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A list of general cycling skills and rules.
  
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Bunch riding skills and rulesUse SHIFT+ENTER to open the menu (new window).
Jon Brittan25/05/2007
With winter upon us, now is a good time to use the extra time (less racing) to hone your bunch riding skills. Here are the Bunch Riding Rules that every cyclist should be sticking to...
Bunch Rules OK ?
 
You've bought the bike, then the clothes, shoes, helmet - you're nearly a pro. You're riding 20km a day, then 40km a day, averaging 25kph, but you're doing it on your own. You've seen the bunches about and you want to be part of it. Here are some hints about joining a bunch ride. If you have never been on one before.
 
1. TYPE OF RIDE
Try to find out what type of ride it regularly is. If the group meets weekly for a 26kph plod and you run up as the new boy/girl and decide to do 35kph, you will lose a lot of friends before you make them.
2. RIGHT GEARS
An essential item is to choose the right gear to ride so that you fit in with the group. If you are use to hammering everywhere on your own in the big ring, you will fin it hard to gear down to the 26kph of the bunch. Watch what the more experienced riders are doing and try to copy them. You will find that 39X16 or 42X17 are usual 'bunch' gears, maybe even 53X19.
3. BRAKE CAREFULLY
Ride safely and try to stay off the brakes. If you are inexperienced and too nervous to ride close to the wheel in front of you, stay alone at the back and practice. When the pace eases, don't brake suddenly, instead ride to the side of the wheel in front and ease the pedalling off, then drop back on the wheel. Practice on the back and soon you will be able to move up the line with a partner.
4. DON'T PROP
Many riders, even experienced ones, freewheel momentarily when they first get out of the saddle to go over a rise or up a hill. When doing this, the bike is forced backwards. This can cause chaos in a tightly bunched group of riders. The sensation of the rider in front coming back at you is very unpleasant and can cause crashes. Try to keep forward pressure on the pedals when you get out of the saddle to avoid this situation.
5. STAY TOGETHER
When riding with a partner in a line of two's, stay close. Don't ride too far away from your partner because you are intimidated by the wheel in front of you. The gap you've left between you and your partner is a waste of space and to a motorist behind, it appears you are three wide. This is a good way to antagonise motorists.
6. LOOK AHEAD
Do not become obsessed with the rear wheel directly in front of you. Try to focus four or five riders up the line so that any 'problem' will not suddenly affect you. Scan the road ahead for potential problems, forthcoming red lights and be ready.
7. NO HALF WHEELING
When you finally make it to the front, don't 'half wheel'. This means keeping half a wheel in front of your partner. This automatically makes your partner speed up slightly to pull back alongside you. Often half wheelers will also speed up, so the pace invariably speeds up as the riders behind try to catch up. You don't have to prove anything to the group, it's just an easy training ride to build endurance with friends. Try to maintain the same pace as the group was doing before you took your turn.
8. STOP AT AMBER
Bunches should stop at red lights. If you are on the front and see an amber light, do not sprint through the intersection. The rear of the bunch can easily have a much too close encounter with an unidentified flying motorist, who will be completely in the right.
9. LEAD IN FRONT
Remember when you are on the front, you are not only responsible for yourself but for everyone in the group. When you're leading the bunch, try to monitor potential problems and give plenty of warning of impending stops or changes of pace.
10. WARNING CALLS
Point out potholes or similar obstacles, loose gravel and broken glass on the road for the riders behind you. A simple call of "hole" and pointing at the ground where the hole will appear can save a puncture or an expensive destroyed rim and the same with a shout of "glass!" The same can be said for an obstacle on the road such as truck tyres or dead animals. And, if you see a stray live animal like a dog, horse or similar, make sure that you slow down and that you warn everybody. Remember that Marco Pantani crashed seriously in the 1997 Giro d'Italia when a cat ran under his wheels.
11. SWAPPING OFF
When your turn is up, carefully pull out of the line. Groups have various ways of replacing the pair of riders at the front. If it is the usual to swing off to the left or right remember this creates a line of four until you reach the back so ease right off to get back there quickly. If your group just moves up the outside line and crosses to the left, remember not to increase the pace too much to gain the front left side and settle into the rhythm of the group.
 
For all this information, it is important to be relaxed in the bunch. This comes only with experience and there is only one way to get experience - get out there and do it. Remember safety first. Safety from traffic and to and from other riders is essential
Cyling and Sleep !!Use SHIFT+ENTER to open the menu (new window).
Jon Brittan16/05/2007

The average person needs 8 to 9 hours of sleep a night, but a third of us try to get by on six hours per night or less.
 
How does sleep relate to your training program?

When you are training, you will need more rest to recover. Instead of the 8 hours, 9 is probably better. It is that last hour or two when you go into REM (rapid eye movement) sleep that the mind really restores itself. Miss that time and your concentration and reaction time may suffer. One way to get there is to add 15 minutes of sleep a night until you wake up feeling totally refreshed. Then you will be ready to give it your best.
 
How do you know when you are still a little short of your personal needs?
· you cannot wake up without a sleep alarm
· you are stressed and irritable during the day
· you always hit the snooze alarm
· you cannot wait to sleep in on weekends.
If you suffer from any of the above, change your schedule to allow you some extra sleep - the difference it brings to your performance (on or off the bike) is extra-ordinary!

