Reminders: Safety - Paul Thomas

As we resume our spring/summer full slate of weekly rides, and since we have experienced a few crashes already, I want to urge everyone to read the following reminders about SAFETY. Consider that the Spartanburg area rides often include packs of 20-30 riders ranging from elite/well-trained/experienced riders to beginners who haven't put in miles in several months.

Safety must be our top priority on every ride because none of us is above riding for all of us whenever we join a group ride.

TIPS:

• Learn to handle your bicycle in predictable ways. NO sudden movement left, right, or slowing. The key to good bicycle handling includes EXPERIENCE, which can be gained from observing experienced riders who are smooth, predictable, and effortless on the rides. 

• Bike fit, bike fit, bike fit. Yes, a proper bike fit will make you more efficient but most importantly a proper bike fit IMPROVES YOUR HANDLING. Seat too low (lots of this); seat to high; stem, hoods, and handlebars too high—all make you very unstable on the bicycle. A key to bike fit is you must be BALANCED over your bottom bracket so that you can remove one or both hands without the bicycle swerving. Most elite cyclists have a significant "drop" between their saddle height and stem (imagine a parallel and level line across the top of your saddle extending to above you stem and handlebars), which puts them in an aggressive but balanced position. Most of us aren't that young and supple (sigh), but we all should likely have some drop and should address up-turned stems, tilted up hoods and bars (on all three, don't). A "cramped" and upright rider is an unsafe rider.

• Ride two-abreast, do NOT overlap the wheel ahead, do NOT leave a huge gap between you and the wheel ahead, and ride slightly left or right of the wheel ahead (but do NOT position yourself in between the two riders ahead, especially pushing your front wheel into the space between them). We must all stay well inside the yellow line, especially not crossing the yellow line to advance or attack. If you can calmly advance right against the yellow line, alert those as you pass, and be calm about it. As you are dropping back after a pull, stay inside the yellow line and the pack must honor your need to be safe and GIVE SPACE.

• Close your rear wheel quick release into the V of your seat stay and chain stay—NOT pointing backward (which can "catch" a front wheel if the rider behind suddenly overlaps your rear wheel in a tense situation).

• Know your ability and "place." Don't know the route? Then why are you on the front? Know you can't pull through? Then why get in the advancing line of riders? Blowing up and swerving all over the road while other riders are advancing at a high pace is both unsafe and unfair (and like in high school, people are likely to talk about you behind your back, or to your face).

• Don't dart off the front, especially on hills, during a group ride and then force the pack to negotiate you slowing down, swerving, or looking back once they come back to you. It's unsafe, it's not what a group ride is.

• Learn to look over your shoulder without swerving. Learn to look over your shoulder without swerving. Learn to look over your shoulder without swerving. Learn to look over your shoulder without swerving. [And if you can't, don't.]

• When you are tired, or over your head in the pace or distance of the ride, you are dangerous to yourself and others. Alert the group you are tired, and ride in a safe spot near the back [ask someone to look after you, we really don't mind].

• Talk to alert other riders. Pass up ALL THE WAY from the back to front, or front to back. People taking pulls have a HUGE responsibility to know the route and watch the road, and then ALERT [point, talk, gently avoid the obstruction well ahead of the obstruction (note that being "cool" on the front isn't very cool)]. BUT all riders in the pack have an obligation to point, talk, and pay attention.

• If you can't talk and ride safely, maintaining your place in the pack, then don't talk. It is also possible to talk to others without looking at them (my daughter and students always hated this, but I have learned it is possible).

• DON'T CREATE GAPS, especially toward the rear where new, tired, or struggling riders often sit. Don't create gaps at turns or stop signs (the front should accelerate CALMLY, and the back must maintain contact with the wheel in front of you). If can drink ONLY at stops, you need to learn how to drink on the fly; same with eating. All changes of direction and pace are problems for maintaining a pack and everyone must be committed to keeping the pack cohesive.

• Know how to cross RR tracks, descend climbs, take corners at speed, steer instead of leaning (sand in road, wet pavement), brake and ride in rain or wet roads, stand with riders behind, eat/drink while riding, take off/put on clothing while riding, etc.

• Bike maintenance. Yep, well maintained bicycle is a safe bicycle. Learn how to do the basics, but don't hesitate to ask for help keeping your bicycle in good shape—tires/tubes, chains, shifting adjustment, brake pads, pedal cleats (huge safety issue), CABLES for shifting especially (must be changed regularly).

Safety is about being good stewards of the pack and the road. If you aren't sure what is safe or not, just ask.

Paul Thomas, EdD, Associate Professor

Furman University

http://bicyclelust.blogspot.com/

twitter: @plthomasEdD

Beginner's Guide for Cycling Efficiency - Paul Thomas

(This is a re-post from 2011, but it is a great article that is just as relevant today.)

This past weekend offered cyclists in the Upstate of SC another unseasonably warm and sunny weekend of riding, but the cost was high winds. Sunday, after a particularly challenging 38-mile ride in a stiff wind, one of the riders talked to me afterward about looking relaxed on the bicycle. I noted that I have been riding seriously for almost thirty years now so I am very relaxed on a bicycle. But remaining relaxed under the stress of high winds and a taxing pace can challenge even the best riders.

What, then, can beginning cyclists do to become efficient, and thus relaxed, cyclists--particularly when targeting a grueling event such as either of the Assaults?

• The most important element in cycling efficiency--riding relaxed--is proper bicycle fit and weight distribution. Many beginning riders are either too upright or leaning far too heavily on the bars. Proper weight distribution should center a rider. Also, many beginning riders are set-up initially with high stems (with a high stack height and the stem sloping upward) and with the hoods/ handlebars tilted upward as well. While this position is intuitively more comfortable at first, the positioning is destined to create squirrelly handling. Beginning riders should work toward a "flat" profile that has the rider "stretched out" as much as is feasible--depending on each rider's physique. A professional fit is important for getting relaxed on the bicycle.

• The next step is obvious--ride a great deal, particularly with groups. Nothing creates relaxed and efficient cycling as much as experience.

• When riding in groups, ride with the upper body relaxed. Concentrate on NOT clenching your hands on the hoods or bar. Many beginning riders expend a great deal of energy through tense upper body muscle groups, resulting in fatigue and poor bicycle handling.

• Monitor the size gear you are pushing. Many riders get bogged down pushing a bigger gear (large chain ring with the smaller cogs), hoping to maintain speed. All cyclists can learn what the optimal cadence is for you. Traditionally, cyclists should seek a gear you can turn over at 90-100 rpms, but I will confess here, that's never worked for me. I remain a lower cadence cyclist (~85 rpm). The key here is discovering and refining your pedaling efficiency.

