Tips & tricks for riding in the road bike training group
First outing in the new group - the most important thing is to make a good impression. How do you do that? With good riding technique that shows you are riding with an overview and not endangering others.
Distance to the person in front in the road bike group
As little as possible, as relaxed as necessary. The closer you are to the rear wheel of the rider in front, the greater the energy savings from the slipstream. However, especially on relaxed training rides, you should not overdo it and leave the gap at half a wheel length.
Looking around without swerving in the road bike group
If you are training with a group on busy roads, you must be able to do one thing above all: hold your line, otherwise you will endanger yourself and others. Especially when looking back, cyclists tend to twist their handlebars slightly. The reason for this is that the movement of the head and the realignment of the gaze causes our centre of balance to receive a different directional impulse. The trick: close your right eye when you want to look back to the left and your left eye when you turn round to the right.
Grip the handlebars correctly in the road bike group
Relaxed, but ready for action. Grip the handlebars by the brake levers when riding in the road bike group. Here you can sit aerodynamically even at higher speeds by flattening your upper body. Brake in a controlled manner so that the rider behind you has enough time to react. The upper and lower handlebar positions (depending on speed) are only suitable at the front of the road bike group - when you are in the wind.
Be the first to take the bend
Choose a safe, precise line without swerving. Drive with foresight and check the traffic. Check that the racing line is free of dirt, oil and holes and approach the entrance to the bend from the outside. Brake briefly but in a controlled manner. Push your buttocks back slightly and look along the imaginary driving line to the exit of the bend. The pedal on the inside of the bend is up and you are travelling into the inside of the bend. Caution! On left-hand bends, make sure that your upper body does not protrude into the oncoming lane. At the exit of the bend, let yourself be carried outwards and straighten your upper body slightly. Now you can pedal again.
Riding in formation in the road bike group
Headwind - wind from the front
In a small road bike group, you ride from the front in a single file slightly offset to the side in windy conditions. How long you ride in first position in the wind depends on your ability; in homogeneous groups, the lead time per rider should be fairly even. In groups with very different abilities, however, the differences can be compensated for very well by different lengths of lead, so that all riders get their money's worth during training. Important: Do not ride faster when you take the lead! Keep an eye on your speedometer, heart rate monitor or power meter!
Crosswind
In a small group of road bikes, ride as staggered as possible in the direction of the wind and as the lead rider on the side facing the wind - always taking road traffic into account. The rider behind always rides to the side facing away from the wind so that the lead rider can ride out into the wind when changing at the front. How long you lead depends on your form and that of the other riders in your group.
Belgian roundabout in the road bike group
The Belgian roundabout is often seen in breakaway groups in professional races. It is used when high speeds are required and requires some practice. The gyro consists of two individual rows that move against each other. This means that one row (the one on the right in the picture) rides faster than the other. The rider leading the faster row moves to the side into the slower row as soon as his rear wheel has completely passed the front wheel of the rider leading this row. The last rider in the row of riders who have been replaced moves over to the rear wheel of the last rider in the faster row. This is how the formation circles.
Tactical tip: Divide your forces
During group road bike training, different performance classes often have to come to terms with each other. The following therefore applies to newcomers in particular: ride with restraint. It makes a better impression if you don't try to break up the group and confuse the ride with a race. It also saves energy, which you can put to better use elsewhere if necessary. Training groups often have certain points at which they pick up the pace (local mountain, town sign sprint). Ask before the ride: "What does the route look like? Where do they usually pick up the pace?"
Riding a road bike in a group: the most important hand signals
Ride better: Tips for the bike marathon
Large fields and long distances characterise popular cycling marathons. If you move well in the peloton and know how to ride uphill, you will save energy and reach the finish line more relaxed.
Which place in the peloton?
Ride in front and keep your head up! Do as the pros do and try to get as far forward as possible in a large field. This reduces the likelihood of a crash. If you can't get any further forward, look for a quiet rear wheel: riders who accelerate evenly, don't pedal in the saddle or brake abruptly. Whether you ride on the sides or in the middle of the field depends on your courage and riding ability. If you are afraid of riding in a large field, you should ride on the left or right outside. This gives you more room to swerve, for example across grass verges or cycle paths. And you can get to the front more easily, provided there is no strong crosswind. Important: Make yourself noticed when overtaking, for example by shouting: "Watch out from the right." Always keep to your lane in the middle of the field. Important: Always keep an overview, no matter what position you are in. So: Keep your head up and don't stare at the stem or handlebars.
Distance to the person in front in the road bike group
The most important thing is to stay calm and leave room. 50 to 70 centimetres is the ideal distance - this gives you some room to manoeuvre if the rider in front of you starts pedalling in the saddle and pushes the rear wheel backwards. Important: You are not interested in anything that happens behind your handlebars - this means: never turn round in the road bike group, even if you fall. Steer in such a way that the riders behind you do not touch you or are tempted to brake.
Cornering in the field of a racing bike group
Keep a constant distance from your passengers on the right and left, and maintain a constant speed. Do not follow the ideal line that you would take if you were travelling alone!
