When paceline pullers don't point out road hazards...

[zoom-zoom]

Hope it wasn't a racing club. Hate to see them in a crit or in a classic.

Nope, just a casual group. Most of these women don't ride competitively. The group is generally more into doing tours and centuries.

[Skippyak]

Nope, just a casual group. Most of these women don't ride competitively. The group is generally more into doing tours and centuries.

So why an aggressive pace line where riders don't watch out for their own hazards? Casual group and paceline don't seem to go together at all. How many other riders passed the hazard if you were at the back and the rider in front of you were the casualties? I don't ride anyone's wheel in casual ride. I really don't even know how to, in fact the last but one shop ride had the fast group led by a chick who was teaching us paceline stuff but even then a girl was riding in her clip on aeros in the line and the slow rider meant no one was really riding hard. This chick did tell us that you point out road hazards when at all possible but it was our own responsibility to watch out, it being a casual ride and not a real paceline.

[Crankin]

Well, I have personal experience with 2 racers (one a pro) and both point out road hazards.
Last week, I had the unpleasurable experience of driving by a large group of riders that are part of the group I ride with on Wednesdays when I can. This group is more casual, slower, but has experienced riders, and often the faster people join them to socialize on Mondays. There is one man, who as long as I have known him just weaves everywhere. He is a terrible rider. Passing him, in a car, going up a hill was scary for me. The next week, when I went to the regular Wednesday ride, I told the ride coordinator and she took immediate action, in that I heard her discussing this with someone else. He is going to be banned from riding with the group.

[zoom-zoom]

We have one like this, Crankin. But the group I ride with on base is so casual, there is no ride leader, and no one is willing to talk to her. She is not usually there, but she was yesterday, and I stayed well away. But it was difficult.

This sounds similar to the group I've ridden with. There is a leader, but she's not particularly assertive...she is also chummy with the hammerhead woman who was pulling.

So the plot thickens. Immediately after the crash everyone was saying that they didn't see the debris to point it out until after they were passing it. Suddenly now the ride leader (who was behind the puller) is claiming that the puller pointed it out, as did she. There's some major butt-covering and buck-passing going on here. The ride leader even suggested that the newest rider in the group must have been the one who failed to point it out. Right...when in doubt shift blame to the person least able to defend themselves.

So, yeah, I'm done with this ride. It's not an environment I am eager to put myself into.

[Wasp]

Zoom-zoom, so glad your not seriously injured, Geez you really could of ended up with a serious long term injury. (Not to minimize the pain and discomfort of road rash)
How did your wrist manage the fall? Hopefully it didn't get re injured.
That "ride leader" sounds like a bully. Is there anyone higher up that you could talk to and explain your concerns regarding her behaviour and comments and how inappropriate it is?
Not sure if the USA has the same pink movement. In Canada pink shirts are worn as a anti-bullying statement.
You should start up your own "pink" ride

[zoom-zoom]

Zoom-zoom, so glad your not seriously injured, Geez you really could of ended up with a serious long term injury. (Not to minimize the pain and discomfort of road rash)
How did your wrist manage the fall? Hopefully it didn't get re injured.
That "ride leader" sounds like a bully. Is there anyone higher up that you could talk to and explain your concerns regarding her behaviour and comments and how inappropriate it is?
Not sure if the USA has the same pink movement. In Canada pink shirts are worn as a anti-bullying statement.
You should start up your own "pink" ride

Wrist was good, thankfully. I fell on the other side, but most of what suffered damage were shoulder, hip, and lower leg/knee. It happened too fast to do the sort of hand-out to stop myself that nets riders wrist injuries.

The ride leader isn't the bully...the bully was the one who happened to be pulling. Unfortunately the ride leader is a friend of hers (and I think probably too scared to make waves with that little Napoleon Complex woman). Now she is even covering for the woman. It defies reason.