Group rides can be a lot of fun. Great for camaraderie, working on your paceline, and sometimes getting a bit of race pace if things get spicy. Depending on the pace, you can also make a group ride as hard or as easy as you want. If you feel like taking some long pulls,go for it. If you’re not feeling up to that, sit in and enjoy the ride.
There’s lots of little rules about group rides, and usually it’s about keeping your fellow riders as safe as possible. Pointing out obstacles or potholes to riders behind you, signalling so everyone knows where the route is going, that sort of thing.
Of course, one of the biggest concerns to group rides on open roads are cars. That’s why when you come to a stop light, it makes zero sense to swarm cars, forcing them to pass the group again. Don’t be a MotoSwarmer. When you come to a light, just hang behind the cars. Why would you want to flank them on both sides when they are just going to pass you again?
Seinfeld, Episode 20, “The Jerk”
George and Jerry are sitting on the couch, watching the Vuelta, eating cereal.
George
I like cycling. I could do something in cycling.
Jerry
Uh-huh. Uh-huh. In what capacity?
George
You know, like the directeur sportif of a cycling team or something.
Jerry
Yeah. Well, that – that could be tough to get.
George
Well, it doesn’t even have to be the DS.. Maybe I could be like, an announcer. Like a colour man. You know how I always make those interesting comments during the race.
Jerry
Yeah. Yeah. You make good comments.
George
What about that?
Jerry
Well, they tend to give those jobs to ex-pro cyclists and people that are, you know, in broadcasting.
George
Well, that’s really not fair.
Jerry
Speaking of not fair, you should have seen what happened on the Bagel Ride today.
The door opens, it’s Kramer and Elaine.
Kramer
Howdy fellas.
Jerry
It’s the K-man! Hello Madamoiselle Benes.
Elaine
(takes a bow)
Messieur Seinfield, Messieur Constanza.
Elaine grabs a Snapple. Kramer comes over and watches the race.
Kramer
How about that Remco. Rem.Co.
George
So what happened?
Jerry
So we are riding along, and every time we came to a light, that Jacon Bernstein would just swarm around the cars.
George
Swarm?
Jerry
Swarm!
Kramer
A MotoSwarmer!
Jerry
Yes. A MotoSwarmer. There’d be five or six cars ahead of us and he’d just circle around them like a shark around a tuna. Like why?
George
Now the car is going to have to do a RePass after a MotoSwarm. It’s a dangerous situation!
Jerry
Yes!…
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