Say hello to Fay.  It's POURING outside right now. Tropical storm Fay came to visit, and not being a "fair weather rider", I've been in my share of storms on the bike, but I'm happy to be sitting dry and warm in my house today.
Recently I was approached with a riding concern from a member.  As the Safety Officer, it's my obligation to look into anything that may affect our riders in a negative manner and to try to correct any mistakes, riding errors or bad habits that any of us may have.

The issue brought to me was what I call the "rubber band effect".  The rubber band effect is when the group stretches out and then the back of the pack has to accelerate to catch up, then for whatever reason, it stretches out again, repeating over and over.

This can be caused by several things. One reason can be that the group does not accelerate at the same pace, with those in the rear starting out slower.  By the time the last person takes off, the lead rider is far out in front and everyone has to accelerate to catch up.  Another reason would be someone in the middle of the group daydreaming and drifting far behind the riders ahead of them, and before they realize it the group has left them behind and they, along with those behind them, have to accelerate to catch up. The lead Road Captain might never get over 55 MPH, and someone in the rear be reaching speeds of 80 MPH just to catch up. Obviously this is a safety issue.

It is very important that, as Road Captains, we start off at a smooth, comfortable speed, and maintain a steady pace during the ride. It is equally important that the group keep up, not letting the riders ahead leave you, which in turn will cause those who are trailing you to also fall behind creating the rubber band effect. If the Road Captain is riding too fast for your comfort, that needs to be brought to his or her attention so we can make the adjustment. Riding experience may vary from novice to very experienced in any group of our size, and we want each and every member to be safe and comfortable on the rides.

We generally ride in a staggered formation and promote keeping a two second interval between the rider directly ahead of you and a one second interval between yourself and the rider staggered to your left or right. When in a staggered formation, you must keep on your side of the lane except in special circumstances such as hazards, sharp curves, etc. Drifting into the opposite side of the lane causes the rider behind you to slow or brake, and that ol' rubber band comes back into play.

I welcome anyone to come to any of the board members with their questions, concerns and opinions. This is what makes our chapter grow and improve. Sensitive concerns will remain anonymous for obvious reasons. We're here to have fun.

Be safe, ride smart, and remember, "Smile, I could be behind you"