The Basics of Riding in a Group

Tomorrow I will be riding in the Allianz Twin Cities Ride 2010 to raise money for the MS Society of Minnesota. I received a packet in the mail yesterday with ride information; one of the brochures has information on riding in a group and I thought I'd pass it along.

Group riding takes practice. Riding with other cyclist all around you may cause you to feel trapped. Relax. It is most important to create your own safety zone. This may vary depending on the speed and ability level of the people you are with, so be flexible. Let others know of your anxiety - they may also be new at this.

Your responsibility in a pack includes:

• Be aware of others around you.
• Communicate well in advace. Use gestures in combination with verbal commands.
• Ride with your head up. Look down the road; not at the person in front of you.
• Maintain control and speed of your bike, even going downhill.
• Know your limits. Crashes can occur when inexperienced riders do not have bike-handling skills to make quick decisions in a pack.
• Safety starts with you. Group mentality is not always safe. Stop at all red lights and stop signs - it is the law! * Each cyclist is responsible for verifying that the intersection is clear.
• Adjust your safety zone to fit the conditions of the road, weather and traffic. Always plan an escape route.
• Never overlap your wheels with another cyclist
• do not use aerobars in a pack.
• Be aware of how weather will affect your bike. Riding in wet conditions requires slower speeds and greater braking distances.
  
• Be respectful of other riders. Help others when needed.
  

* Effective April 16, 2010 Minnesota amended the law so that cyclist along with motorcyclists can now go through a red light. ONLY AFTER they have stopped, made sure the coast is clear and waited a reasonable amount of time. This amendment was put into place because cyclists cannot trip the lights. Be careful when doing this. It does not give us the right to blow through intersections.