vehicle codes permit narrow vehicles to travel double file within a lane. Nevertheless, as a courtesy, we are quick to single up when this will permit faster traffic to move by us more efficiently. “Car back!” is the signal to get into single file. Riding more than two abreast is illegal. Ride single file on busy paths.

When the call comes ("Car Back!") to merge from double to single file, the leftmost cyclist takes charge. The leftmost cyclist is the one most at risk from a passing vehicle, and will usually be quickest to act. Sometimes the leftmost cyclist will elect to drop in behind the cyclist on the right, but usually he or she will pull ahead. Pulling ahead eliminates the problem of negotiating with a cyclist who is traveling in the inside cyclist’s blind spot at the rear, and increases the time available for the maneuver.

Obey all traffic signs and signals! It is important to obey traffic control devices such as stop signs and traffic signals. Cyclists sometimes get into trouble by developing bad habits and stopping only at stop signs and/or signals where they perceive cross traffic. Stop signs and signals are often inconvenient to cyclists, but they are there for a reason. They have been placed at intersections where coming to a complete stop is regarded as necessary for safety; in other words, places where merely yielding is not sufficient. Therefore, in order to safely and legally operate a bicycle, one must come to a complete stop at all stop signs and red or yellow signals.

On group rides, those at the back must not develop a tendency to follow the leader through intersections, assuming that the intersection is clear for the whole group. Remember; don’t follow the herd. Be responsible for yourself when changing lanes and at intersections. Each cyclist must individually look for, and yield to, any other traffic that has the right of way.

In some cases a group ride will be escorted by law enforcement officials. In some of these cases the-law enforcement official might direct cyclists through a signed or signalized intersection. Law enforcement officers and other emergency personnel directing traffic supersede stop signs and traffic control devices.

Do not pass cars or other cyclists stopped at an intersection.  Inexperienced cyclists (as well as more expereinced cyclist who should know better) sometimes come from behind and ride on through while other cyclists are taking their proper turn at the intersection. This is highly dangerous and discourteous, and any observers will mark your group as another bunch of crazy bicyclists who should not be allowed on the roads.
     

Group Riding Skills

1.    Be predictable

The golden rule for group cycling is: Be predictable. Other riders expect you to continue straight ahead at
constant speed unless you indicate differently. This principle underlies all vehicular traffic maneuvers, but
cycling in a group requires even more predictability than solo cycling, since by choice we ride close together.
Newcomers may view this closeness as foolhardy and frightening, but with thoughtful practice they soon learn the pleasure and efficiency of riding as part of a skilled group of cyclists. Remember to ride with traffic rather
than against it and in the rightmost lane that goes to your destination.

o    In a group, your actions affect those around you, not just yourself

o    Riders expect you to continue straight and at a constant speed

o    Signal your intention to turn or slow down before you do so

2.    Use signals

o    Use hand signals to indicate turns and point out hazards to others.

o    Left or right arm straight out to indicate left or right turn.

o    Left arm out and down with palm to the rear to indicate stopping.

3.    Give warnings

Group riding requires an awareness of others. When riding in close formation, each rider must feel a
responsibility toward the riders behind. You must warn of road hazards and of changes in your direction or speed.

o    Ride leaders should call out right turns, left turns and stops in addition to signaling.

o    Announce turns before the intersections to give riders a chance to position themselves.

o    Try to avoid sudden stops or turns except for emergencies.

4.    Change positions correctly

Often we change our position within the group to ride and talk with different companions. Generally, slower traffic stays right, and that is what people expect, so we usually pass others in our group on their left. Say “Passing on your left!” or just “On your left!” to warn the cyclist ahead that you are coming by. Don’t shout too loudly or you may misguide other riders. On rare occasions you will need to move past someone on his or her right. To do this, say “Passing on your right!” quite clearly, since this is an unusual maneuver that must be performed with care. Only do this with the agreement of the other cyclist, and when you are not forcing the other
cyclist into the path of overtaking traffic. 

Look before you make a move.  Never move left or right on the roadway without checking behind you to be sure no one is overtaking you. A good cyclist always looks or scans behind before moving laterally to a different position on the roadway or in the group. Use the cues provided by others in the group, but make your own decision. Remember that safety starts with your making good decisions.

o    Slower moving traffic stays to the right; faster traffic to the left.

o    Pass slower moving vehicles and cyclists on the left; announce your intention to do so.

o    Announce passes on the right clearly as this is not a usual maneuver.

5.    Announce hazards

o    Most cyclists do not have a full view of the road while riding in a group.

o    Announce potholes and other hazards so others can avoid them.

o    Call out the hazard and point down to it, either left or right.

