Saddles & Donuts

I'm an avid cyclist, have been for the past 2 years. I got into the sport as a way to get more active, to get me off the couch and away from the computer. At the start, I'd take my mountain bike leftover from college down the local bike path, and come home winded after 7 miles. Since then my obsession has evolved into multiple bikes, lycra and a whole lotta miles.

One of my favorite parts of the sport is the community. People talk about how hard it is to make friends as you get older, and this is 100% true. Even close friends have become distant as our days are filled with work, daycare drop-offs, weekend activities to tire out the kid, etc. When I got in cycling, I didn't even realize the community aspect existed. About half a year into things, I joined my first group ride, and discovered the other half of the sport that I was missing.

For those unfamiliar, a group ride in cycling is a lot more than a couple guys riding down a road together. There's organization, responsibility and coordination. A group will either organize into a single line, or (for larger groups) 2 columns of riders side-by-side. Those at the front will rotate to the back at a regular interval, ensuring everyone benefits from drafting (drafting behind another cyclist can net you 2-5 extra mph for the same effort). Members call out hazards and repeat the call across the line, for example "car back", "gravel right", "slowing/stopping" etc. Ride leaders ensure nobody gets dropped (in a no-drop ride) and help out when mechanical issues strike. It's really cool to see in motion!

A few weeks ago we had a newcomer join one of my groups. It was his first group ride, so he wasn't familiar with the norms, signals, calls, etc. It really struck out to me how much disruption it caused (not his fault, everyone learns at some point). Our pacing was off and we nearly had a few accidents as the rider misunderstood signals. For example, a cyclist pulling (leading a column), taps their hip when they are ready to rotate to the back. This means they pull off to the side, slow down a bit and join the back. The next up rider typically has to increase speed to fill the gap and keep the group moving. This new rider was drafting behind the pull and must have mirrored that signal they saw, causing me to assume they were pulling off as well. I started to accelerate, only to find they were instead slowing down and not pulling off, nearly leading to a collision.

At one point during the ride, a more seasoned rider spoke with the newbie, explaining some of the norms. One thing he said really stood out to me. He explained how each member of the group gains a sense of each other. We intuitively know how each other move, which helps to keep pace and prevent accidents. We know when another rider is having an off day, which let's us account for that and help out.

Riding with a group not only establishes friendship as you share a donut during a cafe ride, or a beer after a grueling A-pace ride, you also gain a subconscious understanding and trust of each other. You know how to read signals just from the way someone is pedaling or moving on their saddle. You gain a trust that the rider behind won't run into you, or that they'll takeover when you've pulled beyond your capacity. You know that when you get a flat or pop a spoke, at least one person will stop with you to hold the light while you try to get back on the road.