Oxford Cycling

Arrive with a functioning bike.  Ten easy minutes of prep at home can save you thirty excruciating minutes of repair on the side of the road. Check tire pressure and lube your chain before every ride. Always carry a spare tube, tire levers and a pump or cartridge inflator.

Bring plenty of water and food.  Your needs might vary, but the general rule is a big drink every fifteen minutes and something to eat every fifteen miles.

Know what you're getting into.  If the ride description says 40 miles at 18-20 mph you should either be sure you can hold that pace or know the route well enough that you can still make it home if you get dropped.

Be nice.  Group rides are supposed to be fun for everyone—not just the "winner."  Wave at people when you go by.  Try to preserve the good relationship that Oxford Cycling has with Oxford and Lafayette Co.

 

 

Always think about the potential rider behind and beside you.  Your number one job is to be as predictable as possible. 

Warn the riders behind you about hazards in the road.  If you can't let go of your handlebars to point you should simply call "bump," "gravel," or "dead thing," as the case may be, so they know to be on the look out.

It's hard to see past the rider in front of you.  The riders at the front of the group are the paceline's eyes and ears and should be attentive so as to not lead the whole group into a bad situation.

When confronted with aggressive or overly playful dogs the paceline should slow and spread out so each individual rider has a little more room to maneuver.  If you see a dog that looks like it might run out into the street call out "dog left" or "dog right," as the case may be.

Attacks can be safe and acceptable so long as you aren't endangering other riders and aren't leaving anyone behind to get lost.  However, if you usually spend most of the ride way out in front instead of with the group, it's probably time to look for a faster group.

If a few riders are having trouble keeping up with the main group it's nice for a stronger rider to fall back and offer a draft to help them catch up.

 

 

 

Play nice with cars.  Assert your right to be on the road, but when someone calls out "car back" the group should reform into a single paceline as quickly as is safe. 

In areas that present special passing challenges the group should consider breaking up into smaller units of four or five riders with about a hundred feel between each group so that cars can pass in increments.  Once traffic has thinned or the paceline has turned onto a less traveled road everyone can regroup.

Sometimes, however, it is safer to take the lane.  If it is absolutely unsafe for a car to pass the group may move into the center of the lane to discourage more adventurous drivers who might otherwise try to squeeze by when they shouldn't.

When riding past a group of cars parked along the street try to stay four or five feet to the left.  This will help you avoid getting hit when drivers unexpectedly open their doors.

Do not to cross the center line.  Be especially sure not to cross the center line on hills or blind curves.

 

 

Keep a distance that allows you to feel comfortable.  You continue to get draft benefit for several feet.

You should always ride in as straight a line as possible and at a relatively consistent speed.  Mashing a very hard gear (i.e., going up hills in your big ring) tends to make you less stable, while spinning in a gear which is slightly easier allows you to maintain a good cadence and tends to make you more stable.  Stable is good.

If you do speed up or slow down you should do so in very small increments.  Never, never slam on the brakes in a paceline.  If you need to slow down apply slightly less force to the pedals or sit up so you catch a little more of the wind.  You can also scrub speed by lightly applying the front brake while you continue pedaling.  Using the brakes often is a poor substitute for not keeping the appropriate pace.

If you are having trouble finding the right pace you might try shifting to into the same gear as the rider in front of you.  If you can match cadences while you're in the same gear you will be going the same speed.

One way to help smooth out your pace is to anticipate what gear you'll need and shift before you actually need to shift.  This will allow you to maintain a more consistent cadence.

Don't overlap your front wheel with the rider in front's rear wheel unless you are well to the side.

Watch the rider in front in front of you, not that rider's wheel.  This keeps your eyes up and helps you pay attention to what the whole group is doing.

Let people know you are passing by saying things like "On your left" as you approach.

When riders stand up to pedal there is a brief moment when their back wheels go backwards slightly.  Ride a few inches to one side when drafting up hills so you won't bump tires if the rider in front stands up unexpectedly.

Pass on hand signals or verbal warnings so that the whole group will know what's going on.  It's a good habit to repeat the warning even if you're at the front or back of the line as it lets everyone know you heard.

If you need to do something that will make you a little wobbly (getting your water bottle, messing with your shorts, getting a bee out of your jersey) you should carefully pull to the left and move to the rear of the group before doing so.

No one is ever obligated to pull.  If you are tired, or in a group that's going a little faster than you expected it is always better to sit in and draft the whole ride than to go up front and wear yourself out so much that you have to finish the ride at 10 mph. However, if you do not want to pull, do not interrupt the group’s rotation of riders toward the front. Continue to rotate to the front but immediately pull off in the same manner as other riders do after having completed a pull.

When you stop to regroup make sure you're out of the way of traffic.  Also, give the last few riders to arrive a chance to catch their breath before moving on.

 

Attack (verb): a sudden acceleration designed to create a gap between the attacking rider and the rest of the group.

 

Breakaway (noun): a small group of riders who are participating in a cooperative attack.

 

Cadence (noun): the speed at which you turn the pedals.  Although everyone is a little different, optimal cadence is generally around 80-100rpms.

 

Draft (verb): riding behind other cyclists and taking advantage of their slipstream.  Riders who draft can go as fast as the rider who is pulling with a little as 60% of the effort.

 

Drop (verb):  leaving a rider or group of riders behind.

 

Mash (verb): applying strong force to the pedals while in a very big gear

 

Paceline (noun): a body of riders riding more or less cooperatively (also peloton or group).

 

Pull (verb): riding in front of the peloton and setting the pace while facing all the wind resistance.  Generally riders in a paceline take turns pulling so that no one rider gets too worn out.

 

Spin (verb): turning the pedals with intermediate force in a relatively comfortable gear. Usually spinning indicates a slightly higher cadence.

 

Take the Lane (verb): When riders move into the center of the lane to discourage drivers from attempting unsafe passes.