Bunch ridingWhat you need to know

Content• Communication• Formation• Overlapping wheels• Moving across lanes• Single up• Rolling turns• Looking, looking, looking• Splitting of bunch• Important road rules• Bike Maintenance• Clothing• Terminology

Communication

• Each & every person in a bunch is relying on you to communicate on cars, holes, road signs etc. You are also relying on everybody else to do their job!

• Bunch calls include:• Left/right/middle

• Car back

• Clear or Yep (when moving across lanes or turning corners)

• Single up

• Slowing/stopping

• Flat (when someone gets a puncture we all must stop)

• Rider down

Formation

• Ride directly behind the wheel in front of you

• Leave a gap suitable for your skill level and conditions

• Keep your handlebars even with the person next to you. Do not “half wheel”

• Ride 2 abreast where possible, otherwise “single up”. NEVER 3 abreast

How the bunch should ride!

Right!

Too farout, a car may hit you!

The redBike, mayclip a wheel

Moving across lanes

• Cyclists need to know when it is safe to move across to lanes

• The cyclist positioned at the back right of the bunch must call “clear” or “yep” when it is safe for the bunch to move across

• The “clear” or “yep” call must be made by each cyclist up to the front of the pack. Therefore cyclists at the front do not need to look behind them & risk falling!

Moving across lanes

Direction of travel

Cyclist in RED is calling “clear” or “yep” to move intomiddle lane

Single up

• The call to “single up” will come from the front cyclists

• The cyclist on the inside (left) stays in their position but opens a gap for outside riders to come in

• The cyclist on the outside (right) will move in behind the rider to their left

Single upCall madeto “singleup”

Green ridersmake gap for red riders

All mergeinto singlefile

Direction of travel

Rolling ThroughFront Right rider moves forward and over to the left

Direction of bunch

Looking, Looking , Looking

• ALWAYS keep your eye out

• If talking to each other, do not look at each other, stay focussed on the road

• Look “through” the rider in front of you, not just the wheel in front

• Keep thinking, bunch riding on roads is not a game!

Splitting of the bunch

• Sometimes the bunch may split due to traffic lights, hills, fatigue

• SJTA bunches wait for slower riders!

• Stop or slow down & wait where & when it is safe to do so (i.e. top of a hill)

Direction of travel

Wait forus guys!

We’ll stopat the topof this hill

Important road rules

• Use the bike lane if available, if not, use a lane

• ALWAYS indicate to cars what your doing (turning left or right)

• Give Way to traffic (cars always win!)• Be defensive (if in doubt, stop or give way)• Stop at traffic light if you cant get through

(even if some of the bunch have made it)

Bike Maintenance• Make sure your bike is road worthy • Check it before EVERY ride

• Brakes work• Tyres are pumped up• Gears are working properly• Nothing is loose or rattling!• Chain is lubed & clean• Cleats are not worn out

• Take what you need on your rides• Spare tubes• Bike pump• Tyre levers• Water bottle(s)• Money & ID!

Clothing• Dress appropriately for the conditions you are riding

in• Wear an undershirt at all times• Wear glasses if you normally wear them• Make sure your helmets fits & is not cracked• Don’t wear undies under your bike pants! Yuk!• Wear a raincoat/rain jacket if raining• Have front & rear lights if riding at dawn or dusk

Terminology

• Bunch riding can sometimes mean a new language

• If you don’t know a term, ask someone what it means