Dateline: 2019. So I'm riding in a 5 x 2 paceline in the farmland west of Boise (ergo 10 bicyclists). We're rolling along at the usual 20 mph in the middle of nowhere. The guy next to me, on my right, decides it's a good time to lecture me about the importance of maintaining a steady pedaling cadence. Not for speed variations, as my speed is always steady. But just to keep my legs in motion.
Sidebar: I've been pacelining (riding in tight formation w/others) since my first road bike, acquired in 1997. A Vitus 992 for those keeping score at home. Ergo, thousands of miles riding in tight formation, all over the country actually. Never once, not ever, an incident caused by me. Seen a few others. One memorable accident as an example.
I was riding a 300 kilometer ride out of Athens, GA in 2015. There was 6 of us going single file. The rider ahead of me, the only female, was using aerobars. These are the elbow rests that lets the rider lean forward & get low against the wind. And, they should never, ever, ever be ridden in a paceline. Why? The brakes are out of reach. They're to be used when you're riding solo or in a solo race. You can't make tiny speed adjustments. So what happens? I was watching her closely for several minutes. I should have just peeled off from the group. But her tire hit the tire in front of her, and she crashes. Me, predicting this, swerved hard left and around her. She goes down pretty hard. We all stop. She immediately launches into 'something fell out of the seatbag in front of me & I hit it.' Which is total bullshit, as I saw everything from a few feet away. Not only is she a shit rider but she's a liar also. Not knowing any of these people I didn't want to get into it and blast her like I normally would in my frequent role as a ride leader. Safety matters on my rides. Anyhoots, she was bloodied up a bit but standing and seemed fine. I rode off, angry at her almost taking me and others to the deck in the middle of nowhere. I was grateful I was ok but way pissed she's using fucking aerobars in a paceline.
Anyhoots. Back to Boise. So the 10 of us are rolling merrily along on a nice sunny day out in the country. Basically what I live for. He's on my right. 20 mph. 3 ft between the riders front and back. 2 ft side to side. Tight formation. He starts talking, mildly scolding me about maintaining a steady cadence at all times. No coasting. This of course is bullshit. Steady speed is what's critical, not steady pedaling, which is irrelevant. But he's obsessed with this for some reason.
He keeps his right hand on the handlebar and with his left hand points at the rider in front of me. Says 'look at him, be like him.' At that instant he hits a small divot in the road, and being one handed it twists his bars just enough to the right that he falls into me, who's on his left.
Now he's leaning on me at a 45 degree angle, at 20 mph. I'm propping him up. His entire upper body is on my side. This is not sustainable. The riders behind us remain behind us. Finally, after 10 seconds with me laser focused on staying upright, he slides off me with a big ugly scraping clatter. It's a terrible noise.
My front wheel is whipping back and forth with torque and I squeeze the bars tightly, straighten my bike out and remain upright. The riders behind me fan out and we all do a slow u-turn & regroup at the downed rider. His shorts are shredded and there's raw skin road rash all over his legs & backside. It's gawdawful. The riders who were behind say 'dude I can't believe you didn't go down, nice work' which makes me feel good.
But mainly I'm thinking: you're giving me a cycling lecture? Really? And you nearly wipe out me and the 4 behind us whilst doing so?
Did he ever apologize to me? No. Did he even mention it again? Never, not once. Oh and: he was able to ride a few miles to a fellow riders house where he got picked up by someone. The back of his shorts were torn off, just a backside looking all bloody. He had to take a couple months off the bike I later heard. Might have been a good time for him to reach out and say 'hey sorry man' but that requires a particular threshold level of self-awareness.
Related post of mine from early on. I'm a bike safety fanatic.
Separately, I'm a huge fan of this high-viz cycling apparel. Be seen & be safe!