[cerol]

Although I'm a marathon runner, I've dabbled in speed cycling many times, and rode in a "pro" peloton (amateur pro) for a while.

There are a couple of rules you end up learning.

1. When you're leading a peloton, never go aero (when you lower your upper body so you're "cutting the wind"). Always keep your eyes on the road ahead, looking for potholes.

2. Whenever you spot a pothole, call it. Shout "pothole", loud and clear. As you go around it, point to it for the person behind you.

3. When someone in front of you shouts "pothole" and points to it, shout "pothole" and point to it, recursively.

4. Never break abruptly in the middle of a peloton.

5. For maximum efficiency and safety, your front wheel should a wheel's distance from the rear wheel of the bike in front of you.

6. If you need to do anything that is somewhat abrupt, like leaving the peloton, always warn, loud and clear.

[inopinatus]

Couple of comments from someone who trained with professional cyclists for some years, and even won a few (amateur) bike races:

> When you're leading a peloton, never go aero (when you lower your upper body so you're "cutting the wind"). Always keep your eyes on the road ahead, looking for potholes.

You can do both, with flexibility and core strength. If I'm on the front in a road race, I'll be in the drops. My breakaway performance improved dramatically when I started including yoga & pilates in training regime.

However, for time-trial or triathlon bikes, i.e. those with specialist aero bars that help us become more narrow to the wind, you'll hear general advice to never get down on the aero bars in a group. That certainly is a good safety guideline to follow, with the exception of training for/racing a team time trial. Not so much due to visibility as it is the altered handling characteristics and lack of brake levers.

> For maximum efficiency and safety, your front wheel should a wheel's distance from the rear wheel of the bike in front of you.

That's a lot. In a competitive event we're often down to a few centimeters gap between wheels. In such circumstances the proper safety protocol is to be slightly laterally displaced from the wheel you're following, enough that any unanticipated change in speed means your front wheel slides past their rear wheel rather than making tyre contact. The choice of left or right generally depends on wind direction, and on very windy days this coordinates with echelon formation.

[cerol]

I mean, as I said, those were some rules I learned while training. I never really raced, so I don't know how those apply in that situation.

I should've given some more context. I'm from a South American country, we used to train in a road that goes around a fairly big park, so it makes a +- 3km rectangular lap. We rode on the lane closest to the sidewalk, so we could pretty ride past the traffic lights.

It's a pretty busy road during the day, but during "training hours" (19:00), there's less traffic. Still a lot of cars, and there's a bus stop along the way, and not every bus driver respects cyclists (they'll overtake you, then stop in front of you). There's a particular section where there's a major road that merges within our lap, and there's almost no working public lights, and the road is full of potholes, and there's a broken pipe somewhere, so the potholes are always full of water.

So yeah. If you're riding in a fairly big peloton, NEVER go aero. It can literally kill you. I've seen it happen.

[cycomanic]

> Couple of comments from someone who trained with professional cyclists for some years, and even won a few (amateur) bike races:

Same here, although I only won a couple of very minor races

> > When you're leading a peloton, never go aero (when you lower your upper body so you're "cutting the wind"). Always keep your eyes on the road ahead, looking for potholes.

> You can do both, with flexibility and core strength. If I'm on the front in a road race, I'll be in the drops. My breakaway performance improved dramatically when I started including yoga & pilates in training regime.

Yes, it obviously depends on the speed the group is going, but the front of the peloton will always go into a more aero position when riding fast.

> However, for time-trial or triathlon bikes, i.e. those with specialist aero bars that help us become more narrow to the wind, you'll hear general advice to never get down on the aero bars in a group. That certainly is a good safety guideline to follow, with the exception of training for/racing a team time trial. Not so much due to visibility as it is the altered handling characteristics and lack of brake levers.

I know several group rides who would not let people with tribars (typically only triathlete would try) into the group. You'd likely get pretty aggressively get told to f off (hanging of the back might be tolerated). As you point out there are pretty good reasons for it.

> > For maximum efficiency and safety, your front wheel should a wheel's distance from the rear wheel of the bike in front of you.

> That's a lot. In a competitive event we're often down to a few centimeters gap between wheels. In such circumstances the proper safety protocol is to be slightly laterally displaced from the wheel you're following, enough that any unanticipated change in speed means your front wheel slides past their rear wheel rather than making tyre contact. The choice of left or right generally depends on wind direction, and on very windy days this coordinates with echelon formation.

Again full agreement. Living a large gap in a peloton or pace line is again a pretty good way of getting a "talking to" (more or less aggressive depending on the group and the speed). One should also point out that if it came to a touch of wheels it is largely considered the fault of the person in front.

Finally and that is something many beginners get wrong. If you're riding two abreast (large group training rides will often ride like that), you should have your handlebars next to each other. Imyou can then ride very close (handlebars can touch) without danger, because if one needs to come very close you just lean into each other. The dangerous situation is when handlebars are staggered because you can slot into the bar of the other person. They then try to move away from you (shouldn't but often happens) and you both fall.

[thirdsun]

For point 5 you should add and emphasize that one should never overlap wheels with the rider in front of them.

[lormayna]

Amateur cyclist here. When you notice a pothole, move slowly on one side and report it with the hand to whom that are behind you.

[rkagerer]

#4 you mean "brake" not "break", right?

[tremon]

I think both would fit, as in: never break formation (i.e. swerve), and never break pace with the one in front of you (i.e. brake or accelerate).

[cerol]

Yes, it was a typo. Thanks.