Erratic road cyclist on club runs

We have a guy in our club who’s been riding for a couple of years now who a few of us are quite wary of as he can be quite erratic and has caused at least 5 crashes in the last year – the only ones on our club run. He either suddenly moves a foot to one side for no apparent reason or doesn’t notice the group slowing down and going into the back of someone.

What needs to be done? He seems unable to change, gets very angry with himself when he causes a crash. Sometimes equipment has been damaged, should he contribute to replacement or repair? He’s very wealthy so I do think it’s a shame that he doesn’t offer to contribute to costs – luckily no serious injuries.

Any similar experiences? It needs to be discussed though I’m thinking it would be easier to wimp out and just move to another group. 😳

Suggest he join the local Triathletes club? He sounds ideally qualified….

Suggest he join the local Triathletes club? He sounds ideally qualified….

😆

Hmmm he is into triathlons….

Hmmm he is into triathlons….

Standard Triathlete cycling style: Head down, turn the cranks, switch off to outside world. Wake up when on ground under pile of other cyclists and then buy more expensive aero kit as that was obviously the reason the other cyclists crashed into you, even though you don’t remember being in a group with other cyclists at the time…..

get him told “learn to ride or sit at the back”

love the tri comments…coner like a 50p piece.

Is anyone on the rides an “elder statesman” of the club? My club – old clu really, I don’t live near them now – has one such person. He has an easy manner about him that means he manages to get you to think you came up with the idea all along.

Failing that, just shout at him and tell him he’s riding like a t–t.

He would be told in no uncertain terms that he’s a liability in my company. You say this has been going on for a couple of years?! Incredible! Tell him unequivocally that he’s a danger to himself and to others. I speak from experience, a bunch can be a dangerous place, even with experienced hands.

Honestly, don’t take the risk. If he hasn’t got it after two years? WTF!

Ah the squirrel. Every road club has one.

As per Merak, if I’ve been out of group riding for a while I always start at the back and work my way back in as my/their confidence grows. Made the mistake of braking hard once and sent a guy into a barbed wire fence and was told in no uncertain terms what was expected me 😳

It does look like we should get the group leader to have a word.

He rode into me and broke my less than a year old carbon bike the other day 🙁 Looking into repair or see if manufacturer will do me a replacement deal.

“learn to ride or sit at the back”

Problem is though, OP states that he crashes into the back of people too, and the back is where the speed concertinas more with a little bit of slowing up front.

It’s a tough one. Up front on the outside perhaps, (does he have a habit of panicing and slamming on the brakes?) though of course the consequence’s of causing a crash there are all the worse.

Yeah he often sits on a wheel very close and seems he doesn’t notice what’s happening ahead sometimes. I don’t want him behind or beside me any more.

tthew – Member

“learn to ride or sit at the back”
Problem is though, OP states that he crashes into the back of people too, and the back is where the speed concertinas more with a little bit of slowing up front.

It’s a tough one. Up front on the outside perhaps, (does he have a habit of panicing and slamming on the brakes?) though of course the consequence’s of causing a crash there are all the worse.

sorry- didnt read it properly. Still needs a word. I wouldnt ride with him if he had caused more than one crash and doesnt seem to be learning from his mistakes. Is he talking …is that why he isnt concentrating.

I remeber my first chain gang when 17 – needed ear plugs i was shouted at that much. Soon learnt though. 😀

How do people expect new members to ride in the group? I was worried about the etiquette when I joined a bowling league, at least there you’re (probably) not going to injure someone when you make a mistake!

Remove his helmet, tell him to ride at the back —

I could see how the first time it may have been an accident but after a pattern has developed, no way would i be any where near him, would rip the back out of him though, mercilessly,he may not pay for the damage in money, but he can in kind

Just not paying attention as far as I can tell – his sudden moves to the left or right are bizarre; don’t think he realises, one time he pushed someone off the road onto the grass and not sure he realised what he’d done as there wasn’t a crash.

Our club runs aren’t too serious really – not a chain gang though there are accelerations where things get more structured; never had a crash then fortunately.

How do people expect new members to ride in the group?

We have several groups and the idea is to start in the slowest, where (hopefully) you learn about riding in a group, then work your way up the groups.

one time he pushed someone off the road onto the grass and not sure he realised what he’d done as there wasn’t a crash.

Surely he realised once someone told him….

In our club he’d be shouted at by the bunch and taken to one side at the end of a ride. Nobody’s perfect but if you cause problems you need to be told so that you may adjust your behaviour.

Just not paying attention as far as I can tell – his sudden moves to the left or right are bizarre; don’t think he realises, one time he pushed someone off the road onto the grass and not sure he realised what he’d done as there wasn’t a crash.

