Becoming a member of a cycling team, group or club, will likely change the way you think about the activity of riding your bike. Riding with other people that love cycling will motivate you as a cyclist and make you a better rider. It will make you stronger, teach you new skills, and make the sport safer for you and everyone you ride with.

Exercise is probably the biggest reason that most of us ride, or at least why we started riding. Cycling is a fantastic way to get a good cardiovascular workout. It does not take much riding to strengthen your heart and lungs, an hour once or twice a week is all you need. It doesn't seem to matter though how healthful the exercise is, most of us will not keep it up long if it isn't fun.

The best part of cycling is that it is fun. With a road bike that is designed to be light weight and fast you can get your exercise and go on long and beautiful rides. Even a beginner should be able to go ten to fifteen miles in less than one hour, and thus get to see a good bit of their surroundings from a point of view that you may not have experienced before. If you keep it up for just one season it won't be hard to travel thirty miles with a fifteen to seventeen mph. average. At this rate you are getting about two hours of exercise in addition to having time alone with your thoughts and your surroundings and likely having a very good time.

However, a lot of us find that even the excitement of the bike wears off after time and it begins to get harder and harder to motivate yourself to get out there and ride. Then You might find that riding with a partner or a group helps you to ride on a more regular basis. This can also open up a whole new world of cycling. Most people think of cycling as something you do by yourself, even if you ride with a partner. When cycling is a individual activity you have complete control of your own bike and can go as fast or slow as you wish, making decisions about how you behave in traffic by yourself. But what if you think of cycling as a social or even a team activity or sport? For some people this is when cycling is at is best. When you ride with a group of people as a team you can go at least three mph. faster and five to ten miles farther than you could on your own. It becomes a team experience that occupies your mind as well as your body. At the same time it puts you in close contact with a group of people with similar goals and experiences.

The reason that riding in a group of riders organized in a pace line is so much more fun is because of the way air flows around a bicycle and its rider. Up to 80% of the resistance that a cyclist encounters is due to air they ride through. If you have ever ridden with a tailwind on a ride and then had to turn around and ride back with the wind in your face, you will know what I am talking about. When a cyclist passes through the air, a certain amount of air gets carried along with the bike, and the rest has to separate and go around the cyclist and then come back together somewhere behind the bike. Depending on how fast the cyclist is moving the air may not come completely together behind the bike for some time and before it does there is a low pressure area created just off the rear wheel. This low pressure area actually pulls on the back of a cyclist slightly as they ride down the road alone. If another cyclist can locate themselves in that low pressure area behind the first bike, not only does the second cyclist not have to penetrate the air, but there is also a slight sucking effect caused by the low pressure that will pull them along. The effect of that low pressure area on the first cyclist is reduced when a second rider enters it, and there is a second and slightly larger low pressure area created behind the second rider that also pulls slightly on the back of that rider. When a third rider enters this low pressure area the effect is repeated. Not only does the second rider benefit from the first rider but the first rider also benefits from the second and third riders. By the time there are four to six riders in a line they are pulling a very large amount of air along with them and the only one that really feels any stress at all is the rider on the front of the line.

This all works great up until the first rider can't keep up the pace any longer, then it all falls apart. This is why there has to be a sense of team, so that everyone participates in the pace line. Most anyone who has been riding for any amount of time can push themselves enough to ride at an elevated level of exertion for a short period of time. In a well developed pace line this is all that is required. First of all a pace line can only travel two to three mph. faster than the slowest rider in that pace line. But, if the slowest rider can hold an average speed of fourteen or fifteen mph., the pace line should be able to keep a seventeen or eighteen mph. average. This is a reasonable pace for most riders and it will be more fun for everyone in the group if it stays together. Over time the slower riders will get stronger and better at riding in a pace line and every one will benefit.

