At Bunch Ride Finder, we help fellow cyclists hook up with Bunch Rides and one of the important things when riding with a new group for the first time is working out who the ‘Patron of The Peloton’ is. CyclingTips have written a great article about why it’s important:

The “patron of the peloton” (POTP) essentially refers to the figurehead of any bunch ride. He’s not necessarily the best rider, but he is the most respected and the unspoken leader. He’s the guy who shouts “piss stop!” and everyone stops. He is the guy who is able to say “single up!” and everyone singles up. Nearly every bunch includes one rider like this and it’s always handy to know who this person is.

Why is this important to know? It’s especially significant when you’re new to a bunch ride. No matter how good a rider you are, when you join a bunch ride for the first time you should take note of who the POTP is, sit back, and follow. When you’re on someone else’s bunch ride it’s not the time to flex your muscle and show your stuff. This is one of those pieces of cycling etiquette that is never explicitly stated, but mess it up and you won’t be invited back. - read the full article at cyclingTips by clicking here!

At Bunch Ride Finder we are always looking for outsiders perspective on Bunch Rides, the good, the bad and the plain ugly.
Here’s an article featuring Kerrie Meares’ experiences while riding in the local bunch.

“One of the most important pieces of advice I can give to a cyclist attempting their first bunch ride is to ride next to someone experienced, and possibly stay at the back of the bunch until you become more confident riding behind and next to someone,” – Kerrie Meares

Surviving the Bunch Ride by www.shespoke.com.au

How does an inexperienced cyclist survive a bunch ride outing? One of Australia’s most respected and successful women cyclists, track bike specialist Kerrie Meares, has not only learnt how to ride elbow to elbow against competitors in the velodrome but also what to do and what not to do on the road while taking part in bunch rides as part of her training program.

Kerrie along with her sister Anna, are respected track riding champions. The girls, who started riding BMX before moving into the track scene, are multiple world, national, international and Commonwealth titleholders in numerous cycling events. Over years of training and racing cycling has not lost any of its shine for Kerrie.

“As a sport cycling is a great challenge with many disciplines to compete in (MTB, BMX, track, road, sprint, endurance) and as a past time it can be very social and a great means of cheap transport!” Kerrie said. “It offers something for everyone and people of all shapes and sizes can do it,” she added. “This sport has kept me fit and healthy for years, and I have made many friends. It has given me self confidence and at an elite level, and this sport has taken me all over the world.”

Kerrie remembers an incident in 1999 when she was bunch riding on one of her training sessions.

“I was sitting in the middle of the bunch and some of the riders on the front were riding silly (showing off) and failed to point out a rather large brick in the pathway of the bunch. The end result was that everyone but the front riders crashed and it stopped traffic on a busy road. We were very lucky that no cars hit us, but we heard a lot of screeching breaks!”

And some words of wisdom for newbie bunch riders?

“One of the most important pieces of advice I can give to a cyclist attempting their first bunch ride is to ride next to someone experienced, and possibly stay at the back of the bunch until you become more confident riding behind and next to someone,” said Kerrie.

“All bike riders need to have mastered a certain set of skills before they attempt to ride in traffic, let alone in a group,” she said. “Riders need to be able to stay upright, dismount and perform hand signals before they contemplate riding in a group, she added.

‘Bunch etiquette’ is a term that some experienced riders use and according to Kerrie it is just plain commonsense.

“Bunch etiquette is courteous actions towards other riders and traffic. For example, pointing out obstructions in the path of the group when riding on the front, when riding next to someone try and ride level with them, not half wheeling them. Put the earphones and music away (especially when riding next to someone and for safety so you can hear traffic). Take tissues with you so if you need to blow your nose you won’t have to spray it over everyone else. Have respect for the environment and pocket your rubbish and not throw it away,” Kerrie said.

‘Not following ‘bunch etiquette’ can result in unpleasant responses from fellow riders and motorists and a high chance of causing unnecessary accidents,” she added.

Pete York from ‘I Ride’ in Toowoomba, who has years of on road experience guiding beginner bike riders to new levels of confidence, also has a few suggestions to ensure that a bunch ride is a pleasant outing.

“With so many riders on the roads and different groups to ride with these days, sometimes things get a bit scary out there and it’s hard to know what to do. Here are some points to think about to get us all home safe and sound,” he said.

“A group ride is just that; the group starts together and finishes together, and if you want to leave the group then you should let someone in the bunch know what you are doing, not just drop off the back without a word,” Pete said.

