The first realization of a new rider is the impact of the team. A team of slower riders will always sustain a longer faster throughput than a single faster rider. Four slower riders can travel further faster than a single faster rider.
We have all heard the acronyms, like TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves More)…(gag me with a spoon). In cycling it is really true. When Lance Armstrong talks about his team in winning the Tour de France, he is not just blowing smoke up somebody’s skirt. He is dead serious. Without the team, Lance Armstrong is just one single fast rider. With a team, he can win the Tour de France.
The single biggest factor impacting speed on a bike is wind resistance. New riders think they have to buy a lighter bicycle with a composite frame to go faster, but the simple fact is, if you want to go faster, build a team. The key to speed is wind resistance. As a rider travels, a short wind tunnel is created behind. The faster the speed, the longer the wind tunnel, as much as 24-36 inches off the back of the rider. A second rider, who can maintain a position in that short wind tunnel, only has to work 80% effort to keep the same speed as the lead rider. In cycling, that’s huge.
After a few minutes on the nose (into the wind), the lead rider will tire and no longer be able to maintain the pace. That’s where teamwork plays in. As the lead rider feels the pace slip, movement to the left is initiated and a quick hand signal confirms that it is time for the second rider to pull into the lead. It’s like a handoff without a baton. The second rider moves from 80% to 100% effort and takes the lead, thanking the lead rider for the “pull,” then hammering down to set the pace. The leader, now off the nose, allows the pace line to move up, then initiates right into a position at the rear. With four riders in a pace line, the ex-leader now enjoys a number of successive wind tunnels in front and will enjoy the same speed with 75% effort.
In 1-3 minutes, the new leader will tire and pull to the left allowing the pace line to move, always maintaining maximum speed. The leader working 100%, the rest of the pace line reserving energy for their turn on the nose. This simple cooperation will move a team of slower cyclists past a single rider every time. Every time.
How do your teams work? Do they truly understand their leverage? Do they truly understand their sustained throughput as a team? Do they understand how small bits of cooperative effort gain advantage over smaller, weaker teams? Something to think about at the next team meeting.