Behaviour in the rain
Lower the tyre pressure by half a bar to one bar - the tyre contact area increases and the tyre has more grip. Many riders become extremely nervous on wet roads, increasing the risk of falling. Try to get as far forward as possible. If possible, take off your (sunglasses) and fold down your cap - this gives you the best view in bad weather. When it rains again for the first time after many summer days, a very slippery film of oil, soot and tyre abrasion forms, which first has to be washed away by the rain. Drive with double caution during this phase. If there is a risk of skidding, the general rule is: don't panic, don't tense up and, if possible, only brake in moderation.
The right road bike group for the bike marathon
The right group depends on the difficulty of the route. The more mountainous it is, the more you should ride at your own pace, especially on the climbs. On flat routes, look for road bike groups that offer maximum slipstreaming and function homogeneously - no sudden increases in speed. For marathons that start with a mountain and then tend to be flat, it can be smart to ride a little faster than your own pace at the beginning. After all, if you get over the summit with a faster group, you can benefit from the slipstream on the descent and on the flat. This is better than pushing against the wind alone in the valley.
Food & Drink
Only reach for a water bottle or bar when the field is quiet. Always keep one hand on the handlebars. The best time to grab the bottle without looking down is on a climb, when reaching a crest or on a gentle descent. When not: At the start of the marathon on fast descents. Before the race, check that your jersey has easily accessible pockets. Put bars or gels in the pocket that you can best reach with your leading hand (right-handed, right pocket). Do not put large bars that you can only reach halfway back into the pocket, but under the front of the jersey.
Looking back
In dense fields, but also in rows of two, swerves should be avoided at all costs. Before you look round, put your hand on the shoulder of the person next to you. This will stabilise your ride and avoid unrest in the field.
Tactical tip: Everyone is strong on the first mountain
As soon as the first climb comes in a marathon, many athletes try to push over it with all their might. They often overestimate themselves and pay for their early waste of energy on the second half of the climb. You should therefore force yourself to exercise self-control, for example by looking at your heart rate monitor. If you ride in the red zone for more than ten minutes, you will collapse at the end of the marathon. Athletes who ride with a watt measurement system should stay five to ten per cent below their threshold power. You can use the energy saved in the last hour of the marathon to make up places and time.
Riding in a road bike group: tips for everyman races
More compact fields, faster pace: in everyman races, strength, tactics and the right riding technique are decisive for a good result.
Tips for starting in everyman races
The position in the starting block: Try to stand as far forward as possible with one foot firmly on the pedal. Put the chain on the large chainring and a large sprocket (light gear). This allows you to start with a high cadence and shift down quickly. What you can't do: Push to the front in the starting block or cheat your way into a front starting block. Red card!
Set off immediately: Everyman races are decided at the start, as the initial speed is extremely high. This makes the warm-up all the more important. The ideal warm-up time is half an hour, with three 30-second bursts of full power and a one-minute break in between.
Driving round bends
It is best to drive the course beforehand and test how quickly you can negotiate the bends. If necessary, brake briefly on the ideal line before the bend. Pedal up on the inside of the bend. Then approach from the outside, aim for the end of the bend and ride at a shallow angle to the targeted spot. Eye tracking: look ahead and aim for the end of the bend.
Trick to make up positions in the bend, especially with medium-sized fields of up to 30 riders (see picture above): Maintain a high speed when the other riders are already slowing down. Approach the bend from the inside-rear and then shoot inwards (you are now overtaking the riders). Now brake briefly and drive into the centre of the bend. You must never leave your chosen lane during such a manoeuvre and drift to the outside again!
The right position in the peloton
Save energy, but be ready. In positions eight to twelve, you get enough slipstream, but remain ready for action. In the event of an attack, only jump with the fifth rider and hang on to their rear wheel. The reason: groups of five or more riders are more likely to reach the finish ahead of the field than smaller groups.
Runaway at everyman races
Accelerate, but in moderation. At the beginning of a breakaway with several riders, you should consistently try to get away for the first three minutes. Then turn round and see how big the gap to the peloton is. If you have barely got away and the peloton is chasing hard, you should drop back again. If the gap grows, take part in the lead and stay in the wind for a maximum of 30 seconds. Ride at a high cadence.
Terrain and weather
Fields are split, especially on short climbs and crosswind sections. Therefore, approach short climbs from the front (2nd to 5th position). You should be familiar with wind edge sections (ride the course beforehand) and get into position early (4th to 10th position).
The right rear wheel for everyman races
Do you know your fellow drivers? Who wins more often or finishes in the top ten? If you know who the strong riders in the field are, you have a competitive advantage as you can learn a lot from them and benefit from their tactical instincts. The rear wheel of such riders is a good place to be, because you don't have to worry so much about your own position in the field. But: other riders want that too - and will fight for your place!
Tactical tip: Everyone is hurting right now
"I was left behind at the start." This sentence is often said by newcomers to racing. The reason: the high starting speed. Everyman races, especially on short circuits, are tackled extremely quickly - very unusual for newcomers physically. In addition to physical fitness, the psyche also plays an important role. As a newcomer, keep reminding yourself of this during the start phase:
- All the athletes around you are pushing themselves to the limit.
- As a rule, you don't ride hard for longer than 15 minutes, after that it becomes more relaxed.
These two guiding principles will help you get through the start-up phase better and avoid being left behind right at the beginning.
