Comments on: Day 1 Photos

By: ChipSeal

ChipSeal — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:49:21 +0000

Hey, now they know what cyclists in a pace-line are doing! (These guys won’t be writing any “following to close” tickets on cyclists)

By: Keri

Keri — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:25:57 +0000

They are riding around town for three objectives: increasing their fitness on the bike; getting experience with riding in traffic (they're using arterial roads); and going to drill practice areas. If you need to move 30 people on bicycles on the roads, they need to be in an orderly pace line and act like vehicle drivers. This isn't critical mass. They break up into groups of ~8 riders and ride in a double paceline. They actually do get benefit from drafting, even at 12-15mph, so they rotate the pulls. These guys have never ridden in a group (many have never ridden on the road), so day 1 they are taught to ride in a pace line (double and single), to rotate new leads and to merge a group (like this).

By: LisaB

LisaB — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:05:48 +0000

Many of these cops are inexperienced cyclists. Paceline riding will require them to quickly develop certain bike handling skills — maintaining a steady wheel, efficient pedaling, holding “the line,” etc. — that will help them become more confident and competent solo riders. The BOBbies have put many triathletes through our paceline training program for this reason.

By: Eric

Eric — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:33:54 +0000

Or maybe they need some sort of confidence builder?

By: Eric

Eric — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:27:11 +0000

I wondered about that, too. I guess, if there is trouble gaining enough authority to get their attention, it might be useful, since some fellows can be a bit hard-headed about things they “know all about.”

By: john

john — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:30:44 +0000

Are pace lines important when riding only 12 mph while simultaneously doing police work? Sounds like a contradiction in purposes to me.

By: Steve A

Steve A — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 02:42:09 +0000

I am SO jealous! I don’t know about you, but I find it harder to make a head check looking to the right, as the guy is that’s trying to count the fingers, than to the left