6.    Watch for traffic from the rear

Riders in front often cannot see traffic approaching from the rear, so it is the responsibility of riders in the back of the group to inform the others by saying “Car back!” Sometimes when the road is narrow, when we are riding double file, or just when we suspect trouble, riders in front will warn of traffic approaching from the front with “Car up!” At intersections, if it would benefit those behind, you may announce side traffic with “Car left!” or “Car right!” but it is not necessary to do this if there is no danger. These voice signals, using the word “car,” are standard, and they are automatically and immediately recognized by the experienced cyclist. Use these signals even if the vehicle is a truck, bus or motorcycle. When it really matters — when danger threatens — you want to evoke the quickest possible reaction from your companions.

o    The last rider should frequently check for overtaking cars.

o    Announce "car back" clearly and loudly.  The call, "CAR BACK" is a signal for the group to go to single file so as to allow overtaking traffic to pass when it it safe to do so.

o    It is also helpful to announce "car up" on narrow roads or when riding two abreast. 

7.    Watch out at intersections

When approaching intersections requiring vehicles to yield or stop, the lead riders will announce “Slowing!” or “Braking!” or “Stopping!” to alert those behind to the change in speed. When passing through an intersection, some cyclists announce “Clear!” if there is no cross traffic. This is a dangerous practice that should be abandoned. It encourages riders to follow the  leader through an intersection without determining for themselves that it is safe to do so. Don’t let others do your thinking for you. Each cyclist is responsible for verifying that the way is indeed clear. Remember, it is okay, even recommended, that you call out potentially hazardous situations to other riders, but not okay to guarantee that the way is clear. 

o    The Ride Leader should announce "slowing" or "stopping" at intersections if necessary to yield to crossing traffic or obey a traffic signal.

o    Cyclists should not follow others through intersections without scanning. Don't yell "Clear!" ... the intersection may be clear for you, but it might not be for the guy three or four riders back who may decide to take your word for it.

o    Each cyclist is responsible for checking cross traffic; if you must stop, signal!

8.    Leave room for cars

When riding on two-lane roads with lanes so narrow that even single-file riders impede the normal flow of motorized traffic, leave gaps between groups of cyclists so that motorists (and faster cyclists) can take advantage of shorter passing intervals and can eventually move step by step past the entire group.

o    On narrow road or during climbs, leave space between every three or four riders.

o    Motorists will utilize the shorter passing intervals to pass the group.

o    Good relations with motorists is the responsibility of every cyclist.

9.    Stop off the road

o    When stopping for mechanicals, regrouping, or rest stops, always move clear off the road.

o    Only if conditions permit should you move back onto the road as a group.

o    Always yield to traffic in the roadway.

10. Ride single file

o    It is illegal in Arkansas to ride more than two abreast.  Single file is the rule on most highways.

o    Ride single file between intersections; double up when the group stops at a traffic sign or signal.

o    When taking the lane in order to prevent unsafe passing, double up and take the whole lane.

 

Some other tips (and peeves...)

Don’t Wear Headphones. With the importance of auditory cues (verbal warnings and traffic sounds) when riding on public roadways, it should come as no surprise that most bicycle clubs and tour organizers do not allow riders to wear headphones on group rides. Being plugged into a radio or MP3 player is unsociable on a group ride and seriously erodes the communication necessary for safe riding.

Leave the aerobars at home, or at least stay off your aerobars when riding with a group.  Many riders mount a pair of aerobars on their handlebars in order to get into a more aerodynamic position and cheat the wind when riding alone.  Aerobars are meant for solo riding -- time trials and triathlons, where drafting is not permitted.  Your steering control is much squirrelier when you are down on the bars trying to steer with your elbows, and your hands are a great distance away from your brake levers, should you need to use them.  This makes you much more unpredictable and uncorntrollable when riding in a close group or peloton.  The idea of group riding is to use the group dynamics (drafting & pacelining) to be more "aero" and to ride faster.  At any rate, riding in the pack on your aerobars is unsafe, and even showing up for a group ride with aerobars is considered bad manners in many circles. Use your aero bars only for what they are meant for...solo fast riding.

Don’t Fixate—If you are staring at something (i.e., the wheel in front of you), eventually you’ll hit it! When you walk in a crowd, you don’t stare at the back of the person in front of you…so you shouldn’t ride like that either. Learn to be comfortable looking around or through the riders ahead of you. This will allow you to see things that are developing in front of the group. With a little practice you will be able to "sense" how far you are off the wheel in front of you. 

Don’t Leave Stragglers— If you get separated at intersections, as a matter of courtesy, the lead group should soft pedal until the rest have rejoined. Another note here is that if you are the one who will be caught by the light, don't run the red light to maintain contact. If they don't wait for you to catch up, you may not want to be riding with them anyway. Also as a courtesy to those who may not be able to stay with the group, the pack should wait at certain points along the route to regroup. Especially, at turn points and if the stragglers don’t know the route. Now obviously this is not applicable during a race but we're not talking about a race...No one should be left alone on a group ride.  If you don't adhere to this rule, your "group" will get smaller each week until you're riding solo.