There are three basic formations and then a number of variations on those three. All these formations have one thing in common, that they are cyclical and give all the riders a turn pulling on the front of the line. The most common pace line is the single pace line that consists of as few as two, or as many as twenty riders. More riders are possible but not very practical and a group this large should consider splitting up, or using another formation. The riders follow each other in the line with not more than 12 and as few as 2 inches between the wheels. The person that is at the front pulls for as long as they are comfortable doing so, keeping in mind their speed in relation to the strength of the over all group. The line may need to slow as it comes upon rises and hills in the route. It may also have to slow if someone in the group asks for it to slow. The pulling rider must also remember that they will have to recover and do it again many times during the duration of the ride. When this leader has finished their pull that is not recommended to last longer than a minute or two, they call over their shoulder "Off!" so that the person next in line is warned that they are about to be at the front of the line and should not follow the person coming off. As the rider in front comes off they will either move to the right or the left (which ever direction has been agreed upon by the group) and slow just enough that they begin to slide back from the front of the line slowly, so that when they reach the back they can move into the line without letting too much space come between the back of the last rider and their own front wheel. If you let too much space come between you and the rider in front of you, it is possible that you will not be able to catch the line again and you and anyone behind you may fall off the back, causing the group to wait for you up the road. As the rider coming off the front of the line gets to the rear of the line it is helpful for the last rider to announce that they are in fact the last rider. The announcement that needs to be made is something to the effect of "I'm it!" or if the speed is more relaxed "I'm the last rider!". This will make it easier for the rider to slide in behind without falling off the back. The most important thing to know about riding in the body of the pace line is that although it is important to stay close to the rider in front of you so that you do not lose the draft, it is more important not to touch the wheel in front of you with your wheel because you will almost certainly go down. The person that you cross wheels with won't even loose their cadence, but you, and every one behind you, will be piled up on the pavement. This is one of the more dangerous things that can happen in a pace line and therefore it is important to call out whenever you have to slow down in the line, so that the person behind does not cross wheels with you inadvertently. It is also important for the riders in the body of the line to pass along anything that is called out at the front or rear of the line so that everyone is sure to hear every thing that is going on.

It is common for the pulling rider to stay in this position for only a minute or two and it is better to pull for less time and stay with the pace line than to try to pull for too long and have to drop off the back. No one is likely to complain if you come to the front of the line and drop off right away, and as a matter of fact the second type of pace line is designed to do just that. This is called a rotating pace line or and echelon and the only thing different is that the lead rider drops off the front as soon as the rider that dropped off before him is clear of his rear wheel. It is important that whenever one bike moves in front of another bike the rider who's front wheel is in danger of being clipped needs to tell the other rider that they are "Clear!" or "Wait, not clear!". As the riders come off the front without allowing a gap to form, there is a constant line of riders slowly falling to the back and on the main line no one pulls on the front for more than a few seconds. This means that there are two lines of bikes moving down the road, and the pillow of air that they are pulling with them is that much bigger. Learning to slow in a smooth and constant fashion, after coming off the front, while there is a rider behind you can take a bit of practice, but this is by far the most fun and potentially the fastest formation there is. That is why you will see professional teams use this formation during a team time trial. During a team time trial, when they are not sharing the road with cars and trucks a team will spread out across the road in a staggered formation to account for a cross wind, and will rotate accordingly so that the pulling rider is sheltered from the wind as he drops off the front. This requires a bit more experience, because the riders naturally cross their wheels as they stagger themselves out across the road and this can be very dangerous. For instance when someone has to swerve to miss an obstacle, there will need to be some pretty complex communication taking place "Hole center!" for instance will not work, "Moving right!" or "Moving left!" is closer to what is needed so that you don't take out the entire group of riders.

