The I-Team

[tombeej]

You may need one or two strong chaps going up and down the group so that people who are not honest enough about a sub 3 pace who are also not recovering from the effort don't create dead wheels along the pacelines when you are working along the flats!

 

Maybe ask Sheriff to be ride Captain for the front of the group and he controls the guys prepared to work on the front with rolling turns et al, you have the whistle for the back and are Captain for the back with some chaps who relay between you two. The whistle will be the perfect tool for Sheriff to know when to start putting down pace again! That way he controls pace and you control brakes.

(You can work out a whistle sequence. e.g. 1 blow to go slow. 2 to maintain speed and 3 to pick up pace if it looks like everyone is on the bus! Long continuous blow for emergency! )

 

This sounds like a proper fun effort at a big race! Should make for serious smiles! Bleek I'm not there for it!

 

I'm sure he'll be very happy on the front, and I'll be happy for his help there. Just need some help at the back (Patch, Wes-O, Talus?).

 

To anyone in the I-Team who doesn't really know what a 'dead wheel' is, all we have to remember is that the moment we lose our cohesion and tight formation, we lose our effectiveness. Make every effort never to let gaps form in the line or in the bunch. Even if you're seeing stars and you're earning your Sufferlandrian stripes while chewing on your stem, please please don't lose that wheel in front of you. The folks behind are counting on you!

[ScottCM]

I'm sure he'll be very happy on the front, and I'll be happy for his help there. Just need some help at the back (Patch, Wes-O, Talus?).

 

To anyone in the I-Team who doesn't really know what a 'dead wheel' is, all we have to remember is that the moment we lose our cohesion and tight formation, we lose our effectiveness. Make every effort never to let gaps form in the line or in the bunch. Even if you're seeing stars and you're earning your Sufferlandrian stripes while chewing on your stem, please please don't lose that wheel in front of you. The folks behind are counting on you!

 

Can we request that if someone just can't get that wheel, he/she pulls to the side, drops to the back of the paceline and let it be known so the person behind can close the gap?

[tombeej]

Here's a nice summary of some of the things we've talked about re. riding in a pace line.

 

Scroll further down the page to "Ten Common Errors That Disrupt Pacelines".

 

https://sites.google.com/site/gfcycling/pacelines

[Frosty]

Here's a nice summary of some of the things we've talked about re. riding in a pace line.

 

Scroll further down the page to "Ten Common Errors That Disrupt Pacelines".

 

https://sites.google.com/site/gfcycling/pacelines

Some serious watts being pushed by the dude with the camera, makes you wonder what the guys at the front are pushing to keep the pace steady at 29mph (46km/h)

[Fat Boab]

Here's a nice summary of some of the things we've talked about re. riding in a pace line.

 

Scroll further down the page to "Ten Common Errors That Disrupt Pacelines".

 

https://sites.google.com/site/gfcycling/pacelines

 

What do I do if I want to be in the paceline but I'm too tired to rotate through?

This situation happens to most riders especially as the pace picks up. It is not a bad thing to sit out (on the back) for a turn or two to catch your breath, especially if the alternative is getting dropped. Riders new to faster pacelines are welcome to sit on the back ... don't panic, we won't hate you. We know that as your fitness level increases you will soon be taking the occasional turn at the front. 

So how do you stay on the back without disrupting the line? Some people suggest just opening a gap in the line to make space for the person coming back, but that can lead to problems. The biggest issue is that you have to move yourself out of the draft as you make the bike length space ... and you will be tired enough already. Also, the rider coming back may not be certain that the opening gap is meant for them, they may think you are just falling off the pace.

The best way is to accomplish it safely is to move off the line into the draft of the rider moving back. You should start to move in behind them when they are a couple of riders from the back. This puts you into their draft which saves a lot of energy.

Continue to move back as a pair until the rider in front of you sees the end of the line. The two of you move in as one unit rejoining the line. It may be helpful to say "Up,Up!" as the rider nears the end of the line. This lets them know you will be staying on behind them. As always it is the rider rejoining the line that has the responsibility to be sure it is safe enough to move back into line.

 

 

Can someone please explain the underlined bit. Sounds like 4-d geometry to my simple brain and a recipe for crashing into the back of a someone...........