• Concentrate on your breathing. Breathing is, obviously, something we do during intense exercise regardless, but many of us have inefficient habits, such as shallow breathing, that negatively impact performance. As someone who struggles with anxiety, I can attest that focusing on deep and proper breathing is a powerful relaxation technique in all aspects of life. Proper breathing while under stress on a ride pays positive dividends over the course of a long ride.

• Monitor your pack/group position. Many beginners sit on the back of packs--even a half-bicycle length or so off the back. Hanging on or off the back is guaranteed to get you dropped. The surges are magnified for the back, and surges are the greatest challenges for beginning riders. Position yourself in the middle or front 2/3 of the pack. Once in the heart of a pack, monitor the wind and find a spot that positions other riders on your side to block cross winds.

• Monitor transition situations--stop signs, turns, railroad crossings--and be sure not to hesitate, not to allow gaps to form as the front riders accelerate while the riders on the back decelerate for the sign, turn, or tracks. Again, if you are sitting in the middle, the transition is far less abrupt as it is on the back.

• Practice and monitor drinking, eating, and adjusting clothing. These are additional disruptions to normal riding that can create gaps beginning riders cannot afford. Skills must be developed on training rides.

• Monitor the pack dynamics. Look for strong and relaxed riders to sit on their wheels. But stronger riders often unconsciously allow gaps to form; for them closing the gap is no problem. But an inattentive beginning rider can get gapped and then dropped when other riders allow gaps to form. Beginning riders should watch and immediately go around gapping riders to keep in the main slipstream of the pack.

The relaxed and efficient rider is created through attention to detail and practice, practice, practice.

Paul Thomas, EdD, Associate Professor

Furman University

http://bicyclelust.blogspot.com/

twitter: @plthomasEdD

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

Uncle Ben was right when he said that (...even if he wasn't the first).

This could be viewed as mechanical power - that which needs a power meter to see - and yeah, that's true in a lot of ways, too (as I will discuss below).  In truth however, we understand Ben to be saying that a person of great strength of character, leadership, and influence has an obligation to illustrate proper and safe behaviors while upholding his or her duties to the betterment of the group as a whole.


I am reminded of a few training rides we have done in the past year in which certain Pro riders have joined us.  The Upstate Winter Bike League had a number of top athletes in the ranks.  Sometimes our weekly rides pull in a few Cat 1 racers.  On occasion, I've visited other cities and joined in their group rides/events - finding strong riders at every level.  In each case, it became evident that there are higher expectations for those riders who have proven themselves in either the sport of racing, in events like the Assaults, or even just the weekly rides.

Note:  This is not a discussion about Ride Leaders (organizers) or about individuals appointed to a leadership role.  However, those jobs are necessarily imbued with social, ethical, and moral responsibility!

Perhaps it is easier to understand how someone earns the respect of the pack - how one goes about "proving oneself" - rather than trying to dissect the image of one who already has, and here we come to the heart of this posting:  With Great Power...

Within the last 2 weeks, I have witnessed both the strength of character and sportsmanship that should be displayed by truly strong and powerful riders.  In those same 2 weeks, I saw he exact opposite on display as well (but I will use a ride from last Fall to illustrate the point).

---

Bruce Humphies is a powerful cyclist, and he is an excellent example of a responsible athlete.  When he joins us for our Tuesday night ride, he could easily drop any one of us.  Even working together, our Average-Joe crowd probably couldn't chase Bruce down if he wanted to stay away (in fact, the whole Pro1/2 peloton couldn't bridge the gap when Bruce soloed to victory in the SC State Criterium Championships last week).  On Tuesdays Bruce sits on the front and pulls, and when we enter an "open zone" with a sprint sign at the end, he attacks - but only so hard as to make us all work.  He never leaves the group totally behind - and we all enjoy chasing!  After each zone, he waits until we're all together and ready to start the next bit.

Similarly, when we are "neutral" in between these zones, Bruce goes back to setting pace or sitting in, observing the "rules" set out by either the Ride Leader or the tradition of the ride.  If someone has a flat or machanical, he waits with the rest of us.

---

Parker Kyzer is a powerful cyclist.  Though young, he is fast becoming a top athlete in the sport, and it is clear that he understands the responsibility that comes with it.  Last week, a large group of us rode over Bills Mt and back, following the Assaults course.  Again, Parker rode on the front for much of the ride, setting a reasonable pace - and by reasonable, I mean one that allowed for everyone to participate.  It was quick, yes - but not impossible and certainly not racing speeds! 

On the way back a few riders fell in to difficulty.  Some of us were still feeling strong - including Parker - but rather than storming off into the distance, leaving our compatriots to rot in the hot sun, we worked together to come home as a group.  But! In order to make the ride a challenge and get a good workout in... Parker pushed the other cyclists who were in trouble!  (with their permission, of course)

In this way, he wasn't "wasting time" out there on the road.  Both Parker and Bruce do interval training before or after a group ride in which they will be the strongest or fastest guys (which, I surmise, is quite often).  OR they do their intervals on a different day.  They do not do their intervals during a group ride; a major faux pas!

---

I was on a group ride last fall, and after a long, casual warm-up, the Ride Leader (Robin Farina) turned back with some of the slower cyclists.  She rode the short loop in order to make sure everyone got home safely.  Despite the fact that she is a Cat 1, Pro athlete, she rode ~35 miles at 16mph that day.

I remained with the "fast group" on the long course, aiming for ~55 miles.  Under the "leadership" of some of the local hammer-heads, the ride quickly devolved into what Chad Andrews calls, a "DS" ride (the second word is "Swinger"... the first, I leave to your imagination).  It was fast and vicious.  At one point, there were only 2 of us left - the rest had been dropped!  Had I not asked for a regroup (and gone back myself), they may never have seen each other again.

Of course, I enjoy racing, and I enjoy the simulation of racing.  What surprised me were the dangerous and selfish actions taken by the guys on the front.  They didn't regroup (despite it being a group training ride).  They didn't stop at traffic signals.  They didn't communicate directions or call out road debris and holes.  Pushing the limits of a group ride, splintering the group, and shattering the peloton every time you go out... is pointless and unhelpful.  Read Paul's blog "the Not-so-good Ol' Days," and my own post "Why We Are Here" for more.

