Surviving the bunch ride

Earlier this month I was watching the TV coverage of the Geelong Women's Tour and World Cup and marvelling at just how controlled the women cyclists appear to be while bunch riding, and at fast speed! While there were one or two crashes in a number of the races, there certainly was not the number of serious injuries that you could expect as a result of herding together a group of cyclists travelling at a fast pace, and under race pressure (although one member of the New Zealand team had to have stitches in her stomach as a result of a crash). If you were not an experienced bunch rider it would be very intimidating to be in a similar situation.

This got me to thinking. 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 (pictured) 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."

"In most cases there is an experienced rider (road boss/captain) in the group who will hopefully give the bunch some direction on where it is going, how fast, stops and turn around points."

"Keep in pairs, don't overlap wheels, ride a similar or easier gear to the rider in front of you, this will stop you surging and braking for no reason," he said.

"Choose a speed and gear that you can handle for most of the ride. If you are starting to redline in the first 15 minutes then say something like 'ease up' or pull out and go to the back and return to a pace within your limits. Stronger riders tend to set the pace at the front and if nobody says anything they just keep going harder."

"Most of all have fun!"