A safe RIDE is A great RIDE
The Hot Hundred is NOT a race. You will be riding on open, public roads with normal car traffic.
ANSI / SNELL APPROVED HELMETS ARE MANDATORY
Ride single file far to the right when traffic exists. On remote roads, two abreast can be safer by increasing your visibility to car drivers approaching from the rear, but go back to single file if car traffic begins to increase. Pull off to let traffic pass if necessary. Obey all traffic laws and signals.
Group Riding Skills:
* Many years of riding does not by default make you a good "pack rider". Watch and learn from those who are well-respected in your bicycle club as a "good rider". Crashes occur when cyclists who can not ride smoothly and steadily attempt to ride in a pack or group.
* Be smooth. When riding in the close quarters of a pack, it is ESSENTIAL to maintain a very steady speed and direction. Do not swerve left and right, NEVER apply the brakes firmly (if at all), do not accelerate briskly. You must make very slight changes in input to the bike (pedaling, braking, and steering) while riding in a pack. Think drafting at 200mph at Talledega.
* When riding in a group, and you are at the front of the group, the other cyclists do not have a good view of the road ahead. Alert the others so they can look for the hazard by you (lead rider) calling out the type of obstacle...."hole", "sand", "gravel", "car up", "dog".
* Never overlap the front of your front wheel with the rear wheel of the cyclist in front of you. If he/she veers abruptly and hits your front wheel, you WILL crash and probably cause others behind you to crash also.
* Do not ride in a pack if you have aero handlebars.
Hand Signals:
Verbal Signals:
ANSI / SNELL APPROVED HELMETS ARE MANDATORY
Ride single file far to the right when traffic exists. On remote roads, two abreast can be safer by increasing your visibility to car drivers approaching from the rear, but go back to single file if car traffic begins to increase. Pull off to let traffic pass if necessary. Obey all traffic laws and signals.
Group Riding Skills:
* Many years of riding does not by default make you a good "pack rider". Watch and learn from those who are well-respected in your bicycle club as a "good rider". Crashes occur when cyclists who can not ride smoothly and steadily attempt to ride in a pack or group.
* Be smooth. When riding in the close quarters of a pack, it is ESSENTIAL to maintain a very steady speed and direction. Do not swerve left and right, NEVER apply the brakes firmly (if at all), do not accelerate briskly. You must make very slight changes in input to the bike (pedaling, braking, and steering) while riding in a pack. Think drafting at 200mph at Talledega.
* When riding in a group, and you are at the front of the group, the other cyclists do not have a good view of the road ahead. Alert the others so they can look for the hazard by you (lead rider) calling out the type of obstacle...."hole", "sand", "gravel", "car up", "dog".
* Never overlap the front of your front wheel with the rear wheel of the cyclist in front of you. If he/she veers abruptly and hits your front wheel, you WILL crash and probably cause others behind you to crash also.
* Do not ride in a pack if you have aero handlebars.
Hand Signals:
- Left Turn: Left arm straight out
- Right Turn: Right arm straight out
- Stopping: Left arm out and down with your palm facing the rear while calling out "slowing" or "stopping".
Verbal Signals:
- “Car Up”: There’s an oncoming vehicle. Usually called by the rider at the head of the paceline or group
- “Car Back”: There’s a car approaching from behind you. Usually called by the rider at the tail end of the group.
- “On Your Left”: Call this out when you are passing another cyclist. You should pass them on his/her left-hand side. If you hear this, a faster cyclist is passing you on your left-hand side.
- The lead rider in a group should call out (loud enough so that the other riders can hear) upcoming obstacles which could cause a rider in the group to lose control/crash. Lead rider should call out "bump", "hole", "glass", "sand", "gravel", "tracks (railroad tracks)", "dog", etc. That warns the other riders to be on the lookout for the obstacle.
