Most riders know that they should learn how to ride in a paceline before joining a group ride, but is that all? Nope. There is at least one other thing you should know – hand signals.

In most group rides, you will be communicating using hand signals. So it pays to know the most common hand signals so you know what to do when you see them! (And of course, know how to use the signals yourself!)

Here are five common hand signals:

[-- left hand/arm out picture --]

1. The Left Turn

To signal a left turn, stick your left arm out straight out to your left side.

[-- right hand/arm out picture --]

2. The Right Turn

To signal a right turn, stick your right arm straight out to the right.

You can also use your left arm to signal a right turn. In that case, you put your left arm out and bend your elbow 90 degrees so your hand it pointing upwards.

That is the standard hand signal if you are driving a car because you can’t signal out the window with your right arm. But when riding a bicycle, you can signal with either hand, so it usually makes more sense to fellow road users if you signal using your right arm.

(And what I mean by that is that many road users today won’t understand that a bent left arm means a right turn!)

[-- right arm pointing down picture --]

3. Pointing Out a Pot Hole or Similar Hazard

When riding in a group, the riders up front will have a good view of the road surface. It is up to these riders to pick a good line and point out any road hazards. This signal applies for pot holes, sewer grates, road kill, sand, broken glass, etc.

Commonly, these hazards are pot holes. To signal a pot hole, you point one of your arms straight down with an extended index finger.

If the hazard is on your right side, point with the right hand index finger. If the hazard is on your left size, point with your left hand index finger.

[-- left hand facing backwards picture --]

4. Slowing Down and Stopping

Bicycles don’t have brake lights, so you have to use a hand signal for this.

Put your left arm out with your palm facing down and backwards. I recommend bending your elbow at 90 degrees. (Otherwise this signal could be confused with pointing out a pot hole.)

[-- right hand waving behind back picture --]

5. Move Over!

If your group is coming up on a parked car in the way, passing an oncoming runner, or overtaking a slower rider, you will use the “move over” signal.

Typically this means taking your right hand and waving it behind your back. The motion goes from right to left, signaling everyone to move left.

You may also use your left hand motioning to the right, but that is rare since that road lane probably contains oncoming traffic.

Now you can join in group rides without getting confused about hand signals. Have fun.

“I ride X miles, X times per week. I’m doing a big X mile ride in X weeks. Will I be alright?”

The answer is always the same: It depends.

You might see quite a few “10 weeks to the perfect century” plans in the pages of bicycling magazines, but that’s really just giving you a starting point. Unfortunately, there’s no set formula that works for everyone, all the time.

Let’s say you go out and do a 50 mile ride every weekend and feel pretty good afterward. You might be able to finish a century (100 mile ride.)

On the other hand, if you can complete 50 or 60 miles, but you fall over gasping when you finish, you might not be ready for a century.

(The general rule of thumb is to be able to do a training ride 75% of the event distance. So if you can do a 75 mile ride two weeks before your planned century, you’re doing alright. Just taper off and rest up for the century!)

Scaling back, let’s say you’re doing a few 10-12 mile rides each week. It’s entirely possible you can do a 25-40 mile ride next weekend.

But then again, you might not get past 15 miles before cramping up and calling it a day. I just can’t give you a better answer without knowing your entire riding history (i.e. analyzing all your training journals and riding with you in person.)

Continuing that thought, no one knows your body better than you do. If you feel like you are ready for a big ride, you probably are. If you feel weak while riding and are scared at the prospect of a slightly longer ride, you might want to take some more time to build up your fitness.

The only way to know if you’re ready is to do it and see how it goes!

Things to keep in mind:

Here are a few things to keep in mind when comparing your current training rides with your prospective century or bigger ride:

Terrain. 60 mile rides in Florida aren’t the best way to prepare for a 100 miler in Vermont.

Altitude. Along the same lines, a 60 mile ride at sea level is way different than something in Colorado at high elevation.

Speed and pace. Remember to pace yourself. If you enter a race or something where the distance is a little long, don’t start too fast, even if everyone else does.

A good rule of thumb is to do the first half of the ride at a slightly easier pace than you can handle. That way, you have energy saved for the second half. And if you have enough energy, you can ride the second half faster and get a good finishing time.

Fueling. Remember that if you’ll be riding longer than usual, you will probably take in more food and water than usual. And you want to space that out, so don’t wait until after 60 miles to start fueling.

(See my before and after, and during ride fueling articles for more info.)

Follow those tips and listen to your body and you’ll know whether you can take on that big ride!

Here are some tips to stay safe when you encounter these areas:

1. Pretend drivers don’t see you.

Pretend drivers don’t see you, because they probably don’t! You really should expect people to hit you or force you off the road, simply because they are oblivious to your presence. They might have their mind on something, not expect to see any cyclists on a certain road, or of course they could be on their cell phones.

