Group riding etiquette

[Rocksteadyeddie]

Since the standards of group riding seem to be so piss-poor nowadays this might be useful to some of those new to cycling.

A friend of mine yelled "SLOWING!!" when riding to Lands End a couple of years ago as we approached a junction. I almost pushed her off her bike in disgust!

[itsnotarace]

Amazing the amount of people that get "car up" and "car down" confused. Oh and hold your line

[MadDad]

Interesting article, there are a couple of people who ride on a group ride I attend every now and again who insist on yelling 'Hole' - 'Drain' - 'SLOWING' etc but never seem to spend any time up front, so give whoever is on the front a hard time for not yelling!

[ThomDean]

itsnotarace said:

Amazing the amount of people that get "car up" and "car down" confused. Oh and hold your line

I am one of them. I thought car up is approaching from ahead, car down/back is approaching from behind. Am I right or an imbecile?

Went on a group ride on Sunday and the organiser rightly got cross when we ended up spread over 1/4 mile. Looked like a right rabble and made passing us very tricky for the paitent drivers behind us.

[Gumstabber]

Can I just add this, taken from the governments highway code website

"never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends"

[itsnotarace]

ThomDean said:

I am one of them. I thought car up is approaching from ahead, car down/back is approaching from behind. Am I right or an imbecile?

Went on a group ride on Sunday and the organiser rightly got cross when we ended up spread over 1/4 mile. Looked like a right rabble and made passing us very tricky for the paitent drivers behind us.

Car up means one is behind and either passing or waiting to pass. "Up yo ass"

Car down means one is coming towards you. "Down your throat"

[ThomDean]

itsnotarace said:

Car up means one is behind and either passing or waiting to pass. "Up yo ass"

Car down means one is coming towards you. "Down your throat"

That is some mnemonic...and I doubt I'll forget now! Thank you!

[r-kid]

http://m.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/local/10-cyclis...

Strangely enough this was in the local rag, no other details yet but I'm guessing it was a group ride.

[paulrockliffe]

itsnotarace said:

Car up means one is behind and either passing or waiting to pass. "Up yo ass"

Car down means one is coming towards you. "Down your throat"

Not where I'm from, up the road and back where you've been.

[aspender]

paulrockliffe said:

Not where I'm from, up the road and back where you've been.

In my club it is the "up your arse", "down your throat" way.

I've lost count of the number of sportives where I've been in groups who have called it the other way. Amazing something like this isn't universal really. Perhaps there needs to be a rule!

[gazza285]

r-kid said:

http://m.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/local/10-cyclis...

Strangely enough this was in the local rag, no other details yet but I'm guessing it was a group ride.

It was a group from the Huddersfield Star Wheelers, with one guest rider. Only two went down, one of which was the guest. One slightly concussed, back home within hours, that is all.

[mudshark]

I think yelling evolved due to unobservant participants causing problems. We have one chap who was in 1/2 dozen crashes last year including going into the back of me when we were all slowing at a junction - seems to look at his front wheel most of the time.

[DrMekon]

itsnotarace said:

Car up means one is behind and either passing or waiting to pass. "Up yo ass"

Car down means one is coming towards you. "Down your throat"

This way on every audax I've ever ridden. Never heard it the other way around.

[TonyHetherington]

For exactly that reason of confusion we use car front/car back, but the message and meaning remain the same of course

I wonder if we'll see more problems in group rides this coming summer, as the success of cycling grows?

[okgo]

We shout car up for a car coming towards, and car back for a car behind. Everyone in the club does, so if we have made it a rule of our own, happy days.

People also shout car up in races when one is coming head on...

Only time we do 'slowing etc' is when we are on a chain-gang ride.

[anonymous-user]

We seem to use 'car back' and 'car up' (ahead). Also 'easy' and 'hole' which has saved my wheel more than once.

[TonyHetherington]

There are occasions where I don't want to take my hand off the bars to point (cornering, taking a drink, whatever it may be), so a quick shout of "hole" at least gets people looking