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Riding Tips
Paceline Safety & Etiquette
Picking a safe paceline
- Look for smoothness—no jerky or accordion-like movements
- No abrupt swerves, turns, or braking
- “Feels” safe
Being a safe leader (remember the group behind you!)
- Ride further from the right edge (18-24”) than when solo
- Look further ahead to anticipate obstacles and gradually move around them with greater clearance
- Both call out and point out hazards
- Signal turns, slowing, stops sooner – the faster, the sooner
- “Powerstroke” BEFORE standing AND announce!!
Being a safe “follower”
- REMAIN ALERT—don’t over-relax—always keep hands near the brakes
- ALWAYS ride without earphones or earbud(s). Pull off and stop when using a cell phone.
- NEVER USE AEROBARS WHEN IN A PACELINE (OK when leading)
- Ideal gap about 12”-18”; more than 24” loses draft (except over 25mph the wind shadow will extend to 36”)
- Don’t lock focus on rear wheel of rider ahead—look through knees at road and at road ahead
- NEVER OVERLAP THE WHEEL of the rider ahead of you
- ANTICIPATE slowing, turning, accelerating
- Control speed by slightly drifting out of the draft or by feathering (barely touching) the brakes more than by discontinuing pedaling
- If too big a gap occurs, close it gradually—not by sprinting ahead
- “Powerstroke” BEFORE standing
- Don’t look behind by turning your head—unless you have trained yourself not to do so, you will automatically drift left or right. A mirror will solve this problem.
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