To increase your safety, try to maintain a “cushion” around you. Typically this would involve time and space factors, allowing you to escape danger if necessary (like if a disrespectful motorist encroaches on your personal space.)

A similar tip: some people say to look drivers in the eye to make your presence known… well, if they’re not looking at you in the first place, what good does that do? (If they are looking at you, then hopefully they’re not planning on running you over!)

2. Watch parked cars.

Be careful around parked cars, too, because they can still be hazardous!

Don’t ride too close or you might get doored. (That’s when a car door opens right in front of you and you hit it.) If you have to ride somewhat close, watch for people’s heads. If someone is in the car, there’s a good chance of getting doored.

And certainly watch for lights on and wheels turned towards the road – the car might pull out in front of you.

3. Be visible.

The more visible you are, the easier it is for drivers to see you.

Reflective tape, reflective clothing. Don’t wear a black outfit at night.

4. Don’t run red lights.

It seems obvious (since it is illegal,) but running a red light usually puts you right in front of fast moving cars. That’s not smart.

And drivers hate it. It happens all the time in big cities where traffic sucks, so it’s somewhat expected there, but still…

5. Expect the worst, crazy stuff.

Pedestrians and drivers do some crazy stuff. Just when you think a person will walk normally, they’ll start dancing around and knock you down.

Drivers will pass too close or not pass at all, or wave you through an intersection that you can cross perfectly well, legally, according to the traffic signal.

In the future, follow these tips and you’ll ride safely through traffic and can enjoy the rest of your ride!

Q: I have problems with my eyes when wearing cycling glasses. The wind comes over the top and stings my eyes, i wear contact lenses and find that the wind drys them. Over long distance i struggle. I have tried loads of different types and found nothing. Can you help?

Thanks,
Winded Willy

Hi Willy,

Sorry to hear about your problems. I wear contacts too so I am almost always wearing sunglasses. I never ride without them. Luckily, regular cycling sunglasses have been sufficient for me.

In your case, the best suggestion I can make is to look at the sunglasses that are like a combination of sunglasses and goggles. There are quite a few that look like sunglasses, but then they have a foam ring around the frame which seals out the wind. Typically these are favored by motorcyclists dealing with lots of wind and an open face helmet, but would probably work for bicycling as well.

Here are a couple examples:

There are sunglasses called Guard Dogs. Here is a neat looking pair.

There are others, such as these, available to online motorcycle retailers.

Those look like they would keep wind out without making you look too obnoxious. If those don’t help, though, the only other thing I can think of would be to go with the full-on goggles.

Hi Levi, What’s your favorite sub $200 repair stand. I’m considering the Ultimate Pro Elite, Spin Doctors Pro G3, Park Tools PCS 10, and the Feedback Sports Pro Classic.

Thanks,
Repair Stan

Hi Stan,

I think the repair stands from Ultimate (which was purchased by Feedback Sports, so they’re the same stands with a new name) are awesome. I’d choose one of those in a heart beat.

They have a great tripod base that is stable on a variety of surfaces, as well as a very nice adjustable clamp. Plus they fold up for easy transport.

However, I found the Spin Doctor Pro G3 pretty cheap on sale since Performance Bike always discounts it then offers coupons, so I personally use one of those and it works very well. I’ve had no problems at all and highly recommend it if you’d like to save a little dough. (It is very similar to the Ultimate Pro repair stand, but usually cheaper.)

And as much as I like Park tools, I’ve never liked their repair stands. The PCS 10 looks better than the Park stands I’ve used in the past, but I still wouldn’t buy one. The other stands you’re looking at are so nice, there’s not really any need to consider other options.

But it is doable with some practice and these tips (which should be considered rules not meant to be broken.)

Here’s what you need to know to successfully ride in a paceline:

1. Stay Close

The purpose of a paceline is to conserve energy by drafting. Riders in the draft will expend around 15-20% less energy than the rider at the front.

But to make use of this benefit, you have to ride close to the wheel in front of you! Ideally you want to stay within 12″ of the wheel in front of you. (Experienced riders may even ride about 4″ off the wheel in front of them!)

The goal is to consistently stay close to the wheel in front of you for the whole ride. Whatever you do, don’t let gaps open up. If there is a paceline where everyone is 6″ from each other, and you are only comfortable sitting about 24″ behind someone, you are bound to let gaps open and screw up the rhythm.

At best, you’ll get yelled at. At worst, you’ll cause a crash as riders try to pass you.

So make sure you are ready to ‘stay close’ if you are entering a paceline.

2. Hold Your Line

The second thing to do to ride consistently and predictably is to hold your line. Not only do you have to worry about the distance between you and the rider in front of you, you need to follow the same line.

