Paceline Rules

Village Idiots Group Ride Paceline Rules.

 

Please be aware of, and follow, these guidelines when participating in our group rides.

• Obey all traffic laws and signs.
• Do not use your aero bars unless you are 10 meters off the back and riding solo.
• Do not wear headphones, you will miss hearing information communicated about the surroundings. (And they are illegal in the state of Florida)
• Always look towards the front of the paceline. Do not stare at the wheel in front of you. If you stare at the wheel you can’t react to things around you.
• Ride at a constant, even speed at all times. Do not exceed the group speed limit.
• Keep about a 1 to 2 foot gap between you and the leading rider.
• Try not to use brakes. Soft pedal or move out of the draft to slow slightly.
• If you must brake, feather your rear brake gently and communicate.
• Don’t overlap wheels. If the rider in front of you moves and hits your wheel, you will crash, not the other rider. (If you do contact wheels, turn your wheel towards the wheel of the rider in front. If you turn away you will go down quickly.)
• If you make contact with another rider, don’t turn away; relax and keep your bike straight.
• Don’t make any sudden moves.
• Don’t open Gaps! Keep the paceline tight.
• If someone accelerates to open a gap, do not jump to close the gap; Close it slowly. If you can’t close it, rotate out and let the person behind you try.
• Don’t stand up on your pedals in the paceline, it will throw your bike back. You may hit the rider behind you. (If your butt hurts move out of the paceline first)
• When assuming the front of a paceline, keep your speed constant. Do not accelerate rapidly! keep in mind that there may be a large group behind you. Accelerate slowly after corners, stop signs, etc… so the group does not “yo-yo”.
• Never brake when at the front of a paceline. (Kill the squirrel!)
• Do not coast or soft pedal at the front of a paceline. (Pedal down the hills)
• Wiggle your elbow to signal that you are moving off the front. The arm that you wiggle indicates the side that you wish the following riders to pass you on. There is no need to take your hands off the bars and pat your ass. “Chicken winging” is sufficient and safer.
• Keep pedaling as you move off the front. Don’t stop or slow your cadence until the following rider has begun to pull through. Look first before you pull out.
• If you are too tired or weak to do your turn at the front of the paceline, don’t pull at the front. Just rotate smoothly through without disrupting the group’s pace. Then sit at the back about 1 bike length and let others fill in the space.
• When re-entering the paceline from the back, begin pedaling about 2 or three riders from the back to increase your speed and move smoothly into the line. If you wait until everyone has passed to accelerate, you’ll have to jump to catch the group and you can get dropped.
• Call out if you are braking, (“Slowing! Stopping!”) turning, see any debris or glass in the road, and point out any obstacles or road hazards so the riders behind you can see them and have time to avoid them.