---

Some people view themselves as "Leaders" who should not.  Some people view themselves as strong and powerful riders, though they are not.  And in an attempt to illustrate their own self image, they behave poorly

Riding away from a group while the group is "neutral," rolling through stop signs or traffic lights without stopping, failing to regroup at the group's behest, "attacking" (or failing to slow/wait) when others are in difficulty, have a mechanical, are avoiding a dog in the road, or are in some way hampered by road conditions, etc... these actions are unsportsmanlike and shameful.  Doing any of these neither impresses the peloton nor proves the strength of the offender.  In fact, this kind of behavior sets very bad examples and incites dangerous reactions.  Remember, often there are new riders in the pack - and everyone must set a positive examples for the newbies so that they will ride safely and, more importantly, continue to ride.

Like lemmings in spandex, the peloton will blindly follow into self destruction, and it is the duty of those with great power to act with great responsibility!

Please consider all of these points as you ride tomorrow, in the final weeks of Assaults preparations, and in the summer months ahead.

(...and now for the double back-flip, Triple-Lindy, Soapbox Dismount...)

-Peter Kay
http://theAssaults.com
http://TotalCyclist.com

If you are not interested in keeping the group together, then you are not interested in riding with a group.  Don't muck-up a good ride by breaking etiquette and riding selfishly.

Fulfill your dreams and ride solo.

\ˈau̇(-ə)r\ \Vō-ˈka-byə-ˌler-ē, və-\ \'and\ \Kə-ˌmyü-nə-ˈkā-shən\

Our Vocabulary and Communication is unique.  With a word and a point, we can warn those around us of impending disaster - a cavernous hole in the road, a wheel wrenching sandpit, or a man-eating canine on the hunt.  With two words and an arm-wave we can direct a mass of 200 people, in mid-conversation, coursing down a winding narrow road, to make a 110° turn at 25 mph.  With the flick of an elbow, we can say, "Hey man, I'm tired of fighting the wind.  I think it's your turn now.  When I move to my left, you stay straight and continue at the pace I set.  Me, I'm going to slow down and get behind someone.  Thanks!"

Many of the terms and their definitions seem obvious to the experienced cyclists, so much so, we often take them for granted.  Below is a list of common words and phrases that we should all know and use.

============================

Communication is a key element to the survival of this multi-headed buzzing beast we call the peloton.  Without it, the animal will bunch up and grow fat right in front of a passing auto.  It might explode, blowing tires, breaking frames, the fragments disintegrating over the length of the road, parts strewn about the way.  If we don't all communicate with one another, the pack cannot and will not work.  People will be left behind, truckers will veer dangerously close in anger, bumping elbows and ensuing crashes will be inevitable, and we will have no one to blame but ourselves.

There are two very important kinds of communication in a group ride:  physical and verbal.  As I mentioned in a previous post, "What's the Point," much of what we say needs to have a gesture associated with it.  When pointing out obstacles or giving directions, it's best to accompany words with some sort of hand/arm motion.

Still, there are some terms that cannot be accompanied by waving about.  For instance, "Car Back" is not something we need to point out.  However, it is something that everyone needs to hear!

It is essential that we ALL take part in passing information from the front to the rear and from the rear to the front.  Note that some terms may sound the same on a windy day or in a large group.  "Gap" and "car-Back" often sound alike, but as long as riders pass the information up, it is less likely that the message will be skewed.  Similarly using two words for the latter helps to clarify whether the group needs to slow down, tighten up, or some other action.

Above all else:  KEEP COMMUNICATION SIMPLE:  use monosyllabic words; only shout in phrases not sentences; don't give details, names, or descriptions; try to make each term have it's own, unique lilt rather than each word sounding the same.  Similarly, don't joke around.  Only shout for a reason - passing along info.  The people on the front might think there's something wrong or the people on the back might be looking for a hole, and this can (and has) lead to crashes and other disasters. 

============================

Basic Terms of the Peloton Include:

• LEFT turn : emphasis on "left;" accompanied by pointing 

• RIGHT turn : emphasis on "right;" accompanied by pointing or right turn signal

• Car BACK : emphasis on "back;" when a car is behind the group and wants to come around; if a small group (2-4 riders) convert from two abreast to single file; if a larger group (5+) tighten up towards the white line, 2 abreast.  PLEASE DO NOT convert to single file with a large group - this makes it more difficult for a car to come around!

• Car 'ROUND : (sometimes just "'Round" - short for Around) when a car begins to pass on the left

• Car UP : (often sounds like "RUP") less often used; in large groups in which the group spans from white line to yellow line, it's necessary to point out cars approaching from the front

• Gra-VEL : (gravel) for gravel, sand, or other loose dirt; accompanied by pointing

• DOG : self explanatory - direction can also be given ("DOG LEFT")

• HOLE : any form of gap in the pavement; accompanied by pointing. [see Rough Road for longer sections of damaged pavement]

• CLEAR : when approaching a stop sign or red light, shout clear when no cars are coming from either direction (variations: CLEAR LEFT - when turning right; CLEAR LEFT then CLEAR RIGHT - when crossing a large, 4+ lane road.  [see alternate, paceline usage below]

• CHAIN :  if a chain drops, the cyclist will stall (and sometimes stop).  This often happens on a hill where the bike loses speed quickly; the rider becomes a roadblock.  Response:  the person who dropped the chain should immediately shift to the big ring to put the chain back on; even while doing that, they should use their momentum to get out of the way; DO NOT:  stop in the middle of the road; and there is no need to look down.

• GAP : when a cyclist or group is off the back of the peloton but is trying to reconnect (not used in "A Rides" - but should be in every non-drop ride)

• Glass : self explanatory; accompanied by pointing

• Rough Road : accompanied by either/both pointing and direction ("Rough Road Right"); for extensive sections of cracked and broken pavement that can lead to crashes or flats.

• Tighten Up : less often used; for any group that is more than 2 abreast or the two riders are too far apart.  Usually in conjunction with Car Back.  Response:  everyone moves closer to the white line on the edge of the road (the left-most cyclist should be approximately in the middle of the lane or closer to the white line)

• On-y'r LEFT (or Right) : emphasis on the side on which you are passing, ("On Your Left"); for a cyclist or group of cyclists passing another, slower moving person/group at a notably faster speed.  Response: (made by the slower person/group) move in the opposite direction (if there is available space) or stay perfectly straight, allowing room for the faster people to pass.  There is no need to look over one's shoulder, the faster riders have assessed the situation!  Often, it is best to "get out of the way," so tighten up and move over. [this term is unnecessary in a paceline]

• Mechani-CAL : for any type of bike issue that causes a person to stop; flats, dropped chain (that won't get back on), broken shifter cable, etc.

