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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    757

    Riding in a Crowd

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    Well, physically and mentally I am prepared for the Tour de Tucson. But I am really nervous about riding in the "crowds." I have been training all alone, as I always do. Remember I am on a recumbent, so turning around is difficult. I have a mirror, but still, I have a feeling I will have to voice when I am shifting in any direction. I hope people are courteous...

    What has been your experiences at events?
    Lisa

    Bacchetta Ti Aero
    ICE B1
    Bacchetta Cafe Mountain Bent

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Portland, OR
    Posts
    324
    Just add to your mental preparation that there may be riders across the whole range -- experienced, group, organized riders and those who are very new and all in-between. Try to keep your distance from others, look around often so you know as much as possible who else is around you and watch the riders you are coming up on - are they weaving (squirrely), are they riding smooth and steady. If you are moving one way or the other use hand signals, if safe to do so. I use hand signals when riding on the road and I need to move from the shoulder into the traffic lane, even if I know no car is around, because you just don't know.

    Have an awesome ride and enjoy it.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    '89 Bridgestone Radac Dura-Ace | Specialized Ruby, 143
    '92 Bridgestone MB-1 | Specialized Ruby, 143
    '92 Bridgestone MB-1.2 (balloon tire bike) | Specialized Ruby, 143
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    My blog: Portlandia Pedaler (at Blogger)

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Central Indiana
    Posts
    6,034
    Hopefully you'll see fewer new riders on the century route. Still, your best strategy is to ride very defensively. Use a lot of voice signals and keep an eye out for riders overtaking you without announcing themselves. Stay to the right and hold your line as much as possible. Be especially careful entering and exiting the SAGs. Hopefully riders will spread out as the ride progresses, especially since the century offers a staggered start.
    Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Continue to learn. Appreciate your friends. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is.

    --Mary Anne Radmacher

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Switzerland
    Posts
    2,032
    some rules of paceline riding apply - feather the brakes, don't slam them.
    don't weave. in curves, keep your line.
    keep the distance to the person in front of you and do not keep watchng their wheel, it puts you in a trance. Watch their butt and just in front of them so you can react to whatever they are doing.

    at least you are not racing - packs are one reason why I don't want to try a race.
    It's a little secret you didn't know about us women. We're all closet Visigoths.

    2008 Roy Hinnen O2 - Selle SMP Glider
    2009 Cube Axial WLS - Selle SMP Glider
    2007 Gary Fisher HiFi Plus - Specialized Alias

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Uncanny Valley
    Posts
    14,498
    If your experience is like my 'bent friends' you probably can't see much of the road ahead of you, but you should point out any road hazards that you do see. Finger-point on the side you're passing the hazard on; a verbal warning is helpful too ("road kill," "hole").

    Always use both hand signals and voice signals ("slowing," "stopping," "right turn").


    And for the more ladylike athletes among us ... use a hand to shield your spit, and call out a warning before you blow a snot rocket.
    Last edited by OakLeaf; 11-14-2010 at 12:06 PM.
    Speed comes from what you put behind you. - Judi Ketteler

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Limbo
    Posts
    8,769
    Sorry I'm no help
    Riding in crowds, I hate it and avoid it.
    you never know what someone else is going to do. Just like driving a car but with a lot less steel around you
    2008 Trek FX 7.2/Terry Cite X
    2009 Jamis Aurora/Brooks B-68
    2010 Trek FX 7.6 WSD/stock bontrager

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Posts
    2,609
    This was compiled for our bike club: http://www.studio208.com/TOPRS.pdf
    For 3 days, I get to part of a thousand other journeys.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Beautiful NW or Left Coast
    Posts
    5,619
    most people are courteous! it's a great ride. but there are idiots and jerks in every crowd.
    Look out for the last 20 miles when people are getting tired and sloppier.

    It's a great ride, i'd love to do it again sometime.
    I like Bikes - Mimi
    Watercolor Blog

    Davidson Custom Bike - Cavaletta
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    Old Raleigh Mixte - Mitzi

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    209
    Itself, just saw this thread. Hope I can still offer something to you.

    I rode the 109 last year, 80 mile the year before and 35 mile the first time around. What a difference between the riders in the 35 mile course and the 80/109.

    The longer course tends to have much more experienced riders. The shorter has newbies (like I was, been riding 2 months when I did it) kids, very relaxed riders as in not paying attention to others around them. Anyway, I found it was easier to manuver in the 109. People had better skills which meant quicker responses, etc.

    Remember, this course has one of the bigger groups of people at the start. Thousands! I got in line around the bronze level because frankly, I did not want to get there so early and I didn't want to get tangled with the faster riders. Figured I work my way through. Well, that last part didn't work as well as I would have liked.

    From the bronze start it took less than 5 minutes to cross the start line. The difficulty was getting out of the packs. We were caught in packs until a good mile or two after the Santa Cruz River crossing.

    Wherever you start and however early you get there, I hope they have port-a-potties near you and not only at the start line like last year. Being in the back it was a ways to the bathrooms. By the time I got through the line, I had to jog back to my bike to get there in time before the start. On the upside, the jog gave me a nice warm before the ride.

    Good luck and have a blast!
    dt

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Posts
    8
    Just hold your line especially when turning & if you're going to stick on someones wheel, don't stick directly behind.. stay at least a couple of inches to the left or right.. remember not to get your eyes stuck on their wheels too !

    Enjoy the ride !

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Between FL & NC
    Posts
    177
    Quote Originally Posted by Pedal Wench View Post
    This was compiled for our bike club: http://www.studio208.com/TOPRS.pdf
    Thanks for sharing this.

 

 

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