5 Comfort boosting habitsUse SHIFT+ENTER to open the menu (new window).
Jon Brittan7/05/2007
Cycling speed and skill don't really matter if you're not comfortable when you ride. Nice saddles, cycling shorts and gloves can go a long way, but there are a few other things you need do to regularly to maximize your on-the-bike comfort factor.
  • Swap hand positions regularly. This keeps your arms, shoulders, neck and back from getting sore and cramped. Install bar ends on your mountain bike to facilitate this.
  • Stretch every morning and night. Many on-the-bike aches and pains come from a lack of flexibility. Look for specific cycling stretching exercises.
  • Do crunches. Lower back pain can come from a lack of abdominal strength, and cycling does nothing for this muscle group. Get in the habit of doing 50 crunches every morning and notice how much better you feel at the end of those three hour rides.
  • Drink more. Get in the habit of constant hydration. Most average people don't drink enough water, and athletes need even more. Drink water all day long.
  • Warm up and cool down--don't just hop on your bike and start hammering. Spend the first 15 minutes of your ride spinning easy to increase circulation and loosen up and you'll feel faster and more comfortable for the rest of the ride, especially the first half. Spend 15 minutes cooling down after your ride too.
Tips to keep you cycling through winter !!Use SHIFT+ENTER to open the menu (new window).
Jon Brittan16/04/2007
TIPS TO KEEP YOU CYCLING THROUGH WINTER
Choose any 5 of these tips below and commit to them NOW, this will certainly help keep you cycling through winter!
 
1. Join your local cycling club.
2. Get Motivated, Read Lance's Book again or some other cycling literature.
3. Keep entering events. [What about doing a few Mountain Bike events?
4. Do a Fitness assessment, set some new goals for winter and plan your upcoming summer season.
5. Make sure you have the right kit for winter riding to maintain your core temp. [Make sure your toes and fingers are warm.
6. Don't be overambitious during the week in early winter if you are not racing again until summer i.e. reduce road volumes.
7. Weekend rides at 7:00am are much more pleasant than 5:00am mid week [What about taking every Wednesday afternoon off from 1pm and doing a long slow ride with a group of mates]
8. Rebuild some of your Base to give you the edge for when the real summer training starts?
9. Pick a firm date for when you will start your summer training - takes a bit of pressure off up to that time!
10. Spend your other training days indoors - pro-training, wind trainer at home, or spinning.
11. Commit to your schedule with a buddy - it will get you out of bed if you know your buddy is waiting on the corner for you. [you will really feel guilty if you leave him or her shivering in the dark]
12. Take some time off to cross train - go for a run or play squash etc once a week. It certainly reminds me how much more I enjoy the bike!
13. Supplement with some weight training and work on core strength - things we have no time for in summer
14. Watch the Tour de France - I certainly want to get on the bike immediately (straight after the highlights package!)
16. Do a thorough bike-setup again and then go test it on the road.
17. Take your bike for a proper service and feel the difference (both in looks and performance)
18. Attend some seminars or winter training camps.
Explination of most common hand signalsUse SHIFT+ENTER to open the menu (new window).
Jon Brittan10/05/2007
No, not the hand signals you thinking of!
Whilst riding in a bunch, it is imperative that a rider warns the other cyclists about road and traffic hazards, anticipated moves, or position changing. Although you are at the disadvantage of having to break the wind in front of the bunch, you also hold the distinct advantage of seeing things way ahead. The riders behind depend on you giving them the necessary signals that will avoid mishaps such as crashes, punctures and equipment damage. These are some of the more common hand signals which you will most likely come across whilst riding in a peloton:
  1. Pointing down at the ground (left or right) would indicate danger on the appropriate side. Move in the opposite direction to avoid hazards. Hazards would include potholes, cateyes (NB), painted lines (very slippery in wet weather), stones etc. Remember, it doesn't have to be a large stone or boulder for you to indicate danger. Rather be safe than sorry - indicate any potential dangers. Make sure you also call out loud any obstacles in the road so people can hear you and take note of the problem.
  2. Patting the bum. Patting YOUR left 'cheek' with left hand would indicate to all riders following your wheel that there is something hazardous on the left and to move over to the right. This could be due to a parked car up ahead, slow riders which are going to be passed, a big patch of gravel or dangerous road ahead. Patting the right bum cheek with right hand indicates that the cyclist has riders must move over to the left.
  3. Finger or hand up in the air - indicates that a rider has punctured or incurred some or other mechanical trouble that will result in him/her having to stop. When riding in a bunch, you can't just pull your brakes and come to a screeching halt. Keep rolling and hold your line until everyone behind has passed, then pull off to the side for assistance.
  4. Arm out with forearm at 90degrees towards the sky, hand up with all finger extended/or with a fist. Indicates that the group must slow down to stop - traffic lights or stop street or anything else that would bring the group to a stop. If it is traffic lights call out "LIGHTS" loudly to get everyone's attention.
  5. Hand left or right with fingers normally extended shaking back and forth - indicates loose gravel or small stones in the path. Very common at intersection. Slow down and try and avoid 'infected' area. Cornering should be done at slower speeds.
  6. A 2-fingered downward point moving laterally, would indicate railway tracks ahead. The direction of the hand should indicate the angle at which the railway tracks cross the path. Be extremely cautious when crossing them and also go over the tracks at a 90degree angle, even if this means going wide and then cutting across to achieve this angle.

These are the main hands signals used whilst riding in a bunch.

Practice SAFE Riding
Never assume the rider behind you has seen the danger ahead. Use loud VOCAL warnings for potholes - believe me, people appreciate it.
GOLDEN RULE - if the entire group can't make it through an intersection, NOBODY goes. It only takes one silly person for a tragedy.