I found this article on a site that some of you have referred to before -
http://www.wyreforestcrc.org.uk/?p=c_ttt
They've got some pertinent things to say there, especially re "through and off" which may be useful for the chaingang. It looks as if the emphasis is on going through steady and not just ripping each others legs off and disintegrating the group within 2 minutes!
Maybe we could try some of these techniques on the next chaingang? There's no mention of TT bikes though
Through and Off
IntroductionFor those in the know, riding as a drilled group and taking turns on the front is the quickest and most efficient way for a group to get from A to B. Commonly known as 'Through and Off' or 'Bit and Bit', factors like the number of riders and the weather are variables which dictate this style of riding and its these styles we will now discuss in more detail.
Bigger Group, Faster Time...not always true
Generally the size of group is directly proportional to the speed at which they will travel. Two riders vs Six riders, and the larger group has a distinct advantage. The Two riders will take longer turns on the front and fatigue faster whereas the Six riders have an opportunity to drive harder on the front for shorter periods but equally take a longer rest between efforts, thus driving their overall speed up.
Road Racing is different to Team Time Trials in that groups in TTT's will be no bigger than four but in Road Races, though the principal of through and off is the same, groups can get much bigger and its here tactics can affect the overall speed of a group too.
You will often see a small group of riders or even a solo rider outpace a large chase group or the main bunch in a Road Race. How can this be so? The success of any group although dependent on the number in it and the conditions they are riding in, the comittment of its riders plays a major part too. In TTT's every member of the group will be 100% committed but in a Road Race break or chase group, you may get some riders 'missing turns' and 'sitting in' and then the workers in the group will sit up as they dont want to 'tow' these riders along with them. All of a sudden the impetus goes out of the group and they either get caught or the leaders go up the road.
Two's Up, Taking turns
The style of riding in a group depends on the number of riders. Two riders will ride differently to Six or Eight. Traditional Through and Off technique is simple. A rider comes through as the one in front drops off towards the back, but this isn't practical with Two or even Three riders. For Two riders to do the above would be go through, put your brakes on to get round your partner and then accelerate again. It would be like interval training and isn't how its done. For Two riders, each takes a turn on the front, the other 'drafting' behind out of the wind. When their turn is up they gently pull over and ease slightly so their partner can come through maintaining the same speed . The rider drops behind and the process starts again. In Road Racing the end of a turn may be noted by a flick of the elbow before pulling over. This is common on the pro-circuit.
The length of the turn varies on the speed and commitment of the riders and the distance to cover. The wind plays a major role too. Riders will generally ride upto a few hundred metres before pulling over. In a larger group, they will pull over as soon as they go through.
For a group of three, its different again slighty. Here the front rider takes a turn but the next rider will drag the third rider through into second spot as the lead rider drops off to the back. Some 3-ups do go through and off smoothly, particularly in TTT's but in RR's its common to do a turn and then drift to the back of the 3-man group.
Four or more, You know the score
As the group gets bigger the technique shifts from through-do a turn-off to simple through and off. And its now that the wind direction will determine which side of the front rider the next in line goes. Wind from the left you ride through on the right and vice versa. This makes it easier for the next rider inline to come through without having to battle into the wind, and then they can use the wind to ease as they drop off the front of the group.
To drop off, pull over into the wind and ease slightly so the next rider can come through and maintain the speed, he shouldn't have to accelerate to get past. This is important.
Keep it Tight, Keep it Smooth
The key to successful Through and off is to keep tight to the rider in front. You'll get the best draft and rest and if everyone in the group sticks to that rule, rule no.2 keeping it smooth, shouldn't be a problem. Keeping it smooth is important. If riders let gaps open and then quickly close them, it has a knock on effect back down the line and upsets the rhythm of the group, and with that rhythm comes the overall speed.
Who is the last man?
In a RR, its common for riders either early on in a break or those missing a turn to shout 'Last Man' to the rider in front of them (as they are dropping back) as they reach the back, so the rider in front knows to drop onto the riders wheel going through and won't leave an unexpected gap. Again, it keeps the group rolling along smoothly.
Echelons
An echelon is a line of riders partially drafting the one in front to stay out of the wind. If the wind is pretty much straight on, the echelon will be straight too but as the wind moves round to the side of the group, left or right, the echelon's angle will steepen too. If an echelon can't fit onto the road safely then the ones at the back will suffer and its common in these circumstances for gaps to open in larger groups. Smaller groups, a good echelon helps keep the group smooth.
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