The third type of pace line is the double pace line and again it is really very similar to the single pace line although it takes twice the amount of road. It can be used where there is enough space that cars can safely get around a group of riders that are taking up a whole lane of traffic. Roads that are multiple lanes in each direction and not heavily traveled are good for this type of pace line and also back roads that do not see much traffic. As the name implies there are two lines riding as close to one another as is comfortable. It is best when people pair up with riders that are at about their own level of endurance. The partners pulling at the front will fall off as a pair talking to each other at the front to decide when they will do so. The announcement made is "Off!" called over the shoulder and the pair come off the front at the same time, the one on the right falls off to the right and drifts to the back and the one on the left comes off to the left and drifts to the back. At the back of the two lines the last riders on either side identify themselves, and the pair dropping back, come together again behind them. If there is an odd number of riders everyone will have new partners on each pull, till they come back to the one they started with again.

The double pace line rotates in both directions, but a decision needs to be made about what direction the rotation will go in the single pace line. In a situation where strangers come together and end up riding in a pace line it is most common for pace line to rotate to the left. This can be very awkward and dangerous because the front rider is forced to drop off into the possible line of traffic. It is very difficult to look over your shoulder and see anything when you are on the front of a large pace line. During a race or even some fun rides it is possible that the roads have been cleared of cars and trucks but even in this case there can be other riders coming up on the left that could be problematic, in these situations it is important that "Car back!" or "Rider back!" comes easily to the lips of the people in the line. The other thing that sometimes happens when rotating counter clockwise is that the entire pace line will shift to the right to allow the rider coming off the front to stay out of the traffic. This puts the main line in the part of the road that is likely to have more debris than there would be out around the white line, and then when the rider comes to the back it is possible that the line moves back in front of them before their front wheel clears the last rider's wheel, causing a crash. If you are riding with an organized group that has the option of discussing direction of rotation before the ride begins, rotating to the right should be considered as the better option. A rider coming off the front of a pace line on the right does not have to worry about coming off in front of a car and in a single pace line has a good view of any debris that is potentially in their path. In the worst case scenario they may need to ask the line to move to the left, "Debris, move left!". A Rotating pace line would only be advisable if the shoulder was large enough and free enough of debris that these maneuvers could be made safely. Coming off the front to the left in a rotating pace line is not as problematic because there is a constant line of bikes moving to the back. But if you've decided to rotate to the right in a single line why reverse that motion during a rotating line? In the double line you are already taking a whole lane and the rider coming off the left should not be that vulnerable but the cars coming from behind should be called out reliably. Once riders have gotten used to the idea of rotating clockwise it will be difficult to go back to a counter clockwise rotation.

At the beginning of a ride, starting slowly on the small chain ring while in formation and adding speed as legs warm up is a good idea. This allows riders the opportunity to call out as it becomes too fast for them to keep up. Members of a group should not be shy about calling out "Slow down!" in a polite way for the goal, unlike in a race, is to keep the group together otherwise plan to split into two groups. Waiting at a cross roads for riders who have been dropped is not optimal for a good exhilarating ride. Muscles cool off and get stiff and maybe sore, and it can get a bit tedious to wait very often. A riding group should always be welcoming and helpful to slower and less experienced riders so that the group will grow and become more diverse. A group that does not grow could dwindle to the same three riders that may eventually get tired of riding together.

It is the job of the rider on the front of the line, whoever that may be as they take their turn, to maintain the speed and not to let it speed up nor slow down unless it is called for, either by one of the group or the terrain. The rider on the front must slow for obstacles such as railroad tracks, rough road, bridges animals, pedestrians, etc. and they must call out so that every one is informed of the slowing. For instance at railroad tracks call out "Railroad tracks, slowing!", or for a dog not on a leash "Dog, slowing!". This will be passed down the line so that everyone knows that the line is slowing and no one will allow their wheels to cross. A traffic light or stop sign is also the responsibility of the rider in front, "Red light, slowing!" is appropriate and if the light does not turn green before you reach the intersection then call out, "Stopping!". If the light does turn green then, "Green, going!". A stop sign can be treated differently if the group is in agreement about how they feel about it. Legally the group must stop at all stop signs and traffic lights and if that does not happen, a police officer can give a whole group of riders individual tickets for not stopping. Sometimes though it just seems silly to come to a complete stop at an intersection with a four way stop out in the middle of nowhere when there are no other cars around. The lead rider has to make this call with the understanding that they are not making this decision for just themselves but for the entire pace line. If there is any question as to whether it is safe or not then by all means stop. If it is decided that you are going through, then you will be expected to call out, "Stop sign, slowing!" and when it is determined to be safe and clear then call out, "Clear, rolling!" or "..., going!". Traffic lights should always be observed with the possible exception of a light that occurs at a three way intersection where you lane goes through with no possibility of cross traffic, but even here it is advisable to stop, if for no other reason than it is a show of good riding conduct to any on lookers.

