Twelve Things You Absolutely Have to Know to Race Bicycles

The Wisconsin Cycling Association (WCA) website has an excellent resource and reminder for all bike racers called Twelve Things You Absolutely Have to Know to Race Bicycles. The list of 12 follows, but check their page for the quick details on each point. This really is essential info for all bike racers.

1. Be on time for races
2. Check your equipment before the race
3. Pin your numbers on correctly
4. Be a good, responsible citizen
5. Understand the free lap rule
6. Listen to the starting instructions
7. Ride so as to make it a safe race for everyone
8. Know the rules for working with teammates
9. Know when you finish if you get lapped
10. Be courteous to the folks you meet on race day
11. Understand the results process
12. Enjoy your race! It's supposed to be fun!

Ann Arbor Spring Training Series with pre-race coaching

If you’re near SE Michigan to race this spring and want to get some instruction about bike racing, the Ann Arbor Spring Training Series (STS) is going to have a coaching clinic at 8:25 a.m. each week for new racers. The cost of the clinic is included with your race registration or you can come for only the clinic. Check out the race flier for more details.

Ann Arbor STS

• Dates: March 29, April 5, April 19, April 26
• Race info and registration links
• Race flyer

Race numbers: Pinning and Placement

One of bike racers’ “administrative” tasks is pinning on race numbers. It is a relatively simple ordeal, but it is good to make sure that you do it right so you get proper credit for your place in the race and it doesn’t force the officials to complete a Sudoko puzzle in order to compile the results. While the European pros get simple stick-on numbers that are designed to fit neatly over the pockets on their jerseys, the rest of us have a little more work to do. Just follow a few of these tips, and you’ll find it’s easy to do it the right way.

(For a less instructive but more entertaining perspective on number pinning, check out Pinning Race Numbers: A Commentary.)

Placement is the key for proper pinning of your number. Race numbers need to be located so that officials can see them standing along side the race course and so that the camera (if there is one) can see it. Luckily the ideal position works for both the camera and the officials.

As you can see in these examples, numbers that are further down on the side are easier to see, and as the number goes further up onto the back of a rider, the harder it is to see. Sometimes an official or camera positioned on a raised platform can see numbers placed higher on the back but not necessarily.

A good guide to use is the middle of your jersey’s side panel—the bottom edge of your number should hit this mark. This will make sure the number is low enough to be seen from the side, but not so low that a camera positioned above couldn’t see it. Rider number 125 (top-right) in this photo is a good example of this.

Once you know the right position for the number, then it is a matter of pinning it to the jersey well. For larger numbers use 8 pins: one in each corner, and one in the middle of each side. This may seem like a lot of pins, but it will help the number lie flat and not catch the wind. Some riders try to position their numbers differently so it doesn’t catch the wind, but if they just used a few more pins, they could position their number correctly and have no problems with it becoming a sail. Learn to keep a stash of your own pins so you always have plenty at the race.

If you get smaller numbers for your shoulder, use your scapula (shoulder blade) as the guide. If the number is not centered over your scapula, it is probably too far to the center of your back, or over your shoulder too much. These smaller numbers should have 6 pins in them: one in each corner and one along each of the long sides.

The last key to knowing how to pin on numbers properly is how to use the safety pins to fasten your number to the jersey. The safety pins should be pushed through the number and jersey together, then back out through the jersey and number, as in this picture. Many numbers come with holes punched in the corners. Ignore these! If you simply stick a pin through this hole and then through a pinch of the jersey, the number is not fastened closely to the jersey, and it will result in the number flapping in the wind, can tear the number and/or your jersey, and often results in the pins tugging at your jersey.

Anyone who has pinned a number on a jersey knows that it is easier said than done. This is why you want to have good friends. Not just any ol' friend, but good, trusted friends—ideally, quick learners with pity for your plight as the person with pins plunging perilously close to your skin. It is much easier for you to put on your jersey and have your good friend pin on the number than to try to pin it yourself then put on the jersey to find that the jersey just stretched and every pin is tugging mercilessly at the fabric surrounding the number. The other benefit is that you can get your numbers pinned while continuing to warm up, if you have a trainer at the race.