A couple of Paceline terms that are meant only for the next person in the group (not shouted for everyone):  "Clear" and "Last."  The first is used to indicate that there is enough room for person at the front to pull into the slow lane and begin drifting to the rear.  Last is used by the last rider in the fast lane to indicate that the last person in the slow lane can move over without having to check over his/her shoulder.  We will cover paceline etiquette in another entry later.

===============

Please Note:  If you are not interested in keeping the group together, then you are not interested in riding with a group.  Don't muck-up a good ride by breaking etiquette and riding selfishly.

Fulfill your dreams and ride solo.

Read MORE about General Etiquette HERE.

-Peter

https://theAssaults.com

http://TotalCyclist.com

Fitting In--or Not, and Cycling Resources and Distractions

I love words.

It is at the core of my nerd-dom--my comic-book collecting, sci-fi affinity, my book hoarding, and my incessant pecking out of my own writing daily (and moment-by-moment in my crowded, ceaseless mind).

Many years ago I was reading a critical book about William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying (a tour-de-force of Southern brilliance, a brutal unmasking of the South, a word-fest)--Recalcitrance, Faulkner & the Professors: A Critical Fiction (Austin M. Wright, Iowa City: U of Iowa P, 1990). I was struck by the word "recalcitrance," but I had no idea what it meant.

Then, I discovered it was the perfect word to describe what I am at my core--recalcitrant.

Next, just a few years ago, I was at a teachers' conference in Myrtle Beach with a colleague and several teachers-to-be from Furman. I have been shaving my head for about 15 years now, which is often a topic of interest to many people (although I am puzzled by that), but I have also been shaving my legs for most of the past 27-28 years (a really disturbing fact for my daughter when she was growing up and discovered that was normal for women, but not men).

Well, at this conference, the topic of my leg shaving came up, and I explained that professional cyclists shave their legs not for aerodynamics (the usual assumption among non-cyclists, confusing cyclists with swimmers--although in the water I guess it is "hydrodynamics"), but for the likelihood of crashing (shaved legs are a slightly better defense against sliding on pavement and for dressing the wounds after crashes) and to accommodate daily massages. I then added that recreational cyclists and Cat-racers are far more likely to have shaved legs purely from peer pressure--for fitting in.

I told them that once any new rider joins a group of "serious" riders, those serious riders will take a glance at the legs--shaved, OK; hair, skeptical.

One of my former students, Steph, was mortified. She is an angry soul like I am, and she is also a wonderful personification of "recalcitrant." I had disappointed her greatly, and she still brings this up often.

I think it's a Groucho Marx line, but I heard it in a Woody Allen film--I wouldn't join any organization that would have me as a member. But I am not just a member of the cycling community, I love it. I thrive on it. I have ceded my basic nature to it--shaved legs for the cause. It is a rare badge of my acquiescing.

And I offer this here on the Assaults blog to say that there is something bigger than just training and cycling and getting ready for the Assaults.

Cycling the way most of the Assaults participants do it is our distraction, our escape, our challenge to ourselves. Few of us get paid; in fact, this is damned expensive.But not an investment because it is money spent in a way that is usually unlike the rest of our financial lives.

This all flooded into my mind when Mark (as we call him, "Mark from Charlotte") emailed the link to The Rules. I have read these before, but the occasion to read them again made me laugh and smile harder than I remember from before.

I think it struck differently this time because I realized The Rules are essentially the old-school rites of passage--why and how the cycling community allows people in.

And why and how we revel in giving each other hell at any given moment.

At some point along the way, cyclists started turning their stems up instead of parallel to the ground, and bicycles came out of bicycle shops with the hoods turned up instead of parallel to the ground. Few things could make me more concerned about the fate of this planet.

. . .

Except when cyclists have their real wheel skewers closed with the releases pointing backward at the other riders as if not a single other human on the planet matters. . .

Web links for your amusement:

Velominati

Hill Climbing

Cylcingnews.com

Velonews

peloton

Nutrition Calculators

Heart Rate Training Zone Calculator

Bicycle Fit Calculator

Favorite Climbs from around the U.S.

SC Climb Elevation Gains and Average Gradients

"Bicycle Race," Queen (YouTube)

Paul Thomas, EdD, Associate Professor

Furman University

http://bicyclelust.blogspot.com/

http://wrestlingwithwriting.blogspot.com/

http://livinglearninginpoverty.blogspot.com/

http://palmettoeducatorsnetwork.blogspot.com/

twitter: @plthomasEdD

Beginner's Guide for Cycling Efficiency

This past weekend offered cyclists in the Upstate of SC another unseasonably warm and sunny weekend of riding, but the cost was high winds. Sunday, after a particularly challenging 38-mile ride in a stiff wind, one of the riders talked to me afterward about looking relaxed on the bicycle. I noted that I have been riding seriously for almost thirty years now so I am very relaxed on a bicycle. But remaining relaxed under the stress of high winds and a taxing pace can challenge even the best riders.

What, then, can beginning cyclists do to become efficient, and thus relaxed, cyclists--particularly when targeting a grueling event such as either of the Assaults?

• The most important element in cycling efficiency--riding relaxed--is proper bicycle fit and weight distribution. Many beginning riders are either too upright or leaning far too heavily on the bars. Proper weight distribution should center a rider. Also, many beginning riders are set-up initially with high stems (with a high stack height and the stem sloping upward) and with the hoods/ handlebars tilted upward as well. While this position is intuitively more comfortable at first, the positioning is destined to create squirrelly handling. Beginning riders should work toward a "flat" profile that has the rider "stretched out" as much as is feasible--depending on each rider's physique. A professional fit is important for getting relaxed on the bicycle.

• The next step is obvious--ride a great deal, particularly with groups. Nothing creates relaxed and efficient cycling as much as experience.

• When riding in groups, ride with the upper body relaxed. Concentrate on NOT clenching your hands on the hoods or bar. Many beginning riders expend a great deal of energy through tense upper body muscle groups, resulting in fatigue and poor bicycle handling.

• Monitor the size gear you are pushing. Many riders get bogged down pushing a bigger gear (large chain ring with the smaller cogs), hoping to maintain speed. All cyclists can learn what the optimal cadence is for you. Traditionally, cyclists should seek a gear you can turn over at 90-100 rpms, but I will confess here, that's never worked for me. I remain a lower cadence cyclist (~85 rpm). The key here is discovering and refining your pedaling efficiency.

• Concentrate on your breathing. Breathing is, obviously, something we do during intense exercise regardless, but many of us have inefficient habits, such as shallow breathing, that negatively impact performance. As someone who struggles with anxiety, I can attest that focusing on deep and proper breathing is a powerful relaxation technique in all aspects of life. Proper breathing while under stress on a ride pays positive dividends over the course of a long ride.

