Expert Group Cycling etiquette tips for Improvement

Group Cycling Etiquette

Learn expert group cycling etiquette and increase your safety and comfort in close proximity to other cyclists.

Riding in a group while cycling is the best way to improve and to socialize with other cyclists. A group will always easily push you harder than you could push yourself.

Riding in a group is far easier than riding on your own, enabling you to maintain a higher average speed in an efficient group, and it is also part of the fun of taking part in events and riding with your mates.

Group Cycling Rules

Riding in a large group can appear scary initially, but any cyclist can learn how to be safe, smooth and benefit from the faster pace of riding in a peloton. Primarily, it helps to learn some of the do’s and don’t’s of group riding etiquette. Once learned, what looks chaotic and erratic at the beginning becomes crystal clear and easy to comprehend.

The language of the peloton is universal. This means that even if you find yourself in a multi-cultural group of riders from all over the world with no single common language, you’ll still be able to communicate and enjoy riding together.

Being considerate to the riders around you and thinking about how your actions may affect them is essential. Be observant of what is happening around you and communicate any potential problems to riders near you.

A shout of ‘car up’ (approaching from in front), or ‘car back’ (approaching from behind) warns other riders about traffic. If necessary you may need to warn people to ‘single file’ to give the vehicle room to over take.

Group Cycling Techniques – Alerting Other Riders

Some group rides can be really chaotic and noisy, with people calling out every pothole, obstacle or vehicle. This can be annoying and distracting and can make people feel nervous and jumpy. Use hand signals as much as possible and only shout a warning if it is necessary — shout too much and you become the boy who cried wolf.