 

[Frosty]

The best way is to accomplish it safely is to move off the line into the draft of the rider moving back. You should start to move in behind them when they are a couple of riders from the back. This puts you into their draft which saves a lot of energy.

Continue to move back as a pair until the rider in front of you sees the end of the line. The two of you move in as one unit rejoining the line. It may be helpful to say "Up,Up!" as the rider nears the end of the line. This lets them know you will be staying on behind them. As always it is the rider rejoining the line that has the responsibility to be sure it is safe enough to move back into line.

 

 

Can someone please explain the underlined bit. Sounds like 4-d geometry to my simple brain and a recipe for crashing into the back of a someone...........

 

It's like sucking wheel in a paceline.

 

The yellow arrow is the person that can't help pace, so they move behind the person returning to the line.

They then both move to the back of the line. It prevents a gap opening

 

Edited November 12, 2015 by geraldm24

[Patchelicious]

I'm no expert, but one very important thing that I would like to request is that we watch wheel overlap. I really do not feel like crashing.

[Fat Boab]

It's like sucking wheel in a paceline.

....whilst slowing down relative to the paceline, which you've just pulled out of, presumably?

 

Don't worry, on the day I'm sure some sage advice, the odd bit of finger-pointing and a sorry or two (from me) will educate me....

[tombeej]

Some serious watts being pushed by the dude with the camera, makes you wonder what the guys at the front are pushing to keep the pace steady at 29mph (46km/h)

 

I don't really know either. But from this recent article on Velonews:

 

"Pushing a road bike at 40 km/h on a flat road demands power output in the range of 270–350 watts for most cyclists".

 

In this GCN video, the front guy is holding 300 watts at 32 km/h in a relatively un-aero position. Amazing how much the guy behind saves (over 40% or 130 watts). Shows how much our I-team guys can save in this race by sticking to the back wheel of the good guys like limpets. If you're already red lining in a pace line, lose the wheel and you're gone.

 

 

(And tells me how many watts I'll be pushing when dragging people back across the gap ).

Edited November 12, 2015 by tombeej

[Frosty]

....whilst slowing down relative to the paceline, which you've just pulled out of, presumably?

 

Don't worry, on the day I'm sure some sage advice, the odd bit of finger-pointing and a sorry or two (from me) will educate me....

I've tried to explain it with arrows... see original post again.

Edited November 12, 2015 by geraldm24

[Frosty]

I don't really know either. But from this recent article on Velonews:

 

"Pushing a road bike at 40 km/h on a flat road demands power output in the range of 270–350 watts for most cyclists".

 

In this GCN video, the front guy is holding 300 watts at 32 km/h in a relatively un-aero position. Amazing how much the guy behind saves (over 40% or 130 watts). Shows how much our I-team guys can save in this race by sticking to the back wheel of the good guys like limpets. Lose the wheel and you're gone.

 

 

(And tells me how many watts I'll be pushing when dragging people back across the gap ).

Watt?

 

edit: as in Huh!?

Edited November 12, 2015 by geraldm24

[Patchelicious]

I'm no expert, but one very important thing that I would like to request is that we watch wheel overlap. I really do not feel like crashing.

What this guys said ^^^

[Frosty]

I'm no expert, but one very important thing that I would like to request is that we watch wheel overlap. I really do not feel like crashing.

Riding in a group basics 101 - every time, all the time

[bmw1za]

Riding in a group basics 101 - every time, all the time

Sheep herding 101... 

[Fat Boab]

I don't really know either. But from this recent article on Velonews:

 

"Pushing a road bike at 40 km/h on a flat road demands power output in the range of 270–350 watts for most cyclists".

 

In this GCN video, the front guy is holding 300 watts at 32 km/h in a relatively un-aero position. Amazing how much the guy behind saves (over 40% or 130 watts). Shows how much our I-team guys can save in this race by sticking to the back wheel of the good guys like limpets. If you're already red lining in a pace line, lose the wheel and you're gone.

 

 

(And tells me how many watts I'll be pushing when dragging people back across the gap ).

 

I daren't ask this....aren't the GCN okes overlapping wheels around 32 secs, in echelon, which we want to avoid? Or does the lateral space between wheels due to the echelon make it safer to do so? 

[Rob K]

I hope everyone is watching these videos.

 

There is a lot of good information there.