Everything you need to know about group cycling

To start with, cycling as part of a group is a great way to stay motivated. You’re much less likely to bail out on a group ride than a solo one, however bad the weather is. Committing to a regular group ride means you’ll make – and protect – the space in your diary that you need to get out on your bike. 

Learning from other riders is another great bonus. Whether they’re more experienced and happier to share tips or they’re simply a little more daring, pushing you to go outside of your comfort zone, the experience of encouraging and learning from each other is one of our favourite things about group rides. You just don’t get that same boost in skills from riding alone. 

Feeling part of a community has also been shown to boost mental health and wellbeing, and it’s lovely to have some friendly support if you take a fall or are finding a section of the ride tough going. Not to mention it’s always handy to have a few helpers in the event of a mechanical issue! 

It’s becoming more and more common to see groups of road cyclists enjoying rides together, and with good reason. As well as the camaraderie, you can also pick up useful new skills, learn the rules of the road, discover the best local routes, boost your confidence and improve the efficiency of your rides as you learn the all-important art of drafting. 

Whether you’re joining your local cycling club, doing a sportive or heading out on a ride with friends, there are a few pointers to riding in a group that will keep you safe and your ride enjoyable – and they’re all super easy to pick up once you get going:

Learning to draft (riding close behind another rider) can conserve up to 40% of your energy. It can be a little bit scary at first, so start by maintaining a distance of around 3ft – which should be close enough to feel the benefit of the slipstream – and gradually move as close as you feel is safe. 

You should never get close enough to overlap wheels with the rider in front though – that’s a fast track to a crash. By the same token, it’s best to ride with your wheel behind and slightly to the right of the wheel in front so that in the event of them slowing suddenly, you can move to one side of them instead of ploughing right into them.

If you’re riding two abreast, don’t be tempted to race the rider beside you and nudge yourself ahead (known as half-wheeling). It’s considered bad form and affects the pace of the group.

Riding at the front of the group takes you out of the draft, so it’s only fair that everybody in the group takes a turn putting the work in up front. There are no rules about how long you need to take a pull for, so if you’re one of the slower riders, don’t feel bad about taking a short turn at the front and then peeling off to the back. You’ll find this is much preferred over taking a long pull at the front but slowing the pace, as the aim of group rides is usually to keep a good, consistent pace.  

Riding as part of group works best when you look out for each other. Whether that’s signalling to the rider behind that you are about to brake or warning the group of potholes or obstacles in the road, you’ll find you rely on signals from each other. Especially when you’re drafting closely! 

Sometimes it’s as simple as shouting out “hole” or “slowing”, but many groups also like to use hand signals. Take a look at this helpful video from British Cycling to find out more. 

Avoiding sudden braking is vital when you’re riding in a bunch. Same goes for sudden side-to-side movements. Try and keep an eye on the road ahead so that you can anticipate the situation and keep any changes in line or pace smooth, slow and controlled, with plenty of time to signal your intentions to the riders behind you. 

Riding as part of a mountain biking group tends to come with fewer rules, but can be equally beneficial, especially if you’re looking to get started with mountain biking. The chance to learn from other riders, spur each other on and offer encouragement on those tricky trails, is invaluable. Plus, the social side of it is so much fun.

General pointers for group mountain bike rides include arriving on time, making sure you’re fully prepared and tuning in to the goals of the group – is this going to be a pacey ride with few stops or a relaxed pedal with plenty of chat? 

In terms of the distance between riders, there’s no chance of drafting on mountain bike trails. While you can often pedal up the hills in a group, you need to keep a good distance between riders on the descents. And try to take your breaks in spots where you won’t get in the way of other riders i.e. not slap bang in the middle of the trail!

If you encounter a slower rider, don’t sit on their tail. If you want to pass, simply give them a friendly call out that you’d like to pass, wait for them to pull into the side and let you go by and thank them as you pass. Similarly, if you’re the slower rider, try and let the speedsters past where you can, there’s no shame in it.

Cycling is one of our favourite inclusive activities in our beachclubs, so if you fancy trying your first group ride, this is the ideal time to do it! Our expert bike team have mapped out some fantastic local rides and are ready and waiting to guide you along them.  

This year we’re also excited to announce we’ve teamed up with Chris Boardman MBE and Boardman Bikes. Road cyclists, mountain bikers and those that enjoy a bit of both can all get into the saddle of a Boardman bike at one of our five premium biking beachclubs – Mar Menor in Spain, Baia dei Mori in Sardinia, and Buca, Messini or Retreat in Greece.