Last note about your friends helping: before having someone pin on your jersey, I recommend removing any undershirt first, then put it back on once the pinning is done. If you don’t, you risk getting “pinned in” and will need help to remove pins before you can take off the jersey or (with skinsuits) even slip down your top to go to the bathroom.

Placement, number of pins, and having a friend to help—these are a few simple keys to pinning your race number properly. But what about folding, crumpling, or otherwise altering your number? Those are a no-no. (See “1K4(b). Racing numbers” in the USA Cycling Road, Track and Cyclocross Rulebook.) Some people want to fold or crumple their race number so it doesn’t act like a sail creating extra drag. If you use 8 pins to fasten your number, this should eliminate any issue you have with your number catching air. But you can always have your friend double-check that no section is poking out ready to catch air.


Hidden-in-plain-sight challenge: find a race number related error by one of the riders in the top image and leave it in the comments.

(Acknowledgements to Lowell Kellogg and his article on Numbers and Finishing on the WCA site for the image and corroboration on my experience with pinning numbers.)

Lead outs, part 1: Planning, Communication, and Assessment

Sooner or later, every racer who has more than one person from their club at a race wants to set up a lead out. Inevitably, racers have watched Le Tour on TV and think that they'll just say, "Let's do a lead out," and magically this train of riders will emerge at the front with a force that shreds the field and leads to certain success.

The sarcasm used and magic required in this scenario come from the inevitable collapse of the plan before more than three riders get within 20 feet of each other any time in the last 5 km of the race. So why the difficulties? Why not streaking trains of coordinated beauty?

Pure and simple, lead outs are hard. They require high levels of planning, practice, communication, fitness, commitment, and discipline. This is the first part of a series on lead outs that will cover the details needed to plan, communicate, and execute a lead out. But keep in mind, knowing how and doing it are two different things.

Planning, communication, and assessment are the first things to consider in setting up a lead out. These need to be done before, during, and after an event to implement and improve a team's lead out.

The first part of planning, communication, and assessment is developing a common understanding. To some, a lead out is one guy drilling it for 300 meters while a second guy waits to jump around in the last 150 meters. To others, it is 6 riders in one synchronized effort to ward off all attacks, minimize battling for position, and provide shelter to launch their star to the finish line. In reality, both of these are legitimate lead outs.

So which lead out is the team planning to do? That depends on a lot of factors: type of race, length, weather, likelihood of a pack sprint, riders' fitness, and more. Start with an assessment of your team's fitness. If you have two strong riders who can get to the front and finish well, but everyone else is pack fill just hoping to hang on, it is not realistic to think the team can orchestrate a team TT on the front for the last few kilometers. On the other hand, if you have a group of riders who are all strong enough to get to the front, then planning a train may make sense if you also have a sprinter to finish off the effort.

Next, what type of lead out makes the most sense for the team's overall race plan? If a few riders are targeted for a break, then the lead out is likely to be a 2-3 rider effort. Of course, having a plan B is good if the break doesn't work, but a lead out for the final sprint needs to be part of the whole-race plan.

After assessing your team's abilities and race strategy, the plan needs to be developed and communicated so everyone knows their role during the race. All too often a team says, "We're going to lead out Bob for the sprint," then has one of its own riders attack with 2 laps to go. That's not a well defined plan. Races are like the weather—the forecast is always subject to change, but to every degree possible, you need to create a specific plan so each rider knows when and where they are supposed to do something. As teams and riders gain more and more experience, this becomes more fluid to adapt to the immediate race conditions, but let's suffice it say, if you aren't a category 1 or pro, plan more and improvise less.

Future posts will go into detail about what the various roles may be, but as a team plans a lead out as part of their race strategy, each rider on the team should know their specific role and when they are supposed to act. Schedule a time before the race to meet, discuss the race, develop a plan, and define clear roles for each team member that fit their ability level.

Meeting at least 30 minutes before the start, if not an hour or more, is a good idea so everyone can focus on the team plan, not registration, getting dressed, their bike, or getting to the line. Make sure that when the team meeting is done, every person knows what their role is and understands the general team strategy: what he/she is supposed to do and when in the race. This helps make sure there aren't any last second surprises from your own teammates that could derail a lead out.

