When racing in the Peloton...should you point/say if you are squeezing into a gap, or just go for it? If somebody is squeezing up next to you can you cheekily twitch left/right to prevent them doing this? Or if I do this when I next race/train on the track will I be labelled as a complete peanut?
Peloton ettiquitte
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Will1985
Über Member
- Location
- South Norfolk
Maybe, or you might just be marked out as someone who should never be followed as you might be considered dangerous.montage said:
Hold your line.
montage said:
based on my limited experience of mass group riding on sunday I would say the only time it's acceptable is to prevent yourself being boxed in, i.e. if you've got this situation
K |...A....B
E |
R |...C
B |........ D
you're "C", and you want to overtake A and B, so you're going to have to move out to the right a fair bit, but you're aware of the presence of "D" not going much faster than you are but you don't want to cut him up.
I found myself in the position of "D" as well sometimes, at times where i (for a while) was content to sit behind A and B, but was conscious that C wanted to pass. so either just powered past A and B so "C" could follow, or eased off sligthly and waved C through to the right of B.
This is road but 'kerb' could equally be edge of track.
Joe24
More serious cyclist than Bonj
- Location
- Nottingham
Hold your line. If someone is moving in on you, just ignore them.
On club rides ive been on, ive had people moving in on me. Its annoying, but you just have to ignore it. Ive even had someone move in far enough that with hands on the hoods both hands touched. I just pushed him out abit with my elbow and moved out.
Or take the piss and ride with your elbows pointing out.
If someone on the left of you is wanting to move out to overtake, just box them in if you dont want to let them out. If you want to let them out then just move out.
I did a realiability ride and learnt alot, i was with the fast group. I kept being pushed out so i wasnt actually in the group, which was annoying. I ended up being at the back, which really isnt where you want to be. It was a big group and as you went round a courner or had to slow down for something you had to sprint to catch back up with the group. Not a nice thing to have to keep doing.
On club rides ive been on, ive had people moving in on me. Its annoying, but you just have to ignore it. Ive even had someone move in far enough that with hands on the hoods both hands touched. I just pushed him out abit with my elbow and moved out.
Or take the piss and ride with your elbows pointing out.
If someone on the left of you is wanting to move out to overtake, just box them in if you dont want to let them out. If you want to let them out then just move out.
I did a realiability ride and learnt alot, i was with the fast group. I kept being pushed out so i wasnt actually in the group, which was annoying. I ended up being at the back, which really isnt where you want to be. It was a big group and as you went round a courner or had to slow down for something you had to sprint to catch back up with the group. Not a nice thing to have to keep doing.
If you point to get by then your nothing...
- Though if people haven't got their ego up theri arse then they'll let you in ie all ride together & work with each other yet mostly work against.
Its like everyone says - hold the line.
Its holding/keeping a good line - thats the issue !
I prefer to sit on the back and let all the jerks knacker themselves 1st !!!
- Though if people haven't got their ego up theri arse then they'll let you in ie all ride together & work with each other yet mostly work against.
Its like everyone says - hold the line.
Its holding/keeping a good line - thats the issue !
I prefer to sit on the back and let all the jerks knacker themselves 1st !!!
Joe24
More serious cyclist than Bonj
- Location
- Nottingham
yenrod said:If you point to get by then your nothing...
- Though if people haven't got their ego up theri arse then they'll let you in ie all ride together & work with each other yet mostly work against.
Its like everyone says - hold the line.
Its holding/keeping a good line - thats the issue !
I prefer to sit on the back and let all the jerks knacker themselves 1st !!!
Doesnt work on a big group though Yenners. If your at the back, you will be sprinting all the time after sharp turns and stuff, you need to be in the top 1/3-ish of the group to not be having to keep sprinting.
Holding a line is good.
Oh, and if your wanting to move in a group in a space and someone is blocking you, just gradually move in, keeping an eye on your front wheel and back wheel so it doesnt hit anyone elses wheels.
If your racing, or trying to get away from a group you cant just sit there. It really does annoy me when you get someone in a group that will happily power off, then when you go after them and go to keep the speed up just sit on your back wheel.
I had this on a club ride. Young-ish guy sprinted off up a slight slope near the end of a ride. I let him go then went after him. Past him then kept ahead on the downhill to get the sign and kept the speed going through the village. I was tired, but wanted to keep the speed up to get away from the main group. He sat on my wheel all the way through the village and kept moving my elbow as a sign for him to come on the front. Kept saying for him to come through, then got him to come through and he went to sprint off so i got him back. Finaly got him to take it in turns on the front and he wanted to stop
No chance, so i got him to keep going.To cut it short i got the last sign and he was ****ed after and had to crawl back to his house
(i sort of had something to prove to this person aswell, he normally sits at the back then right at the end sprints for the last sign, which really annoys me, he sort of thinks of it as a finish line)
Joe24 said:Doesnt work on a big group though Yenners. If your at the back, you will be sprinting all the time after sharp turns and stuff, you need to be in the top 1/3-ish of the group to not be having to keep sprinting.