• Monitor your pack/group position. Many beginners sit on the back of packs--even a half-bicycle length or so off the back. Hanging on or off the back is guaranteed to get you dropped. The surges are magnified for the back, and surges are the greatest challenges for beginning riders. Position yourself in the middle or front 2/3 of the pack. Once in the heart of a pack, monitor the wind and find a spot that positions other riders on your side to block cross winds.

• Monitor transition situations--stop signs, turns, railroad crossings--and be sure not to hesitate, not to allow gaps to form as the front riders accelerate while the riders on the back decelerate for the sign, turn, or tracks. Again, if you are sitting in the middle, the transition is far less abrupt as it is on the back.

• Practice and monitor drinking, eating, and adjusting clothing. These are additional disruptions to normal riding that can create gaps beginning riders cannot afford. Skills must be developed on training rides.

• Monitor the pack dynamics. Look for strong and relaxed riders to sit on their wheels. But stronger riders often unconsciously allow gaps to form; for them closing the gap is no problem. But an inattentive beginning rider can get gapped and then dropped when other riders allow gaps to form. Beginning riders should watch and immediately go around gapping riders to keep in the main slipstream of the pack.

The relaxed and efficient rider is created through attention to detail and practice, practice, practice.

Paul Thomas, EdD, Associate Professor

Furman University

http://bicyclelust.blogspot.com/

twitter: @plthomasEdD

Why We are Here

There is a kind of intrinsic beauty in the mating of a person and machine; an elegantly simple union, resulting in a powerful and liberating experience.

Cycling is the best sport, the best outdoor activity, the best past-time, the best... everything.  If we didn't believe that wholeheartedly, we wouldn't ride as much as we do.  It frees us from our daily grind.  It allows us to leave the office, the house, the stresses, and the worries of our lives well behind us - if only for a few hours.  We ride with our friends (whether they are with us or not), and we use that time to rebuild what the day has torn down.


As a child, most of us still remember that key moment in our lives - that one, pivotal experience which we will never forget: riding for the first time without training wheels!  At that moment, a person feels that there are no limitations - anything is possible.  The bike becomes a symbol of freedom.

Mind you, it is not our means of escape, but rather, it is a sanctuary itself.

I still remember my first experience riding without training wheels... I was a late bloomer - all my friends had already learned to ride.  I don't know why it took me longer to figure it out, but it did.  It wasn't a lack of trying - and my father helped as much as possible.

One day, while at a friend's house, I hopped up on his bike to give it another shot.  In moments, I was free - flying without anyone's assistance!  There is no way to explain what happened; why I was suddenly able to ride.  Something just clicked, and I was off... doing circles in his driveway.

So it was a little anticlimactic.  I didn't venture far, and it was years before I rode with any kind of regularity or goals.  But a significant goal was accomplished.  I was free!  (and more importantly for a young boy, I was now a "full-fledged member of society")

The cycling community has its cliques, its snobs, and its anti-social people.  On the whole however, it's much like a family.  We bicker, we quarrel, but in the end - we all work together to get to where we're going.  We are friends and we are "brothers in arms," suffering and working together to reach the summit or overcome whatever nature can throw at us.

From the 1st Assault to the 35th, riders have reached the top, jumped off the bike, changed clothes, and volunteered.  They help the other finishers find clothes/food.  They help load bikes onto the trucks or direct traffic.  They help at rest stops along the course, and so on and so forth.  Just as we take pulls, we help those around us to achieve this massive undertaking because that is the nature of our sport.  (again... the best sport in the world.)

• Though it isn't the only reason to do it, shaving our legs is a Rite of Passage - a symbol of our dedication to the sport and to the community.  Aside from the long list of practical reasons for a male cyclist to shave his legs, being recognized as a "full-fledged member of this particular society" is probably the biggest reason to do it.  It's an unspoken rule - but understood.

A wonderful example of what cyclists do for one another can be seen in Chris Horner's actions in July of 2008 at the Cascade Classic.  With over a mile to the finish (uphill), Chris helped another cyclist - from another team - who had crashed, totaling his bike.  Rather than leave the young man to walk the final stretch (possibly missing the time-cut), Horner said, "get on," and pedaled both the cyclist and his bike to the top!  (Click Here for more pictures.)

Cycling is a wonderful sport and creates comradery at every level.  Top Pros help each other out all the time - it's inherent to the nature of the sport: drafting, rotating pacelines, pointing out holes in the road.  This kind of community is just one of the reasons cycling is the Best Sport Ever.

-Peter Kay

http://theAssaults.com

http://TotalCyclist.com

"Know Your Place!"

After reading Paul's last blog entry, I'm reminded of a time I was on a group ride some years ago and heard someone shout, "know you place!"

It was an angry sentiment - a more experienced cyclist yelling at an inexperienced rider who had just committed one of the "cardinal sins" of pack riding:  by changing lines dramatically, he had cut someone off, causing a crash in the back of the group.

What caused the accident was fairly simple - a guy pushed himself well beyond his capabilities, and in exhaustion, he began making poor choices.  In this case, the newbie had ridden as hard as he could up the left side of the group, from the back, passing everyone in the group, in order to get a better placement in the peloton (having always heard that the best and safest place in the pack is near the front).  He had gotten about as far to the front as he could (or dared to go), and then dove sideways into the group to seek shelter from the wind.

Unfortunately, I see this happen all the time: a guy rides up the left side of the road, passing everyone, but in doing so, he burns himself out.  By the time he actually gets to the front, he cannot hold his place there.  He burns all of his energy flying up the yellow line (or over it), jumps onto the front, and blows up.  Then everyone around is forced to work around him as he is shuffled to the rear again (if not off the back entirely).

The result of this newbie's move years ago - diving into the group, bumping someone's front wheel as you can imagine - was like a bomb going off; cyclists swerving and veering off the road like bits of shrapnel in every direction.

This rider had inadvertently overlapped his rear wheel with the front wheel of another rider.  But here's the thing:  that cyclist (the one whose front wheel was hit) did not go down!  He was a strong athlete with good bike handling skills and many years of experience.  He flexed his line and adjusted his speed to take the blow.

The trouble arose farther back.

Reactions to changes in speed are exponential:  when the First person slows a fraction, the Second must slow twice as much.  The Third must slow twice as much as the Second (thus four times as much as the First), and so on and so forth.  The person on the back is forced to slam on the brakes, then sprint to catch back up to speed.

We call this the accordion effect (sometimes the slinky effect - same idea, but "accordion" also references sound... and in truth, this action is most like particles of air in sound waves or compression waves).  It's most obvious when slowing for a turn, but it happens on hills just as often, and it can even happen on a flat, uninterrupted road during which someone hesitates to drink from a water bottle!

