Group riding requires that all riders involved trust one another. You must trust that the rider behind you is not going to run into you; you must trust that the rider at the front of the group will stay clear of any obstacles in the road, you must trust that the rider to your right or left is not going to weave into you, etc.

As is true in the rest of life, the easiest way to ensure the form of trust required for group riding is communication (don't you just love these: cycling as life lesson speals!). All riders in the group must be in constant communication with the riders immediately around them, both verbally and through their body language. What sorts of things need to be communicated?

• obstacles in the road
  • pot holes
  • glass
  • trash
  • etc.
• cars ahead or behind
• runners or walkers
• upcoming stops or turns
• quick changes of position
• ???

Note: When you get out of the saddle, you bike will tend to lunge backward a foot or so...hence, if you're climbing in a group be sure to call out your intention to get out of the saddle, "standing", a second or so before standing, so that riders behind can accomodate.

In a group, the lead rider(s) are really the only one(s) who can see upcoming obstacles in the road. Thus, it is their responsibility to "call out" the presence of these obstacles to the riders behind.

The best way to "call out" is to yell short, one or two word statements:

• hole
• car, back
• glass
• [stop]light, up
• runner, right

For obstacles in the road (e.g., glass, pot holes, etc.) it is also a good idea to point in the direction of the obstacle. For upcoming stops, use the "arm in the middle of the back" signal; see the clinic on Riding Safely in Traffic for more info on hand signals.

In large groups, when the leader rider(s) calls out (even if they have yelled loudly) the riders at the back of the pack may not hear them. Hence, any signals called out from the front of the pack should be "relayed" all the way through the group. Clearly, every rider in the group doesn't have to "second" a call from the leader(s), but at least one rider in each "wave" of the group should take the responsibility to call out the obstacle to the riders behind.