Absence seizures?

He needs a medical and to ride with triathletes.

If he is causing damage and not making good then his invite to the group ride needs to be revoked.

Yip, we have a couple of these in our bunch. Seems to be a built in situational un-awareness.
One admits he is fairly new to the game and is happy to have errors pointed out, though he still makes unexpected swerves and has a habit of slowing drastically half way up a hill as if he just gives up.
The other is a stockbroker and he is RIGHT ! No one likes to ride alongside him as he is the single most important person there and we all must take account of that.
I of course is perfekt.

He rode into me and broke my less than a year old carbon bike the other day

Just because he’s on a bike doesn’t mean he’s not responsible for any damage he causes – ask him who he’s insured with so hat you can claim for the damage to your bike & see if that focuses his attention.

It’s often an unfortunate truth that folk don’t consider their actions if there’s no obvious consequence to them.

5 crashes and not making good?
Has he been asked to make good?
I’d be thinking about stern words about being removed from the club. He sounds neither safe nor responsible

If he was riding with me hed suddenlyfind all the spacein the world on everyside…….

I wouldnt be going near him . +1 for asking for insurance details

Can’t you ask on a road biking forum 😈

We get this with some newcomers, and a few not so newcomers. As one of the older guys I get asked to have a word which means riding with the various groups.
The biggest problem I found was people chatting too much. Although we have an etiquette guide, some people just can’t follow the basics. It got so bad ( I was fed up of shouting single file or two up when the group was taking up the whole road and offering a view to motorists of being six abreast) that we purchased some go pro type cameras, which has helped.
Some people are cack handed, some have vision problems and some just have so little road awareness I really don’t know where their heads are.
You also have to point out that if you’ve missed a pot hole it’s tough, go through it, don’t swing wildly to one side, you’re bike won’t turn to dust.

Group riding on the road sounds like fun ! with so many rules and people shouting if you transgress and being a mobile road block with the fun that brings are there any up sides?

Yes.
But that’s the problem. People wanting to have fun on the highways don’t mix that well with the more sporting riders.
Strange though it might sound, the camaraderie, the bond and pure enjoyment (i can’t really say fun) found in a good road group is immense.

There aren’t any rules whatsoever, but a group traveling along at speed all need to be singing from the same hymn sheet.

No rules – are you frackin kidding me ? There is certainly a ton of etiquette.

Loads of clubs have this kind of thing. I used to ride with ERC training runs until too many crashes started happening, generally caused by the triathletes riding as described above. And an older guy who personally I think just needed his eyes checked, vain old so and so.

Reference:

http://www.edinburghrc.co.uk/news/611/212/What-is-the-etiquette-of-group-road-riding

I only rode with a club half a dozen times – found same thing, an old wobbler and a couple of triathletes were a proper liability )

first few times i went out with a road club, you were guided as to what todo. No one wants to crash, so you do have to prove yourself safe.

Think of it like a skills course that seems so popular with some MTBers these days.

theres plenty of “rules” on the trails as well, lets face it some people think skids are cool.

Going back to the OP, i think you need to speak to this chap about your frame.

I went on a couple of ERC club rides. Scared the crap out of me so I didnt go back.

There’s a big difference between riding in a group and riding as a group, the latter is much more difficult.
To the OP, try and get your man out in a smaller group and give him some pointers.

I do not understand the tri comments – ok so triathletes are not allowed to draft, may have tri bars ( hopefully removed for group rides) and may be less used to riding in groups. But why the need to generalise? There are considerate cyclists and sloppy cyclists – how they use their bikes (ie which discipline) is irrelevant surely?

I do not understand the tri comments – ok so triathletes are not allowed to draft, may have tri bars ( hopefully removed for group rides) and may be less used to riding in groups. But why the need to generalise? There are considerate cyclists and sloppy cyclists – how they use their bikes (ie which discipline) is irrelevant surely?

Point is that triathletes are often people who ride bikes because they are good at swimming or running, whereas most people come biking because they want to ride bikes.

Definitely a wider range of abilities at tri club than at our local road club ride.

OP- he could be , for whatever reason, one of those people who will never develop the skills needed to ride in a group safely, just as there are people who lack the ‘motor’ skills to drive a car. The responsible ones recognise this and take evasive action, arrogant/ignorant ones do not.

Sad as it may be, he needs to either accept that he lacks spacial awareness/skills,or somehow develop them . For your group’s safety and enjoyment to be jeopardised by one person seems a bit selfish to me. you say he’s been with you a couple of years, he is not going to change unprompted. He may have an underlying medical condition,/ear infection that affects his balance/motor skills– its his problem as much as yours! good luck

Comming to a club run near you.