Club Tool Kit

Taking what we learned with the slow speed skills, we'll expand that to group riding now with some basic pack skills.

This section should take 45 minutes to an hour and is designed to be lead by an experienced rider or racer who is prepared for:

• Riders with widely variable skill sets. Challenge all riders, those that need help with the skill, as well as riders that think they have perfected the skill. Engage the more skilled riders to help the less experienced.
• Best taught in a controlled area such as a park with roads with little or no traffic, loops are great. Industrial parks with light weekend traffic are also good.  When using Parks, always check to see if a park permit is required OR if a permit will allow you to close the roads

Safe riding looks like this:

• Staying relaxed when riding over reflective dots or similar road bumps.
• Eyes up, looking up the road past the front hub of the rider in front of you… not staring at wheels in front of you. Use your peripheral vision! (demonstrate line of vision with a long stick).
• No overlapping wheels or half-wheeling

Riders are moving from solo riding to pack riding and need to embrace they are part of a bigger group!

Position on the bike:

• Assertive, not passive or aggressive
• Relaxed

• Safety first
• Position on the bike (in the drops, head up, arms/ head/ shoulders relaxed, cover the brakes), have someone hold a ride leader stable in place on their bike to demonstrate both GOOD and UNSTABLE positioning on the bike. Explain how riding in the drops protects the front end of the bike.
• Protectyour front wheel. The protective “super bubble”. Similar to those super aero recumbent cycles, but invisible. Protect your front end… it will more forward the fastest when you start to stop quickly.
• Predictable and smooth riding. If you’re not moving forward, you’re moving backwards.
• How to soft-pedal instead of braking or coasting in the line
• Teach riders to ride as close to the wheel in front of them as they feel safe. Have them get closer as they become more at ease with the proximity to other riders.

• Warm up in groups of 8-10 w/ 2 leaders each.
• PLEASE RIDE FIRST LAP CHECKING OUT road obstacles or hazards
• Rotating pace line with exchanges every 20 seconds for the remaining time allotted

• Focus on maintaining speed in the corners (coasting or pedaling but EASY ON THE BRAKES, practice NOT BRAKING IN TURNS).
• Limited lateral movement. Always move forward. If you are not moving forward you are moving backward.Safety Issue: Side to side movement is unnecessaryand can be a major cause of crashes during this drill.
• Closing gaps gradually and awareness when wheels are overlapped.
• Work to increase comfort levels for riding close, maintain your OWN comfort level, rather than letting someone else tell you where to ride.

• Pull over to the side of the road, answer questions and wish them good luck!
• Homework assignments – your next training ride in the drops; practice emergency braking and wheel touches; solo cornering as fast as you can (prep for week 2)