So by abruptly ducking into the group, the newbie had caused a chain reaction that ended in disaster several riders back.... but the cause was undeniable.

Fortunately, no one was severely injured (bruises, scrapes, scratched components), but the new guy got a good tongue lashing from the stronger cyclists up front.  "Know your place," one had said, and though it was sharp and unforgiving - he brought up a good point.

All too often, people breeze through advice columns and forget to read why.  Why do cyclists ride in the front of a group?  Who is up there and why are they up there?  What makes a peloton work and what makes it collapse?

Just as every rider should choose (or create) a group ride based on abilities (being completely honest with oneself), every rider should also choose a place in the pack based on personal experience and comfort.

If you are just hoping to hang on - go to the middle:  there will be fewer and smaller surges, fewer gaps, and plenty of draft.  If you are a strong, steady rider who can set pace - ride on or near the front.  If you are planning to lead the ride - please be near the front at almost all times (it's hard for the caboose to steer the train).

The point is:  "know thyself."  Be honest with your capabilities and comforts.  Yes, you cannot grow without pushing yourself sometimes, but a group ride is not the best place to go well beyond your limits.  Consider everyone's safety first.  In truth, you will gain more by sitting in and working on pack-skills than by killing yourself, blowing up, and riding home alone.

-Peter
http://TotalCyclist.com
http://theAssaults.com

Beginner's Dilemma. . .Becoming a Group Rider

Cycling in and around Spartanburg, SC is hard to beat. I have been riding here for about 27 years or so, and over the past decade, we have evolved into a cycling community that offers 4-5 organized rides a week for 52 weeks a year, including night rides when standard time leaves most of us in the dark after work.

In a previous blog, I recounted the not-so-good ol' days of being a beginning cyclist, and I still marvel at why I bothered to keep at this.

Cycling is expensive—just to have the equipment needed to begin—and the performance curve between riding alone and riding with a group of experienced riders is huge. I often think about a few instances when I have been on fast organized group rides with a friend who has been a very successful triathlete (including the Hawaii IronMan). He is clearly a superior athlete to I, but I have finished in the front pack of those rides with him left behind on a few occasions. While this is the source of some enjoyable ribbing, it speaks volumes to the unique characteristics of group cycling that rises above pure ability and even experience.

So what is a beginner to do?

(1) Research the sport of cycling by talking with a bicycle shop, contacting the local club, and cruising the internet for sites dedicated to the sport at many levels. Information about the expectations of riders and the costs of the sport can help prevent many issues beginners face.

(2) Begin working on your fitness independent of cycling. Cycling has adopted athletes from many sports; runners often come our way after the pavement takes its toll. A moderate to high level of general fitness helps off-set the cycling-specific learning curve tremendously—but there is a caveat. Many elite athletes believe they can simply jump in with elite cyclists, which can create problems associated with riding etiquette and bicycle handling. People at all levels of fitness should respect an initial period of acclimating to the sport.

(3) Seek one riding partner to start your cycling experiences. Consider asking a local experienced cyclist to ride with you before or after organized rides as part of her/his warm-up or cool-down to help you adjust to riding on the road and with another rider.

(4) Identify or create beginner rides. Everyone should find a friendly group as a stepping stone to more aggressive and intense group riding. If no beginner rides are available, contact the local bicycle shop or club and ask about starting one. Bicycle shops should be creating new riders and should be eager to support a growing cycling community.

(5) Look for cycling coaches. Many of us who can afford to enter cycling can benefit from professional help. The Upstate of SC has many experienced and talented cycling-specific coaches who can help with fitness, bicycle fit, and learning to ride at many different levels.

(6) Experiment with more advanced rides. Here is likely the most important advice that is complicated. Everyone should eventually join a ride that is more advanced than the rider. But the new rider is responsible for a few important things—(a) contact the ride leader and inform her/him of your beginner status along with acknowledging that you know you are extending yourself, (b) know the course if at all possible, (c) have tools and your cell phone so you are entirely self-sufficient, and (d) ask the ride leader to keep you in mind for regroups, but reassure the ride leader that if either you or the group decides that the ride is over your head, that you will graciously abandon the ride and be able to finish safely.

(7) Know what the guidelines for a posted ride entail. Please consider reading carefully all posted rides and even talk to the ride leaders about what those rides entail. (See this set of guidelines I have recently recommended: CLICK HERE). In short, anyone who joins a posted ride should be prepared to honor the ride posted and the guidance offered by the leader(s).

(8) Consider joining the social aspects of group rides even when you aren't always on the group rides. While you are starting out, you may choose to ride alone parallel to a standing ride while also joining the group for food and drink afterwards. Here, you have a chance to meet, get advice, and lay the foundation for entering the group ride soon.

Cycling is hard, and for beginners, it can seem insular and heartless (well, we are heartless). But cycling communities are generally inviting and even eager to help new riders join in. Both new riders and the established riding community have to be patient, however, during the time needed for all new riders to get into good enough shape to be hammered and dropped so we can talk about it over a beer and a burrito.

Paul Thomas, EdD, Associate Professor

Furman University

http://bicyclelust.blogspot.com/

The Not-so-good Ol' Days

I am sitting here 72 hours away from 50 years old—with an ice pack on the ITB of my left knee after a grueling 8 days of riding. I missed a Saturday in early January for rare weekend work (and am about to miss three days this coming weekend for a state conference) and suffered like the rest of the South through an unexpected and lingering snowstorm.

Don't know why my ITB is throbbing.. .unless you want to take a peak at the suffer-fest initiated by Bruce and Jae (and 9 more of my closest friends) on January 15. This was a serious flogging over the ugly and relentless rollers along HWY 176.

And then UWBL yesterday:

January

15 http://app.strava.com/rides/267562

16 http://app.strava.com/rides/267564

17http://app.strava.com/rides/267563 

19 http://app.strava.com/rides/269897

20 http://app.strava.com/rides/269894

22 http://app.strava.com/rides/272277 

23 http://app.strava.com/rides/273208

More and more, when I glance around during rides—especially the ones that turn me inside-out and render me nearly silent (I said "nearly")—I start identifying the riders around by age—Brian in his 20s, Wade and Peter about 30, Tim and Wayne nearly a decade younger than I am. . .Well, the lists gets pretty grim for me (thank goodness for Richard White, Paul LeFrancois, and Steve Wagoner).