“Always call out all lights, potholes, glass, cars, walkers, dogs etc and use your hand signals to indicate any obstacles, such as parked cars on the side of the road. You will learn these hand signals over time. Remember the back can’t see the front and this all works on trust.”

“Most of all have fun!”
To read the original article click here
Or for great Women’s Cycling clothing visit: www.shespoke.com.au

What is SheSpoke? – SheSpoke is a women’s cycle wear company dedicated to meeting the needs of women cyclists. SheSpoke produces premium cycling wear which delivers comfort, performance and style. SheSpoke aspires to encourage women to participate in cycling by providing fashionable, functional, innovative and comfortable cycle wear.

So you have been riding on your own for some time, clocking up the miles and you’ve been thinking of joining that Bunch…. here are some tips and tricks for joining a Bunch Ride for the first time.

1. Do your research on the bunch ride:
When heading out with a bunch for the first time, its a good idea to find out as much information on the bunch ride as you can. Ask questions;
How long is the Ride?  Does the Bunch stop for punctures? What’s the average speed of the bunch ride?…etc

Why? the more you know the more you’ll enjoy the ride. For example, You don’t want to be in the middle of nowhere and get dropped by the pace of the bunch because you can’t keep up with the speed.

2. Be prepared:
After arming yourself with knowledge, it’s time to ‘gear up’. Have a full water bottle, 2 spare tubes, tyre leavers, a pump, multi tool, money, lights  and a bike in good working order.

You will find that the majority of Bunches will wait for a mechanical or a puncture, but its expected that you will have all the stuff you need to fix what’s wrong. If the mechanical is beyond what you can fix with a Multi tool, tell the bunch to continue without you and call a friend for a pick up. If you are taking ages to change that tube, ask someone to give you a hand – a quick tube repair is the goal!
Oh, and no tri bars! these are a bit of a no-no.

3. Joining the Bunch:
The best way to ride with a new bunch for the first time is to hang around the back of the bunch, let all the regulars buddy up with their mates, and then fill a gap at the back. Here’s your chance to slowly integrate with the bunch have a chat and meet new people.

4. Riding in the Bunch:
The key is to ride ‘smooth‘, don’t slam on your brakes, keep the same pace. If you find that you can’t hold the average speed, drop to the back of the group. Stay side by side by keep your handle bars in line with the guy next to you, don’t ‘half wheel’ the guy next to you.

5. Go for a Brew:
While chatting at the back of the bunch with your new mate, find out about where the majority of the bunch heads for coffee after the ride. This is where you’ll meet more people, and over time you’ll be a regular!

That’s just a few simple tips for getting started on the right foot with the local bunch ride.

If there is any other advice for a new comer, leave a message below:

We have found that there are many ’silent’ rules when riding in a bunch. There are general do’s and don’ts, some are obvious some are not. Generally the rules are for the safety of you and the bunch.

So if you are new to bunch riding, take the time to read through the various pages listed below. Yet here is a brief rundown on the do’s and dont’s of Road Bunch Riding:

ROAD BUNCH RIDING RULES AND ETIQUETTE Links (source of the information)

RideStrong

Gap Cycling Club – Bunch Riding Rules and Etiquette

Port-Macquarie-Cycling-Club – great pic of a bunch ride gone wrong

Bike Now – great pics and diagrams

ROAD BUNCH RIDING RULES AND ETIQUETTE

Riding in a bunch can be the most enjoyable experience if done correctly. The advantage of riding as a bunch or peleton (French word for an organised group of riders) is that as an organised group you can ride further and faster than individual riders or a non-organised group.

You will expend up to 30 per cent less energy by riding sheltered in a bunch, as riders in front of you overcome the wind resistance. By taking turns at the front, all riders can share the effort and longer distances can be covered.

However, bunch riding can also be a huge pain especially if people in the group don’t understand the rules or don’t do their fair share of the work. Everyone needs to know these rules for the safety of all riders.

Below are some tips for bunch riding (visit ride strong for the full article)
Below explains what to do while riding in a large group or Peloton, however from time to time you maybe riding in a smaller group which will require you to take your turn leading the group by yourself, not with a partner as described below, however the same rules apply.

Be predictable with all actions
Avoid sudden braking and changes of direction and always try to maintain a steady straight line.  Remember that there are riders following closely behind.   To slow down, gradually move out into the wind and slot back into position in the bunch when you have less speed. By putting your hands on the hoods on your brakes you can “sit up” and this will allow your body to slow you down by utilizing the wind resistance.