Holding a line is good.
Oh, and if your wanting to move in a group in a space and someone is blocking you, just gradually move in, keeping an eye on your front wheel and back wheel so it doesnt hit anyone elses wheels.
If your racing, or trying to get away from a group you cant just sit there. It really does annoy me when you get someone in a group that will happily power off, then when you go after them and go to keep the speed up just sit on your back wheel.
I had this on a club ride. Young-ish guy sprinted off up a slight slope near the end of a ride. I let him go then went after him. Past him then kept ahead on the downhill to get the sign and kept the speed going through the village. I was tired, but wanted to keep the speed up to get away from the main group. He sat on my wheel all the way through the village and kept moving my elbow as a sign for him to come on the front. Kept saying for him to come through, then got him to come through and he went to sprint off so i got him back. Finaly got him to take it in turns on the front and he wanted to stop
To cut it short i got the last sign and he was ****ed after and had to crawl back to his house
(i sort of had something to prove to this person aswell, he normally sits at the back then right at the end sprints for the last sign, which really annoys me, he sort of thinks of it as a finish line)
The lad were a typical roady sits on till the sprint. Any jerk can do this.
I had a good actual MTB race once got togther with some lad and we went around this course working together for a while...its good working with others but for some inane reason some just dont get it !
Sound like you've got your head put on right Joe. All the best/ wish you well in any races though don't get worked over or taken advantage of!
Joe24
More serious cyclist than Bonj
- Location
- Nottingham
yenrod said:
Thanks Yenners.
Ive learnt it on club rides really, and from talking to people.
I need to start doing road races instead of TTs but i cant get to them/im working when they are on so its difficult.
Maybe in a few years time though. I ride with many people that race and are pretty high up in the cats, or have raced so i just learn from there
I hate it when people do just sit there, i end up trying to get them to the front and often do.
The way i did get the sign though is i got him to go on the front, and just pushed him that bit further on the front, knew he was about gone then just went past him abit faster then normal and he just didnt have any left in him. I got the sign and the top of the slight ride and he was no-where to be seen
bonj said:VERY unsporting imho... one step up from knocking him off
well... normally. only exception would be if he's doing similar tactics to you, and more importantly, he relishes the challenge to his skill of getting out of that situation. But you may not do as well yourself 'cos you're concentrating on doing that.
I mean i don't do cycling as a sport, but i can relate it to a sport i do play - playing badminton - if there's two strong players and two weak ones (me being one of the strong ones), we'll partner a strong and a weak against the other strong and the other weak. Normally i'd consider deliberately playing it on their weak player to be unsportsmanly, but if they're doing that to us, i'll barge in, play it to their weak player, occupy the middle then smash it down at their strong one's feet (ideally
Joe24
More serious cyclist than Bonj
- Location
- Nottingham
bonj said:VERY unsporting imho... one step up from knocking him off
Its a race Bonj, its not unsporting at all.
He should box him in and keep check around him. When he thinks he will have enough in to sprint for the line he should check around him(try not to give it away that your about to go) then go for the line(or the sign as it is for me) and see what he does.
The person you have been boxing in will then have to either move out the way you did and get out safely(you might be getting chased by other people from the group so he might miss the out) or he could pop straight out then go after you.
Its not your fault hes in the wrong place. Dont let the person bully you out so he can go and finish before you. Your in competition for gods sake.
When you go out riding in a group do you do sprinting for signs? If you dont then you should do. Sprint for village signs. You will have to get your tactics right, especially if you ride with alot of people that have been racing for many years.
You also need to know about finding gaps in the group to get out of if you get boxed in.
You dont need to concentrate too much on him either to be boxing him in, your just riding at the side of him, and blocking his exit from the group and his way forward. Hold your line and see what the rest of the group is doing.
Come on, you must of done racing for signs before when you have been out in groups? And racing for the top of hills. How can you not have done that
Joe24 said:
hmmm... well, i dont' have that much experience of group riding tbh. in fact sunday's ride was the first i've done that was a really large, competitive group.
I just know i very quickly learned to stop myself from getting boxed in by riding overly far out rather than in to the kerb, even if it meant getting undertaken sometimes, although i only got undertaken about twice on the whole ride actually.
what i did do is sometimes sit behind a small group of two or three 'on my way through'. only for, say, half a mile then i'd move on to the next little group and ride with them for a bit. I expect a lot of people did that.
Joe24
More serious cyclist than Bonj
- Location
- Nottingham
bonj said:
Its ok to just sit on the right of a group. Someone else will come up by the side of you and full that gap. Or you might find other people behidn you will just form some stupid long line. Not your fault.
Sit where your comfortable in a group. When i first started to ride fixed in a group, i was either right at the back and not riding that close, up at the front.
If you ride fixed in a group of people with freewheel bikes that cant really ride smooth, you will know what i mean. It does get easier when you get used to it though.