During the race, continue to communicate with each other. Make sure people are feeling good and remain capable of fulfilling their role. If someone's having a bad day, it's good to know that early so the plan can be altered rather than a critical link in your lead out being left out as you start the effort. If changes are made to the plan during the race, make sure your teammates know so one rider doesn't just do their own thing while the rest of the team is expecting something else.

After the race, it is important to meet again to assess what happened during the race and how the plan and execution worked. Any team strategy, including a lead out, is a gamble. Everyone could have executed their role perfectly and another ride could have still taken the win. I have enjoyed numerous other teams' lead outs that happened to be perfect for me. Just because you organize the perfect lead out does not mean your team will win. That doesn't mean you shouldn't do it—it may be your team's best shot an ensuring a high placing. But that's why you need to meet after the race to assess what worked, what didn't, and why.

One last tip: meeting 20 or so minutes after the finish is a good idea. Little rational thought occurs in the first few minutes following the race. Grab some food, a brief cool down, then meet at a pre-determined location to talk about the race and how to change for next time.

What roles should riders play in a lead out? How long should a lead out be? What can throw a wrench in your train? These questions and more will come in the following parts of this series on lead outs.

Most efficient positions in a pack

Your position in the field during a race is determined by a number of factors: speed, part of the race, team plan, individual role, goals, fitness, trust in others, location of key competitors, and much more. But it is important to also know the most efficient positions in the field, so you can find them when you want to save significant amounts of energy.

I remember seeing a graphic a number of years ago that illustrated the energy savings of various positions in a peloton. It may have been longer ago than I remembered because I couldn't find it or any related articles online (please post a comment if you can). But the illustration and the numbers on reduced aerodynamic drag confirmed what I had experienced all along: not all positions are created equal. Some positions provided over 50% savings in aerodynamic drag.

First, it is good to understand a little bit about aerodynamics (this is very simplified—my apologies to anyone who actually studied aerodynamics or flow). As air hits an object—a pack of riders in this case—the greatest area of pressure (wind resistance) is at the front. We all know this from pulling. But rather than a knife cutting into butter that creates a very narrow path, the path of air flowing around an object creates a rounded shape at the front that later tapers off. You probably know this "bubble and taper" shape of the air flow from the shape of aerodynamic helmets and the tubes of aerodynamic time trail bikes. These shapes are used in equipment to minimize aerodynamic drag.

This bubble and taper effect is important to understand when riding in a pack because it illustrates where and how to move up in the field, as well as why the tail end of the field is a bad place to be if you want to save energy. My crude illustration shows this bubble effect (dotted line) and how the most energy (think: hot zone) is required at the front (left side of image), while the sweet spot is found in the cooler regions.

While it's obvious that riding at the front of a pack requires the most energy, the bubble effect also explains why just a few riders behind the leader the peloton is 6+ riders wide. This bubble effect at the front of the pack creates a wide zone in which riders can gain a drafting advantage. When a race slows down a little, this bubble of reduced aerodynamic is pretty big, so moving up the sides of the group is a relatively easy and efficient maneuver. That's why people do it so often.

Conversely, it is important to note that the bubble is only at the front of the pack and tapers off. If you stay buried in the middle of the field, you always get a great draft. But as you get to the back of the pack, in the line of single-file riders trailing the peloton, you actually start to get less draft. Repeat: further back does not always mean an easier ride—you can sit too far back. Now you might start understanding why developing riders sitting at the back of pack often get dropped: in addition to less fitness, they are also getting less aerodynamic advantage from the draft.

This alternate picture is meant to roughly illustrate how different positions are more or less efficient. Don't go fighting for fifth row based on this example (you may find an equally efficient position further up or back—and you need a prize just for finding "fifth row" in an actual field), but do pay attention to the general pattern.

As with most things in cycling, you have to weigh the advantages and disadvantages in this case, too. The most efficient spot in the field may not be as safe and won't allow you to attack or chase the way a less efficient position will. But in a long road race, it sure can save you a lot of energy so you have more left for the finish.