Steve Verdell is a few years younger than I am, but even when we were young, I didn't really deserve to sit in his draft. So it isn't really about age; except for me, I am riding to the end of my 40s as the strongest cyclist I have ever been—with my three best Assault times (5:57, 6:09, 6:10) all since I turned 46—although that still leaves me out of my league when I ease to the front of UWBL or take all my pulls along the attack zones during the Cancun ride. . .

Which brings me to what old men do. . .tell stories about the good ol' days. But I am going to exercise poetic license here. . .this story, as you will see, is about the not-so-good ol' days.

I started riding about 27 or 28 years ago, and in those early days, I rode alone. My usual ride was a 15-mile out-and-back route from Fairforest to the end of Old Anderson Mill Road (for locals, I considered that road to have two "climbs"). If I rode the15 miles in an hour, I was elated.

Over the next 5 or 6 years, I eventually joined local rides, but as I look back today, I wonder why anyone in the area remained a cyclist after joining one of our organized rides.

Here's a snapshot:

Many years ago, The Great Escape sat on HWY 29, a little above where Taco Bell is now, in a renovated convenience store. Spartanburg had the Bicycle Gallery on the east side as well. The Great Escape ride fluctuated, but was usually on Thursdays once most of us went to the Donaldson Center practice races on Tuesdays.

The route back then went straight out from GE, crossing over I-85 and rolling straight to New Cut Road, where we turned left and headed north to HWY 357 before turning left and weaving in by the Hollywild Zoo and the landfill for a couple finishing climbs including goat hill.

For those accustomed to A, B, and C rides and an interesting concept called "regrouping," the late 1980s and early 1990s had none of that. And "gap" was a word I didn't hear on a ride until the twenty-first century.

The flogging in those days began once a tire rolled out of the parking lot. Riders were even dropped before the railroad tracks at the Hotspot (yes, less than two miles). And if those dropped riders had to stop for the red light, well, we wouldn't see them until the next ride.

My horror as a new and much weaker rider was when we turned onto New Cut Road. Just past the Adidas plant to our right, the road turned up for a gradual incline that appeared to be flat road for many on the ride, except me. Most rides, I watched Verdell, Proctor, Tim (who I started riding with when he was in high school), Art and Andrew, as well as an assortment of riders who have drifted into and out of our local riding core for the past two to three decades, ride away while I gasped for air and resigned myself to once again ride 30 of the 35-mile loop alone.

And the parking lot at GE was empty when I finally got there. No one was heading for Mexican food and beer. In fact, we may have not even spoken to each other during the ride. . .(I was swearing silently to myself, I know, but can't recall much talking otherwise.)

But there is one person I omitted above—Fred Gobillot. He was the primary engine in the flogging. Fred was apt to ride around the pack in someone's yard to our right as we headed out from GE. . .if we weren't up to maximum speed in a few hundred yards, Fred was going to make us or simply ride off alone.

I genuinely don't know why I kept going back for these rides, but I did. And one week when I made it a little farther than usual, after Fred hammered everyone off his wheel, he looped back and told me to sit on his wheel to pull me back to the group. It was much harder to hang on that I believe he understood, but I did it. . .with Fred chewing me out the whole way. Apparently, in order not to get dropped, all I had to do was speed up—this was Fred's blunt and clear message.

After we reached the group, Fred rolled effortlessly back to the front, tightened the screws and popped me off the back again. And this went on for weeks.

I can't recall exactly when it happened (remember I am getting old), but I do recall the week I made it to HWY 357 with the front group without Fred helping. I sucked wheel the whole way, but I was there when we turned left and headed in (with no concern about the riders littered along New Cut Road).

And this is how I learned to ride—partly as a maturing cyclist (getting stronger year after year) and partly psychologically. Not getting dropped is about attitude and fitness.

While Fred was flogging me and berating me on Thursdays, I was also going to Donaldson and making it a little farther each week until I knew when I went to Donaldson that I was never going to win (I finished in the break away once back in those days), but I was never going to get dropped either.

I sit here 72 hours away from 50 years old. I really appreciate the torture Fred and my other cycling friends heaped on me in those first 5 or 10 years.

But this is no reminiscing about the good ol' days. I am glad to be riding still with many of the same people from my first decade of cycling.

But I'll take now without hesitation, and I am hopeful for many more years just like now. . .despite the ice packs and the growing number of riders on local rides who are half my age. . .

Paul Thomas, EdD, Associate Professor

Furman University

http://bicyclelust.blogspot.com/

What's the Point? (part 1)

• Bikes don't have brake lights.
• Pointing out a hole as you pass it means the rider behind you has already hit it.
• It's not just Courtesy, it's Safety.
• Give a Shout & Point it Out™.

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After a grueling Upstate Winter Bike League ride yesterday, I felt totally drained and exhausted.  The legs were feeling great at the start despite the chilly 28º temperatures and icy breeze, but as the day wore on... my body crumpled, and my motivation collapsed.  - nearly totally bonked by the end.


To view complete details of yesterday's ride with comparisons, click here.

Of course, this was no Assault on Mt. Mitchell, and it was slower and flatter than the Assault on Marion... but it was certainly a test of willpower.  After 2.5 hours, we stopped at a store for food/drink.  At that point, I ate what I could (some of my food was a little too frozen to chew), drank what I could (snagging a left-over Coca-Cola from a buddy of mine), and stretched as much as I could in the time given.  Yet when we started back, my muscles burned so deeply that I thought my femurs were on fire!

Two hours later when we finally rolled into the parking lot... I was defeated.  Everyone else seemed okay (or at least better off than myself) - a complete reversal from 2 weeks ago, but I wondered to myself... "Why?  Why do we do this to ourselves, and then return - again and again? Why do we slay ourselves in the name of fun?"  Of course, this is a difficult question to answer... and one which will hopefully be answered through all of these posts (and I will say a little bit about that in Part 2, for sure).

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Thankfully, we didn't have to contend with blustery 30+mph winds this time.  Two weeks ago was dangerous and stressful due to conditions.  But this ride was also incredibly stressful!  Again: Why?

What made this ride any more stressful or difficult than any of my other group rides?

One of the primary issues that we had yesterday was a lack of communication.

Just like The Assaults®, there were cyclists at nearly every level of experience participating.  There were novices, mid-pack racers, weekend warriors, and at the front (or in the mix) were Cat1/Pro racers!  A wide range of abilities, mixing together, coursing down the road at high speeds... is a recipe for danger.

And just like The Assaults, the pace was fast - far faster than the usual Wednesday night jaunt through the county that many of us are used to.  Even drafting while sitting-in pushed riders to their limits.  It's good practice to push oneself beyond a comfortable level - that's how we learn and grow.  However, health and safety must always come first (whether you are on a group ride or in the gym, etc.).

