I’m starting this thread for the new RAGBRAI riders with some tips not in the Ride Right handbook we can offer them (and all of us) on staying safe this year. It seemed like there were more than the usual amount of crashes last year and an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of bandages.
Here’s my first tips:
Watchout out for the center of the road cracks!! In many of the roads there’s a seam between the left and right side. Many times it’s large enough to catch your tire and flip you like a pancake. I’ve seen a lot of people messed up by this. Don’t cross these gradually, or at all if you’re not sure. They’ll fill these many times with tar, but in the hot sun the tar gets soft, so you get a false sense of security. Then you’re tire sinks in and you go flying. So watch out for those seams!
The other one (but less deadly in my opinion) are the rumblers. For those of you who don’t know what that is, it’s those rumble strips you run over on your car on rural roads as you approach stops. People will point at the ground to point these out or yell “rumblers” so you’ll know they’re coming. Just move to the side if there’s not another bike next to you, or slow down and go over them but with a firm grip on the handlebars. Most people will shift to the other side of the road to avoid them. Just watch for other bikers before doing so.
A pace line is a group of riders riding in line to help break the wind and generally move along faster. It’s okay, but generally a bad idea if a) you’ve never ridden in a pace line before, or b) you haven’t ridden with the people in this pace line before. Lots of wrecks happen in pace lines due to the closeness of the bikes (less time to stop or avoid), the fact that you generally ride faster or due to lack of communication. One major rule of pace line safety is DON’T CROSS TIRES! Meaning, don’t let your front tire get past the rear tire of the person in front of you. I saw this last year with a line I was in and backed off, and sure as h e c k a mile later the line piled up when wheels touched. RAGBRAI is not a good place to learn to ride a pace line.
Let’s be careful out there!! I’d love to see a lot more bored ambulance drivers this year.
47 Replies
Giantron and Michrider you are both so right!!! If you are a mid-speed rider and are holding a consistent line due to the frequency that you are passing people, you are far safer than someone constantly moving back and forth. I’ll argue that point with anyone, and I have 21 years of experience on this ride to draw from.
If a sufficient gap opens up, fine move over. We all need to pay attention to what’s going on ahead of us and adjust our speed and line accordingly. All to often, “On your left”, really means get the hell out of my way. Speed does not give you the right of way.
As far as passing on the right, at times, it’s a fact of life on RAGBRAI. Yeah I know, “It’s Against The Rules”, ( be sure to clench your fist and stomp your feet when you say that last part) . Really it’s not that big-o-deal as long as you take your time, announce your intentions, and make sure eveyone knows what you are doing.
The problem is you get riders who go too fast for the conditions, don’t pay attention to what’s going on up ahead, get p#ssed off because they get pinned in, then try to shoot a gap between riders.
Slow down, we’re on vacation. You want to race go to France.
Passing on the right is not “against the rules”. With fog line to fog line riders It happens, it is necessary. Watch and listen to the “Ride Right” video.
RIDE RIGHT
since i’ve only ridden with one other person how do i know were i belong on the road? also is it an issue to ride next to my buddy or should we follow each otehr all week? i’m sure when we are spread out a lil side by side would be fine but it sounds lik we are never spread out? how many lanes are there?pictures of past rags can be confusing
kenimus, sometimes the roads will be full but other times things get spread out pretty well. It usually depends on the proximity to a town or vendor stop. Side by side riding on the right is fine most of the time, but side by side while passing may take up too much room. If things get crowed you may actually get separated some. Don’t sweat it. You will get the feel of it. As long as you aren’t holding others up, you are usually OK. <SMALL></SMALL>
kenimus said: also is it an issue to ride next to my buddy or should we follow each otehr all week? i’m sure when we are spread out a lil side by side would be fine but it sounds lik we are never spread out?
Riding 2 abreast sometimes works, but usually not for very long. Someone is always going to be riding faster or slower than you. If 2 of you are cruising just to the right of the centerline and riders are piling up behind you, you force them to cross into the left lane to pass you. That’s when things get dangerous. If you can ride 2 abreast and maintain just to the left of the far right edge of the road it works because riders can safely pass you on your left then.
Remain aware of what’s happening around you. Getting “trapped” behind 2 or 3 riders who have no idea there are 10 bikes backed up just behind them is one of those things that breaks the “rhythm and flow” mrmatta referred to in previous post on this thread. And he is absolutely right that it’s when this rhythm and flow gets disrupted that safety is threatened.
Best advice? Be aware of what’s going on around you. Install a mirror on your bike or your helmet if that helps you. Every RAGBRAI rider should strive to NOT be one of those riders who blithely ambles along without having a clue what impact THEY are having on the ride and the riders around them. RAGBRAI is dangerous, someone has been killed in a bike crash 2 of the last 3 years. Safety is something to be taken very seriously.
Salmon… riders going against the flow of traffic to their death.
As you approach the overnight town watch for riders going backwards on the route. Of all the riders during the week I find these the most dangerous. Collision speed is doubled from 15mph bumping to 30mph+ head on. If you are foolish enough to be going backwards on the route you better be hugging the white line like a virgin gutter bunny because the reality is you don’t get the whole lane with the volume of riders on the road.
Ha ha – “virgin gutter bunny” – never heard that descriptor before – it’s a good one. Been there & done that – I know EXACTLY how it feels. Good one.
<FONT face=Calibri>I was riding in a group of 30+ riders, not a pace line but two abreast on the right side of the road. A faster double line of riders was passing safely on the left. A fifth line of riders “split the sheets” between me and the lines on my left. As their leader came through and her handlebars came within a fraction of an inch of my pumping left thigh, I said “please don’t pass me like that” in a scared-exasperated tone.</FONT>
<FONT face=Calibri>She ended up riding by me again later and asked how she should pass when there is no room to the left and gap in the middle. The answer: it’s a big group with lots of beginner cyclists, sometimes it’s just not safe to pass and you need to SLOW DOWN AND WAIT. FAST, STRONG, EXPERIENCED cyclists should YEILD to BEGINNERS on RAGBRAI. </FONT>
<FONT face=Calibri>Don’t expect everyone to know how to hold their line, or smoothly transition from flats to hills, or know their place in the peloton. If you want to hammer unimpeded, go on a club-racer ride. On RAGBRAI be kind, understanding, welcoming, and YEILD to slow cyclists with imperfect technique.</FONT>
<FONT face=Calibri>Slower riders obviously need to ride right but you are NOT ENTITLED to ride at 30+ mph. </FONT>
Great advice!
Also great advice for experienced riders. I like to ride fast but safety first, and be patient with the slower folks. The beer will still be cold when you get to overnight town.
One thing I haven’t seen addressed here is ear buds and iPods. I like my music as much as the next guy but Ragbrai is not the place to not be able to hear what’s going on around you! Save it for your rest breaks but please don’t wear them when you’re riding. You WANT to hear “On Your Left” a thousand times…
Well said Dave.
Good comments about pacelines above. The longer I ride, the more particular I get over who I ride close to.
So drafting behind the cute chicks like my wife, Nurse Ratched, is okay?
I’ve seen a few folks have to bail off the road and crash when attempting to ride against traffic. I have never done that, and it sure looks dangerous to me.
Are there any RIDE RIGHT rules that cover riding against traffic?