#70: the most important thing…
Yesterday I showed up for a long group / team ride down from Germantown to Red Banks, Miss. The group was a solid one and included most of the racing members of the team. It being late December and plan being base miles we ended up rolling out in a rotating paceline.
The problem was chiefly on the way back. The route was rolling route and during the course of this two of the biggest issues that I have experienced in riding pacelines for the last 6-7 years…
- Not pulling through properly. The goal of the advancing line is to smoothly overtake the rider leading the line moving back (who had slowed ever so slowly as they were moving over). This also means getting over as soon as practical in front of the rider in the backward moving line.
- Not keeping a steady effort up and down rollers. Steady speed is cool but trying to maintain 22 mph up and down rollers will mess up the line and pop off riders.
The number #1 issue above reminds me of something someone once told me. The most important thing you do in a rotating paceline is give your wheel (draft) to the backward-moving line. (Well, maybe 2nd most important…but I assume it is relatively obvious you shouldn’t wreak out other riders.) Staying up on the advancing line too long as the backward line withers in the headwind will achieve two things. It will piss off / tire out that guy moving back and disrupt the rhythm of the line. And you will go slower as group.