With so many on the edge of their abilities, mistakes are bound to happen.  People lose focus, make mistakes, overreact, and bad things follow.

It is incredibly important to communicate completely with our fellow riders.  Yesterday was not a race.  The Assaults are not races.  There is no prize at the finish, and there is no corporate sponsorship deal for crossing the line in front of anyone else.  This sport is one of the few civil sports left!  Good sportsmanship is still highly valued - there is no pride in defeating someone because they had a flat tire, a mechanical, or even a crash.  We've all seen it in the Tour de France: the Best wait for each other and help each other out.  (The consensus is: the handful who act selfishly, do not deserve the prizes they claim to have won.)

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After the snow storm that blanketed the southeast a few weeks ago, our local roads were in severe disrepair.  Debris, broken and shredded pavement littered the roads, and we could never be sure where the next hazard would pop up.  For this reason, the people at the front must always be alert, watching for these tire-biting, wheel-smashing, cavernous potholes.  And, rather than swerving around them at the last second - the leaders should glide around them, taking the line of a smooth arc such that the riders behind can follow, and may also see the debris or hole well in advance.

Still, the most important visual communication is The Point.  (I will discuss aural communication later.)  When approaching a hole ...or gravel ...or a turn ...or glass ...or anything that can cause danger and chaos in the peloton:

"give a shout and point it out"

People in the front need to carve a path around while pointing (clearly, and not just a small hand gesture from the bars).  Perhaps more importantly: people in the middle must pass that information along!  True, some of us find ourselves chatting while riding along.  But that does not mean that we can't pass along a Point.

Again, it's not just courtesy, it's safety.

How many text while driving? How hard would it be to point out a hole before riding over/by it? 

"Wag of the Finger:"  If you are an elite athlete or top racer, please don't act "too cool" to help those around you.  Even the top European Pros point out road hazards during the races.  Nothing is accomplished by this self-centered and elitist behavior - the sport of cycling is better than that, so should you be.

As I hop down off of my soapbox for a moment and massage my aching quads and stiff shoulders, I think back to the ride... I was almost hit by a car because nobody relayed an important message about an upcoming turn.  I was almost taken down in a crash because a rider hit a pile of gravel which was never pointed out.  I was almost hit by a car when making a turn and no one clearly relayed the message of oncoming traffic.  More than one of my friends related stories of being cut-off due to people dodging potholes and debris - again not having been pointed out by the riders up front.  And more than a few riders got flat tires (some double flats) due to glass, sand, or holes in the road - none of which was ever pointed out!

•  Certainly, there is the argument that to avoid all of these incidents, one should ride closer to the front.  Pelotons often sort themselves out, with the strongest and most experiences riders on the front, so much of the antics described occur near the rear.  This is something of a myth: often, it is the case that avid cyclists fight for a higher position (which causes issues in and of itself) and place themselves farther up than their skill allows because they feel unsafe near the back - something that communication could help alleviate.  I spent an equal amount of time at the front as near the back yesterday, and the problems were uniformly distributed.  One vehicle incident happened while I was near the front, one while I was nearer the back.

It was a stressful ride, and I am happy that next week I will be at the Great Escape for our first Official Training Ride for the Assaults:  Let it Roll!

-Peter
http://TotalCyclist.com
http://theAssaults.com

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Quick Note about Stress:   Admittedly, I showed up to the ride with work and personal stuff on my mind.  I knew I hadn't hydrated or eaten very well this week, and my sleep patterns had been off kilter for while.  So, going into the ride, my body and mind were already stressed.  This undoubtedly played into it all - but the other factors mentioned above exacerbated the strain to the point of total mental and physical exhaustion.

PLEASE: FEEL FREE TO LEAVE COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS!

White Knuckles and Hot Soup

After a brutish ride last weekend (click here to see the details), I am reminded of the difficulties when riding in a peloton of more than 100 people in conditions such as they were.  Many of us have read the "How To" guides, the tips and tricks of a pace-line, the group etiquette, and all the articles that surround group riding.  But when it comes to extreme elements (or extreme reactions to those elements), we all tend to lose our focus.  Last Saturday was a wonderfully grim example. 

Rag dolls strewn around the table, slowly warming ourselves with spicy tortilla soup, we ached and stretched our shoulders & necks.  This ride had been a test of will and of character. Nothing out there was impossible... but it had certainly seemed so at the time.

I looked around at my friends at the table.  Vacant stares and hollowed eyes, as though veterans of some great battle, they were defeated.

We sat quietly while the soup worked its magic.

The winds had blustered and blown, with gusts upwards of 30mph.  Temperatures had barely broken freezing (thankfully, there was no precipitation).  Still, crosswinds and headwinds (ne'er a tailwind!) battered us all day.  And yet, the leaders - the men up front - drove on and on with frightening speed.  Despite those great invisible gale forces constantly bearing down on us, we rode 82 miles at an incredible 20mph average!

This is the kind of ride one simply survives.

In these conditions, I had to keep reminding myself of some of "the rules" of riding.   For instance:
1.)  When the wind comes from the front left, go to the yellow line.  This enables the people behind you to form an echelon (diagonal draft).  In the same case, if you're drafting and find yourself on the white line, directly behind someone else... again, move into the wind.  Rotate, take turns, pull and share the workload.  Form multiple echelons so that everyone can draft, and gaps don't open up.  Be considerate, and work together - it's the only way to ensure your own safety and continued participation.

2.)  Cold weather and high winds tend to make people tense up.  The stiffer your arms and neck, the more likely that you will overreact - or be unable to react - when the situation suddenly changes (like a gust, a hole in the road, or a crash).  Besides, after 4 hours of a hunched shoulders and locked elbows, and you'll be so sore you won't want to ride the bike ever again!

During that hellish ride, my hands cramped. I was gripping the bars so tightly that they hurt - a white knuckled reaction to gusting wind and chaotic riders.  "Stop it," I kept telling myself over and over, shaking out my hands.  "Don't squeeze the bars - hold the bars!"

3.)  Eat.  Eat and Drink.  Keep fueling and refueling despite it all.  You sweat and you burn calories in cold weather just the same, so be certain to get it back in.

Thankfully, I did remember this important rule, and even though it was difficult to let go the handlebars while rolling, I managed to squeeze in a few gels and bars.  On a ride like this, the best time to eat is at stop signs or traffic lights.  Many experienced riders bonked that day.  They hit the wall because they simply didn't remember to eat!

That night, I was exhausted... and thankful for my warm bed.

-Peter Kay
TotalCyclist.com