Number 1: Herd Intelligence (first in a weekly series)

An Amici group ride is a collaborative activity. By riding together, we are helping each other go farther, or faster, or visit places more easily and safely than we could riding alone. It’s not a race; we are not competing with one another. We are actually helping each other to help ourselves and keeping others safe to keep ourselves safe.

The key to a safe group ride is predictability, and the key to predictability is having everyone follow the same rules. Traffic laws of course but also group riding etiquette and technique. Everyone needs to know what others will do in any given situation. Leader comes to a pothole? Group is riding downhill at 70 kph? No surprises equal no problems. 

Everyone needs to follow the same rules…how many is “everyone”? What percent of riders in a group need to know and follow these rules? Most likely, it’s about the same number as for herd immunity (remember COVID?) – about 85 to 90%. If 90% of the group have herd intelligence, the other 10% will learn by example. If only 50 or 60% follow the rules, the remaining 40% see randomness. Chaos. Sometimes the leader pulls off to the right, sometimes to the left. One rider calls out only big potholes; another one gestures at every crack and pebble. The group does not norm around good practices. If there is learning, the learning is that anything goes.

When was your last group ride booster shot? The last time you took a cycling clinic, or watched the Cycling 101 videos, or read the Amici ride standards on this website? Asked a ride leader how something works? When was the last time you practiced your skills in a parking lot or on a solo ride? My point is, everyone needs to put in an effort to keep everyone else safe, because that’s how we stay safe ourselves. “I know what I’m doing” or “That doesn’t sound like fun” will not get us to herd intelligence.

This series of posts is about the rules, etiquette and technique of group riding. I’m leading a clinic May 27 as well, and hope you'll come out. In the meantime I’m hoping a few will read these posts. So until the next time I will leave you with a couple of thoughts:

1.  Nobody’s perfect. We all make mistakes; we can all do better. But to do better, we have to admit we can learn, we have to make a conscious effort to try, and we have to put in a little work to improve. 
2.  Since nobody’s perfect, we need to approach group riding with some humility. If you don’t understand what’s happening, ask. If you feel a bit scared to do what others are doing, say so – people will want to support you. If someone suggests you do something differently, don’t be offended, talk about it. Open communication is part of the effort we need to put in to have safe, enjoyable group rides.

Until next time!

Social Skills Clinic May 27 6pm at the Gale Center - open to all Amici! We will work on braking and bike handling skills in the parking lot, then onto the road to do some group work. Adjourn afterwards to Counterpart (that's the social part). A gravel clinic is also planned for June. 

Paul Jurbala