You can’t just weave side to side and have a jolly good time. You need to pick a line and stick to it. Typically the paceline will ride parallel to the white line on the shoulder of the road, keeping perhaps 6″ to the left of it at all times.

Of course, during turns and when avoiding obstacles, that line will change. The key is to take the same line as the rest of the group.

Where this can really cause problems is in a turn. See, even if you have a single paceline, chances are you have some riders riding side-by-side at any given time. (And if it’s a race situation, there will be riders completely surrounding you.)

Obviously, if there is a rider to your left or right, you can’t use an outside-inside-outside line around a turn. You need to stick to your outside, middle, or inside curve or you’ll take someone down and probably get run over.

3. Don’t Overlap Wheels

If you’re following the first two rules, overlapping wheels should be a non-issue, but it’s so dangerous I have to mention it. Never overlap wheels!

Here’s what happens: You start riding a few inches to the left of the person in front of you to get a better view of the action up ahead. Your mind gets sidetracked, and next thing you know, your front wheel is overlapping the wheel ahead of you.

Everything is fine until the rider in front of you swerves just slightly to avoid a piece of gravel. In doing so, his rear wheel nicked your front wheel, twisting your handlebars and sending you to the pavement.

While the rider in front of you is partially to blame for his erratic riding, you could have avoided the spill had you not overlapped wheels!

4. No Sudden Movements

Another thing you never want to do in a paceline is make a sudden movement. With riders so close, it doesn’t take much of a movement to wreak havoc.

For example, don’t swerve at the last second. If you didn’t see the pot hole until it was too late, your safest option is to ride through it. Swerving around it is bound to take you or the other riders down.

Also, hard braking would be considered a sudden movement. If you need to slow down, slow down gradually. In most cases, sitting upright to catch more wind and feathering the brakes slightly is enough to slow down.

Even standing up is a sudden movement if you don’t think it through. When standing, you need to stand at the same time as you are powering through the front of a pedal stroke. Otherwise your bike will actually drift back underneath you a few inches, possibly hitting the rider behind you.

5. Communicate

Finally, communication. Even if everyone in the paceline follows the other rules and rides excellently, if you don’t communicate, you’ll have problems!

You need to use your voice and hand signals to relay information to all the riders in the paceline. If there are obstacles ahead, cars behind you, it’s time to slow down, etc., you need to communicate that to everyone else.

(Signals vary between groups so check on that before joining a new group ride.)

Now go practice, and when you’re ready, get in a paceline!

Hi Coach Levi, I did a charity ride 3 months ago. I had a mountain bike that was over 20 years old, somewhat rusty and not in very good condition. I decided to buy a new bike to do the ride because I didn’t know if the old mountain bike was going to withstand it.

The area where I live is not a biking community so I went for a hybrid, Scott Sportster P6 to be exact. Two months after my dad told us we are going to move closer to my brother and he lives in a biking community. I am now going to do road rides with him; if I knew before hand that we were moving I would’ve gotten a road bike. My ? to you is, do u think I should sell/trade in this bike for a road bike since I’ll be doing road rides?

Thanks,
Hybrid Henry

Hi Henry,

What I would do is start out doing your road rides on the hybrid and see how it works out. The Scott Sportster P6 looks to have road wheels with fairly slick tires so you might be alright on it, at least to start out.

The downfalls I see are these:

1. If you’re a powerful rider and like to go fast, the 48×14 high gear is going to be too low for road use. And you’ll definitely spin out on downhills.

2. If you do long rides, the lack of available hand positions offered by a flat bar will have you wishing for the drop bar of a real road bike.

3. It’s heavy. 27lb is rather heavy for something being ridden on the road.

So if you know you are going to be doing a lot of road rides and get pretty serious about it, I’d get a road bike sooner rather than later. But if you’re not positive, I’d stick with what you have. At the very least, the hybrid is going to be much faster and more comfortable than a 20 year old mountain bike!!

Another thing to consider is money. If you sell or trade in a nearly new bike, you’ll probably still lose quite a bit of money on it. And then you need to buy the road bike, and they are typically more expensive than hybrids, even for the lower-end models. (While it’s easy to find a $400 hybrid, it’s hard to get a new road bike for under $800.)

Whatever you do, just try to enjoy the ride!

Hey Coach… different subject.

What do the numbers on the chainring mean? When I got my bike, I had the option of a ‘CHAINRINGS 53 x 39t’ or ‘CHAINRINGS 50 x 34t’

For whatever reason, I have the 53 x 39. What (if anything) does that indicate to you about my skill level? What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Thanks for your help. I really like your product reviews and comments.

-Charlie Chainring

Hi Charlie,

The first part of your question is very simple. The numbers on the chainrings simply refer to the number of teeth on each chainring. A standard crankset will have the 53 and 39 tooth rings (obviously the 53 tooth ring is the large one and the 39 tooth one is the small one,) while a compact crankset typically has 50 and 34 tooth rings.

