How to Ride in a Peloton

The peloton is the large group of cyclists found in many races, commonly referred to as "the pack." The benefit of riding in the peloton is drafting, or letting riders in front of you fight the wind resistance, allowing you to conserve energy. The disadvantages are getting stuck at the back of the pack or being the victim of a multiple-person crash. Approach the peloton with these skills in mind to get the most advantage from riding with the pack.

Instructions

1. Start behind the peloton until you feel comfortable joining it.

2. Ride into the back section of the peloton, inserting your front tire between the back-most rear tires of the group. At this point you won't be able to see where the race is headed but you'll have the advantage of saving energy.

3. Look ahead. Rather than concentrating on your own bike focus on the riders a few bikes in front of you. This will help you balance as a part of the group and see what adjustments are being made within it before they reach you, giving you more time to react.

4. Move to the front of the peloton when you want to break away from the pack. This can be done by moving out to the sides of the peloton and riding around it to get to the front. This requires a great amount of energy but is the easiest way to move forward. You can also simply move to open spaces within the group as they appear. This must be done very quickly and is not always possible, though it will help you conserve energy in the process.