How to Get Along on a Group Bike Tour

It takes some work to make a group bike tour go smoothly, but you can do several things to help your group keep pedaling along together.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Padded Bicycle Shorts
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Bike Computers
• Bike Helmets
• Panniers
• Touring Bike

1. Try to assemble people who have similar levels of motivation, physical ability, mileage goals, budget and so on. Getting the mix right from the first will save distress down the road.
2. Take a couple of short tours with the group (if possible). These "shakedown cruises" will help you spot potential problems.
3. Create an atmosphere in which riders feel free to speak their minds. Devise a mechanism for resolving disputes as quickly as possible. Letting problems fester is never a good idea.
4. Schedule responsibilities for group members. Determine who will be doing each night's cooking, route planning and cleanup, and who will have the night off. Rotate these tasks to avoid burnout.
5. Consider temporarily integrating other riders into your group as you meet them on the road. You'll enjoy the exchange of information, as well as the "breath of fresh air" that a new rider can provide.
6. Take regular mental-health breaks on a long tour, especially on rest days. Allow members to go off by themselves if they like.
7. Have group members ride alone from time to time, scheduling a reunion at a certain time at the night's rest stop.
8. Be flexible and realize that you may not be able to hit every stop on your original itinerary.

Tips & Warnings

• If you start to have doubts about your group, remember all the advantages it brings: the companionship of people who intimately understand how tough that last hill was; pooled knowledge; safety in numbers; drafting to break the wind and the sharing of weight, cooking duties and spectacular scenery!
• If you have any condition that would impair or limit your ability to engage in physical activity, please consult a physician before attempting this activity.