Thanks to Geoff for waiting with me, and to Donna for the jacket.
There was some pretty poor riding before the crash. In particular:
- Riders on the front sprinting away from traffic lights. This has a concertina effect and leaves riders behind struggling to get on.
Leaving gaps. Riders chatting and not rotating with the bunch. Concentrate, and save the conversation for the coffee shop afterwards.
Sudden changes of direction. Unnecessary violent swerves around small pot holes.
Poor equipment: Gatorade bottle in a bidon cage, which fell out within 500 m. No lights.
ACCELERATING: Accelerating away from lights and across lanes should be done in a more dignified manner than when you are on your own, so that other cyclists are not dropped.
HALF WHEELING: Half-wheeling is one rider always riding in front of his partner, which then puts the whole bunch out. It is essential that you keep level with your partner if at the front: keep your handlebars level with the handlebars of the rider next to you, rather than your front wheel level with theirs.
SITTING ON: Keep reasonably close to the cyclist in front of you and again keep level with your partner. If too much of a gap is left the bunch is always playing ‘catch up’. Keep your head and eyes up. Don’t watch the gap between bikes. Scanning ahead will give you early warning of changes.
Stay safe out there.