As you probably realize, the more teeth on the chainring, the bigger the gear (i.e. it’s harder to pedal.)

Chainring size has no correlation with skill level, so the choice of rings on your bike doesn’t tell me much. Seeing the 53×39 might make some people think you’re a serious racer ready to really push the pace, but that would just be an assumption. Likewise, when some people see a compact crankset, they might think you’re an old man with bad knees. But again, that’s another assumption.

It’s entirely possible that someone could come in on a compact crankset and win the sprint to the finish line!

So the lesson there is that you can never judge a rider based on his choice of crankset, price of his bike, whether or not he shaves his legs, etc.

Now, on to the interesting debate – advantages and disadvantages of standard and compact cranksets.

Starting off with the standard 53×39 crankset. For many years, this was the only configuration you’d find on road bikes. Unless you went with a triple crankset, you were most likely riding a 53×39.

But not too long ago, compact cranksets (typically 50×34 or 50×36) took the market by storm. Now just about every road bike comes with the choice of standard or compact crankset.

Compact cranksets rose in popularity mainly because the lower gears made for a more comfortable ride in hilly or mountainous territory. The lower gears allow you to maintain a higher cadence while climbing, so you don’t tax your leg muscles as much. Also, many people have bad knees, and they find the lower gears to be much easier on their knees.

There are only two areas where a standard 53×39 crankset can outperform a compact:

1. High speed situations, such as sprinting and time trialing.

If you plan to go really fast on flat ground and don’t have too many long, steep hill climbs, you’re probably better with the standard crank. With the higher top gear, you have more potential speed at a given cadence.

It’s possible to go very fast on a compact crank by pedaling a very high cadence such as 150rpm, but if you’re up against someone with a standard crank, you better hope they can only push their big gear at 90rpm! (If both of you are pedaling at 150rpm, the rider with the bigger gear will win.)

2. Smooth shifting performance.

While the latest compact cranksets can be set up to shift smoothly, you’ll always get the best shifts with a standard double, with less effort during the setup and adjustment process.

It’s simple logic – the jump between a 53 and a 39 tooth ring is a 14 tooth difference. Between a 50 and 34, the chain has to jump a 16 tooth difference. It’s not much, but it’s there.

Should you switch?

Your 53×39 setup should be fine unless you feel the gears are too big/hard for the hills you climb regularly. That would be the only reason to switch if you were thinking about it. If you’re not struggling to push the gears, stick with what you have now.

Hi, I was just hoping you could help me decide on a bike. I am deciding between a Giant TCR A1 and a Gary Fisher ARC Super. Both are about the same price. I’m looking for something to get in shape on and race with. Please send me some advice, I am really new to biking.

Thanks,
New Neil

Hi Neil,

Welcome to biking – I hope you like it! (I know I do!)

As for the bikes – both the Giant and Gary Fisher look good for general riding and are more than capable of doing some racing. I can’t see anything wrong with either one.

For general fitness riding, all you need is a bike that fits comfortably. For getting into racing, you just need fitness and a bike that isn’t broken. So I think either bike would fit your needs.

When the decision comes down to two similar bikes like this, the deciding factor should be the test ride. Have the shop give you a quick fitting on each bike and then take a few short test rides. Chances are, one of the bikes will just feel like a better choice for you. That’s the one to get!

In the odd chance that you like both bikes equally, even after test riding both, there are two ways left to decide. You could either buy the cheaper one, or pick the one in the color you like better.

If you’re still uneasy about the decision, you can do what I do, and that is to use your imagination. Pick a bike and pretend that you bought it. Envision it sitting in your garage, and envision riding it each day. If you still like that bike, get it. If you get an uneasy feeling (like buyer’s remorse,) get the other bike.

In the end, you can always be happy just by the fact that you have a bike to ride!

But what do you do if you’re in the really fast group, like when racing an intense criterium, and you do get dropped? What do you do if your legs just can’t hack it, but you don’t want to look like I wimp?

You use this advice I picked up from Greg Lemond a few years back…

Greg was telling the story of his comeback after the hunting accident, and what he did when he got back into racing. He was coming back into form, but was not at 100%, so even he would get dropped on occasion.

His sage advice was, “If you get dropped, just pretend you got a flat tire!”

That is hilarious!

To pull off this strategy, I recommend swerving a little bit after slowing down, looking at one of your tires, swearing, and making angry hand gestures. Make sure you use whatever energy you have left to go into a fit of rage to really sell the “fact” that you got a flat tire and dropped out!

(And don’t ride too close to any spectators or they might realize you don’t actually have a flat tire.)

Of course, you need to get back into hard training shortly after this stunt, so that you don’t get dropped every race! This wouldn’t make a good strategy if you have to use it more than once or twice, but if you’re having a rare bad day, it might just work.