Keep the paceline safe and steady by following this easy etiquette guide
Riding in a paceline (a group of riders riding in a single or double file line while rotating the lead among the members of the group) while cycling can make your ride more efficient, increasing your speed while decreasing your effort. There are a few basic guidelines, however, that you should follow to make this a safe endeavor.

Paceline 101
Everyone in the group is responsible for the safety of the entire group. The lead person is responsible for pointing out any hazards in the roadway (pot holes, rocks, etc.) as well as signaling turns and decreases in speed by using hand and verbal signals. Each person behind the lead relays this information to the person behind then all the way through the group.

The pace of the entire group should be smooth. Sudden increases or decreases in speed disrupt the entire group and make it difficult for the group to ride close together. To ride as smoothly as possible, avoid braking. Move slightly out from the draft of the paceline to slow down rather than use your breaks. This will slow you down gradually and not disrupt the smooth flow of the paceline.

Maintain a safe but close distance between riders. No rider should ever be more than one wheel length behind the rider in front of them.

Always have an emergency plan. Be ready to move to your left or right to avoid a hazard in front of you and know what is on your right and left at all times.

Pulling to the front
Pull smoothly at the front of the group. Remember, any movement you make is amplified as people react down the paceline. Do not pull for longer than is appropriate for the group.

Do not accelerate when taking a pull at the front of the group. To maintain the same speed, look at your cyclometer when you are second in line and when you take over the lead. Fight the tendency to increase your speed when you hit the wind at the front of the group. If you want to increase the speed of the group, wait until the rider who has just pulled off gets onto the back of the group before doing so. If you do increase the speed of the group, do so smoothly.

Finally, if you are not strong enough to take a pull at the front of the group, don't!

Pulling off
When conditions permit, pull off into the wind. By doing this, you shield the rider behind you for a longer period of time and you use the wind to help decrease your speed, allowing you to fall to the back of the group more smoothly.

Do not decrease your speed when pulling off the front of a paceline until you are completely pulled out of the way of the rider behind you. You do not want to slow down the group just before you pull off.

Randy Warren is a national champion cyclist who coaches the XXX Racing-AthletiCo team and serves as a program specialist for the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation.

Photos: The XXX Racing-AthletiCo team uses proper paceline etiquette during a training ride. Keep the line smooth and you can worry about more important things--like training. Photos by Drew Wolfe.