|
Smart Cycling
Bike Shop,
Inc.
Website Article #15
by Stephen Thordarson
Category 1 Coach - USA Cycling,
Inc.
Understanding the big picture
'Riding a bicycle' is not a very detailed description of what a
person does with a bicycle. In most people's minds, riding a
bicycle is something they learned as a child. It was their first
means of personal freedom. Riding a bicycle enabled them to go
where they wanted, quickly and easily. And if you were good at
it, you went fast! As you grow older, riding a bicycle becomes
the easiest way to get a long distance on your own. You can go
places you would not be able to walk to easily, in a reasonable
amount of time.
But then many of
us reach an age where riding a bicycle changes. Some of us
decide that riding a bicycle is just not cool, or too much work.
We would rather get a ride from our parents, or better yet, our
friends.
Then there are
those of us who decide that riding a bicycle isn't just a way to
get there on our own. Riding a bicycle becomes a means to
adventure. Packing the necessary food and drink and
heading off down long roads with interesting scenery. The
challenge becomes longer distances, with perhaps over night
stays and friends going with us. Riding a bicycle becomes
'Touring on a bicycle' and the world is our wonderland.
Finally, there
are those of us who find 'riding a bicycle' turns into 'racing a
bicycle'. It doesn't matter if it is a BMX bike, a mountain
bike, a cyclocross bike, a road racing bike or a track racing
bike. We just want to go fast! As fast as we can possibly go. We
make ourselves get up at the crack of dawn. We go out and push
ourselves to exhaustion in an effort to go even faster. During
our efforts of training we meet others, who like us want to go
faster. Some of them have made the commitment to compete and
ride to prepare themselves for those competitions. Some join in
the group, not because they want to compete, but because they
enjoy the challenge of keeping up. They also like the social
aspects of a like minded group.

That is really
where a problem can arise. Not every group is the same and not
all the people in the group are there for the same reason. In
the region where our shop is located there are quite a few group
rides. Some of them are made up of riders who just want to get
some good exercise and stay fit. They don't race, but they don't
like going slow either. They also don't like to get up at the
crack of dawn, so they meet later in the morning. They all stay
together and nobody gets dropped. If someone has a mechanical
problem, they work together to repair it.
Then there are a
few groups that are a mixture or people who do race and people
who want to work hard. The dynamics here become a bit
complicated compared to previous group. Athletes in any sport
are not all created equal. Some may have very high talents and
abilities. They may have been involved in the sport for a longer
period of time and so have a greater level of experience and
performance. When you mix competitive athletes with
non-competitive athletes in a group ride, you can have
difficulties. Newer athletes or non-competitive athletes can
sometimes be unaware of certain aspects to a group ride that
come from racing. Competitive athletes often use group rides to
hone their racing skills or push their fitness in an effort to
race faster. Trying to keep a group of athletes together, when
they are on different levels of ability, can be a problem. If an
athlete does not have the bike handling skills of the people
around them, they can become a hazard to others and themselves.
Not knowing what is going on within the group can not only
become a problem for the athletes in terms of safety, but
personally as well.
We all go
through stages of learning in our lives. If we a smart, we keep
learning our entire life. When it comes to being in a group
ride, there is a need for a lot of learning and patience. I have
ridden with several groups over the years. In every case I had
to teach somebody and I had to learn from somebody. Some group
rides were like races and it was understood that it would be
ridden that way. Other groups had a more laid back approach and
people were discouraged from riding aggressively (fast). I have
also been in a few groups where it was sometimes a mixture. The
ride might start out easier and then heat up, but if someone had
a problem, everyone stopped.
Seeing the big
picture in your group can make or break the experience for
everyone. Not just the people you have been riding with for
years, but the new people as well. If you want your group ride
to be worth doing, you need to be getting new people. Sure there
can be difficulties with a new person acclimating to the group,
but there is growth as well. Each individual can bring something
important to a group ride. Ideas are golden and the more ideas
the better. Even if a particular athlete seems to be completely
mismatched to the group, they can learn. It just takes a little
time to understand the big picture of that group.
For years I have
been teaching bike racing tactics using little diagrams with
stick figure bikers on them. They are a good way of explaining
how a group behaves on the bike.

I was happy to see VeloNews
covering the spring classics in Europe and using this same type
of diagram to explain the dynamics of races like Paris-Roubaix.
VeloNews always writes about these races, but these little
diagrams do a much better job of showing just what happened.
Although your group ride may not have the same complexity of
Paris-Roubaix, the idea of using a little diagram may help to
bring understanding to that new athlete in your group ride.
There is a reason why "one picture is worth a thousand words"
has become a cliché. It's because it is true. Having to pour out
a thousand words can also create an unneeded tension between two
athletes. Instead of bringing new ideas to the group, the
individual looks for a different group.
If you are part of a group
ride, or you are looking for a group ride, look for the big
picture. Take the time to see what dynamics are at work within
the group. Offer ideas and listen to suggestions. Even if the
suggestions sometimes sound blunt. Competitive cycling is a
sport that demands patience on the part of the athlete. Study
the big picture and see how it helps you to ride and race
better.
Home
| Bike Shop Services |
Coaching Services |
CompuTrainer |
Racing Help |
Junior Team |
Classes |
Training Camp
Contact Us
| Related Links
Smart
Cycling Bike Shop, Inc.
1882 Johns Drive
Glenview, IL 60025
Telephone (847) 998-0200
Fax (847) 998-0201
smartcyclinginc@sbcglobal.net |