One of the fun and rewarding parts of bicycling, for many people, is a chance to ride in groups. Group rides, ranging from the talkative Monday Social Ride, to the intense Take No Prisoners ride, present a unique set of challenges that are not always immediately apparent to new riders.
What are the best ways to learn good group-riding skills? One source I like are YouTube videos, such as the following one on how to avoid common causes of crashes, and how to minimize accidents and injuries if you do crash.
What resources have you used to learn more about group riding?
I taught group riding skills on Saturday and Sunday rides as needed by whatever group of us was riding for years. We’d start with a simple box configuration and discrete “switches” of who was in front, as we got used to riding close to each other and changing position in the group. If we were having a good day, we’d sometimes take this up to a continuously rotating double paceline. I had some help perfecting my technique along the way with comments from other new and experienced riders. I was grateful to get to mentor so many during my time in College Station.
I always thought that box configuration was a good one for getting started.