     
 

You wanted some more video, you said? ...

Here we go... (Courtesy of the Florida Bicycle Coalition)
Group Rides: Intro

 

 Group Rides: Keeping Traffic Flowing

 
   
Group Rides and Public Perceptions:

 

 Group Rides: To Run, or Not To Run That Traffic Light ?

 
   
Group Rides: Obeying Traffic Signs & Signals

 

 

 Group Rides: Taking the Lane

 

 
   
Group Rides on Multi-Use Paths and Trails

 

 Group Rides and Motorists

 
   
   

Pacelines

 
   

Bumping Tires... and the Consequences

 
   

Stopping and Re-Entering the Road or Trail

 
   
How to Change Lanes with a Group
This video shows how lane changes initiated from the rear of a group eliminate the crossing conflicts created when a group makes a lane change from the front.

 

Lost art of the group ride

Written by Peter Wilborn on September 1, 2011

http://carolinacyclingnews.com/2011/09/01/lost-art-of-the-group-ride

Every so often, I’ll ride a recreational group ride. I love the comraderie of cyclists, the talk, the last minute pumps of air, the clicking in, and the easy drifting out as a peloton. “I miss riding in a group,” I’ll think to myself.

The magic ends by mile 10. The group will surge, gap, and separate, only to regroup at every stop sign. I’ll hear fifteen repeated screams of “HOLE!” for every minor road imperfection. And then no mention of the actual hole. Some guy in front will set a PR for his 30 second pull. Wheels overlap, brakes are tapped, and some guy in the back will go across the yellow line and speed past the peloton for no apparent reason. A breakaway?!

I curse under my breath, remembering why I always ride with only a few friends. Doesn’t anyone else realize how dangerous this ride is? How bad it is for our reputation on the road? There are clear rules of ride etiquette, safety, and common sense. Does anyone here know the rules? Who is in charge?

But no one is in charge, and the chaotic group has no idea of how to ride together. As a bike lawyer, I get the complaints from irritated drivers, concerned police, controversy-seeking journalists, and injured cyclists. It needs to get better, but the obstacles are real:

First, everyone is an expert these days. The internet and a power meter do not replace 50,000 miles of experience, but try telling that to a fit forty year-old, new to cycling, on a $5000 bike. Or, god forbid, a triathlete. No one wants to be told what to do.

Second, the more experienced riders just want to drop the others and not be bothered. It is all about the workout, the ego boost, or riding with a subset of friends. But a group ride is neither a race nor cycling Darwinism. As riders get better, they seek to distinguish themselves by riding faster on more trendy bikes; but as riders get better they need to realize two things: 1) there is always someone faster, and 2) they have obligations as leaders. Cycling is not a never ending ladder, each step aspiring upwards, casting aspersions down. It is a club, and we should want to expand and improve our membership.

Third, different rides are advertised by average speed, but speed is only one part of the equation. This approach makes speed the sole metric for judging a cyclist, and creates the false impression that a fit rider is a good one. Almost anyone can be somewhat fast on a bike, but few learn to be elegant, graceful cyclists.

Fourth, riding a bike well requires technique training. Good swimmers, for example, constantly work on form and drills; so should cyclists. Anyone remember the C.O.N.I. Manual or Eddie Borysewich’s book? They are out-of-print, but their traditional approach to bike technique should not be lost. More emphasis was given on fluid pedaling and bike handling.

Before the internet, before custom bikes, and before Lance, it was done better. Learning to ride was an apprenticeship. The goal was to become a member of the peloton, not merely a guy who is sort of fast on a bike. Membership was the point, not to be the local Cat. 5 champ. You were invited to go on group ride if you showed a interest and a willingness to learn. You were uninvited if you did not. You learned the skills from directly from the leader, who took an interest in riding next to you on your first rides (and not next to his friends, like better riders do today). Here is some of what you learned:

  • To ride for months each year in the small ring.

  • To take your cycling shorts off immediately after a ride.

  • To start with a humble bike, probably used.

  • To pull without surging.

  • To run rotating pace line drills and flick others through.

  • To form an echelon.

  • To ride through the top of a climb.

  • To hold your line in a corner.

  • To stand up smoothly and not throw your bike back.

  • To give the person ahead of you on a climb a little more room to stand up.

  • To respect the yellow line rule.

  • To point out significant road problems.

  • To brake less, especially in a pace line.

  • To follow the wheel in front and not overlap.

The ride leader and his lieutenants were serious about their roles, because the safety of the group depended on you, the weakest link. If you did not follow the rules, you were chastised. Harshly. If you did, you became a member of something spectacular. The Peloton.

  
   
   



 














 

 

 

 

 
 

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