Brake carefully
Ride safely and try to stay off the brakes. If you are inexperienced or a little nervous about riding too close to the wheel in front of you, stay at the back of the group, gain confidence and practice your bunch riding skills.

When the pace eases, don’t brake suddenly, instead ride to the side of the wheel in front and ease the pedaling off, then ease back into position again on the wheel. Practice on the back and soon you will be able to move up the line with a partner.

Rolling through – swapping off – taking a turn
The most common way to take a turn on the front of the group is for each pair is to stay together until they get to the front. After having a turn on the front (generally about the same amount of time as everyone else is taking), the pair separates and moves to each side (left and right or the right side if your riding at the front alone), allowing the riders behind to come through to the front. To get to the back of the peloton, stop pedaling for a while or ease off to slow down, keep an eye out for the end of the bunch and fall back into line there. It is safer for everyone if you get to the back as quickly as possible.

Be smooth with turns at the front of the group
Avoid rushing forward (surges) unless you are trying to break away from the group. Surges cause gaps further back in the bunch which affect the riders at the back as they have to continually chase to stay with the bunch.

No half wheeling
When you finally make it to the front, don’t ‘half wheel’. This means keeping half a wheel in front of your partner. This automatically makes your partner speed up slightly to pull back along side you. Often half wheelers will also speed up, so the pace of the bunch invariably speeds up as the riders behind try to catch up.

Choosing when to come off the front
You and your partner need to do some planning when you get on the front so that when you roll through you come off at a place where the road is wide enough for the group to be four-wide for a short time. With some planning, it is often possible to come off the front a few hundred meters earlier or later to avoid a dangerous situation and avoid unnecessarily upsetting motorists.

Always retire to the back of the bunch
If riders push in somewhere in the middle of the bunch rather than retiring to the back after taking a turn, cyclists at the back will not be able to move forward and take a turn of their own.  Remember that riding in a bunch is about all riders sharing the workload and accidents happen down the back of the bunch as well.

Pedal downhill
Pedal downhill when at the front of the bunch as cyclists behind you will want to ride with their brakes on consistently.

Point out obstacles
Point out obstacles such as parked cars, loose gravel, broken glass, holes, rocks or debris on the road, calling out “hole” etc as well as pointing is helpful in case someone is not looking at your hand when you point. It is just as important to pass the message on, not just letting those close to the front know.

Hold your wheel
An appropriate gap between your front wheel and the person in front is around 50cm. Keep your hands close to the brakes in case of sudden slowing. Sometimes people who are not used to riding in a bunch will feel too nervous at this close range – riding on the right side is generally less nerve-racking for such people as they feel less hemmed in. Watching “through” the wheel in front of you to one or two riders ahead will help you hold a smooth, straight line.

Don’t leave gaps when following wheels
Maximise your energy savings by staying close to the rider in front. Cyclists save about 30 per cent of their energy at high speed by following a wheel. Each time you leave a gap you are forcing yourself to ride alone to bridge it. Also, riders behind you will become annoyed and ride around you. If you are in the bunch and there is no one beside the person in front of you, you should move into that gap (otherwise you will be getting less windbreak than everyone else will).

Don’t overlap wheels
A slight direction change or gust of wind could easily cause you to touch wheels with the rider in front and fall.

Do not panic if you brush shoulders, hands or bars with another rider
Try to stay relaxed through your upper body as this helps absorb any bumps. Brushing shoulders, hands or bars with another rider often happens in bunches and is quite safe provided riders do not panic, brake or change direction.

Riding up hill
Many riders, even the experienced ones, freewheel momentarily when they first get out of the saddle to go over a rise or a hill. When doing this, the bike is forced backwards. Many riders often lose their momentum when rising out of the saddle on a hill which can cause a sudden deceleration. Following the wheel in front too closely when climbing may result in you falling.

Look ahead
Do not become obsessed with the rear wheel directly in front of you. Try to focus four or five riders up the line so that any ‘problem’ will not suddenly affect you. Scan the road ahead for potential problems, red lights etc, and be ready.

Obey the road rules
Especially at traffic lights – if you are on the front, and the lights turn orange, they will definitely be red by the time the back of the bunch goes through the intersection. You will endanger the lives of others if you run it.

Lead in front
Remember when you are on the front, you are not only responsible for yourself but everyone in the group. When you are leading the bunch, try to monitor potential problems and give plenty of warning of impending stops or changes of pace. Make sure you know where you are going.

Don’t use your aero bars in a bunch ride
Never use your aero bars in a bunch ride – not even if you are at the front. Using aero bars means that your hands are away from the brakes. Aero bars are for time trial use only.