Riding yourself is a great way to get comfortable on your bike and start to gain fitness. But, it can get a bit lonely. Group riding might look intimidating, but there are ways to ease yourself into the fun…

For starters, it might be fun to just get used to riding with your friends. There is always a lot less pressure when you know the people you are going riding with. There are two basic things you need to keep in mind at all times. First, you need to be aware of your surroundings and making sure that you are riding in a style that matches the road. Secondly, you need to be aware of how your riding is affecting the people around you. If you are always analyzing safety this way, and how it might affect your friends, you will become a good group riding friend!

When I say be aware of your surroundings, I mean to understand the traffic, the bumps in the road, and upcoming obstacles, like corners and stop signs. You will need to make sure that you can negotiate these things, and then also make others around you aware of the surroundings too. Most of the time people will point out and verbally say “hole” or “rock” or any directions like “left” or “right”. It makes it so everyone is on the same page and keeps group riding safe.

For safety sake, it is important to not ride on aero bars in the group. You just don’t have as much control of your bike when you are on the bars. Many times you will need to make small adjustments when riding in a group, and it is best to have your hands near your brake levers and shifters. Most of the time in a group you will only need to slightly use your front brake. This just barely scrubs speed and allows you to make small adjustments.

Only ride as close to others as you feel comfortable. When I first started, I was scared to be close to others. Over time, you will get more comfy, and you will appreciate the aerodynamic benefits of being close. As you move from the back of the peloton to the front, you will start to recognize that there is a flow of the peloton. There is constant movement and it basically moves up from the back to the front on the sides, and then back to the rear through the middle. In the beginning it is very difficult to feel that movement and it constantly seems like a battle to get back up to the front. But, as you keep working on it, you will begin to find the tricks of moving forward, and then the subtle ways of staying in the front. Most of that is through concentration. That’s one of the reasons why if you are on a team, it is easier if everyone is near the front. You focus on where your teammates are and you stay near them much more easily. If you do find yourself near the back and you want to be in front, the oldest trick is to follow someone else to the front so you are never I the wind. If you absolutely have to get there, then you might have to go in the wind. The best riders do it slowly as often as possible, and look for holes or openings in the group. You keep moving from hole to hole and then you are eventually at the front having never been in the wind.

I know it sounds complex, but it all just builds on itself. Take it slow, and get comfortable being around others. Once you master that, start trying to move forward. Soon you will find yourself recognizing the flow and patterns of the peloton. Its actually one of the most beautiful parts of cycling…