This new clinic will focus on the many skills needed to ride safely and responsibly in a group. Led by Richard Anderson, Steve Backman, and Dave Smith, this clinic will be held from 9a-2p with the start at the Foss Creek School, 1557 Healdsburg Ave. in Healdsburg. This is another great opportunity to learn new skills, build confidence, and ride safely. Here is an outline of what you can expect...
SRCC - Cooperative Group Riding Clinic
General Guidelines
- Bike handling skills, situational awareness, consideration of others and the ability to adapt one's riding behavior are far more important than "paceline rules".
- Be a student of the best riding skills and practices we observe in the riders around us.
Specific Skills & Guidelines
1. Establish & communicate group norms.
~ Before the ride - determine the type of ride, route, pace and regroups
2. Relax, breathe and maintain a soft focus.
~ Keep eyes looking ahead; look around and through riders in front of you
3. Hold your line & ride predictably.
4. Ride consistently, and continuously adjust to the group.
~ Maintain the group's pace and level of effort; ride to encourage group cohesiveness
5. Maintain constant omni-awareness.
~ Be attentive and cooperate with the riders around you
~ Be mindful of traffic, road conditions and the general environment
~ Be considerate of other riders, pedestrians and drivers
6. Communicate.
~ Clearly point out hazards by gesture and voice (as appropriate)
~ Telegraph or signal changes by gesture and voice - be obvious
- changes include starting, slowing, stopping, turning, starting up or down hill, etc.
~ Respectfully moderate surging riders, or let them go
~ Maintain "group think"; ride as a part of the group
7. Focus on your riding; it is all that you can control
~ Challenge yourself to continuously hone your skills; one never "arrives"- Don't:
~ overlap wheels ~ surge
~ make sudden changes ~ ride as an outlier"
Cat - Dog Analogy ~ Cat = individualistic, Independent, self selective
~ Dog = cooperative, cohesive, adaptive to others