When the line does stop at a traffic light they should take the lane that would carry them through the intersection and if possible leave space on the right for cars that would turn right. In the case of a right hand turn the rider on the front would call out "Right turn, slowing!" and then it is important that they do slow enough that the group can get safely through the turn without breaking up the line. A left turn needs to be called out in advance enough so that the rider on the back can hear the left turn call and return a "Clear back!" call. When it is save for the entire group, they move out to the left hand turn lane or to the center lane where cars can pass on the right while the front rider waits for the on coming traffic to clear, or for the traffic light to change. This may require a stop, and when it is safe the front rider will call "Clear, turning!". It is of course possible that the whole line doesn't get through the turn before the light turns or there is more oncoming traffic. The rider that has to stop will call "Car up, stopping!", and the line will then split. The riders that made it through the turn will then have to soft peddle or find a safe place to wait.

It is also the pulling rider's responsibility to call out obstacles. Riders in a pace line can not see what is in the road directly in front of them. It is possible for two or three riders to ride together and follow directly behind the wheel of the front rider and know that they are going to miss the obstacles that the lead rider misses. You can also kind of see around one or two riders, and a courteous riders will often wave or point at obstacles if they have a free hand. In a pace line though when you're wheel to wheel and elbow to elbow, taking a hand off the handlebars is probably not that good of an idea and will only be effective for the rider directly behind you, that rider will be lucky if they can pass the warning on though. The rider is going to be too busy, trying to identify the obstacle, so they can call it out or, simply to busy trying to maneuver around it. Call out obstacles, this way every one is aware of what is going on, so fewer crashes will occur. Obstacles can be as small as a stone or shards of glass they can be as large as a dead and bloated raccoon or dog and as unpredictable as a slower cyclist or a jogger coming toward you. They can also be as inconspicuous as a groove or crack in the black top that can take hold of a bicycle wheel and not let go till half the pace line is piled up on the black top. It is also very helpful to call out where the obstacle is especially if it is thought that a rider might still be riding along side the line dropping back from his turn at the front of the pace line. As an example the lead rider might call out "Hole, right!" or Glass, center!", or even simply "Debris, left!".

It may seem like a lot of responsibility for the pulling rider, to make sure that they don't pull off the front or slow too much, and to warn the group when they are slowing or stopping, turning, and when there is some dangerous obstacle in the road just waiting to take out the whole group, but you have to remember that the group is a team and we all take our turns with these responsibilities at the front of the pace line, and the pulling rider will also be getting support and help from the rider just behind him, who may see things or know things about the route that the rider that is pulling may not. A turn can even be called by someone in the middle or back of the group that may know the route better then the other riders. For all this to work though warnings and information needs to be telegraphed through the line so that every one can hear what is being said. As the group gets bigger and faster the wind noise becomes an issue. The more a group communicates in this way the easier it becomes, not only to call out but to hear what is called out.

A well organized club that is used to riding together and has learned how to work as a team, to be safer and stronger than they could be on their own, is a fantastic thing to belong to. It can also bring in new riders and show them how to get more out of their bicycles. Best of all it can provide so much fun, that missing a scheduled ride might be the hardest thing a club member will ever have to do.