In addition to general rides, we run various training and chain gang sessions throughout the year. Our early season chain gang is on Saturday morning and we also do weeknight sessions in the summer - check the rides list for dates. We often use this circuit in Dunham Massey: http://tinyurl.com/wheelers-chain-gang.
It is a good way to get used to riding in a group and at intensity and a great introduction to road racing. There is a wide range of abilities in the club so as slower riders drop off the back of the group a second chain gang often forms. Here is a quick guide for anyone that hasn't done one before...
Riders stay in two lines with one line moving slightly faster and overtaking the slower group. As you get to the front you switch to the slower line and ease up so that other riders can come through and shelter you. This means you will be riding at a higher intensity than you could maintain on a longer ride but only for short periods of time.
For a full explanation, check the chain gang entry on Wikipedia.
If you are going on your first chain gang and are not sure what is happening, please make sure you ask someone before the start and they will give you plenty of advice and look out for you.
Beginners guide to chain gangs (by Simon Bridge)
The first few weeks of the chain gang should be dedicated to getting the basics right, introducing novices to the activity and generally making sure everyone is enjoying it.
The pace should be higher than club run pace but not so fast as the more novice/unfit riders are shot off the back on the first couple of laps as this is not motivational for them and they are not learning from being in part of the line. After a few weeks, once everyone is comfortable with how the chain gang works then it can be split (or split up through natural selection) into groups of equal ability. Because every one now understands how the chain gang works the 'novice' group should work just as efficiently as the 'experienced' group, just a few mph slower.
Communication at the front.
The guys on the front of the lines are the 'eyes' of the chain gang. Call out road obstacles, when junctions are clear, pot holes etc. Once the speed increases this becomes more important as reaction times within the lines are reduced.
Communication at the back.
As the pace is increased the rider moving back down the line should not be spending all their time looking back to check when the last man is moving up past them, a 'twitch' in the line can result in a crash as one man runs into the back of the other as they were looking back at the time. A call of "last man" when you are moving up the line past the last rider moving down the line helps considerably. When the rider moving down the line hears this call a quick check behind to see if anyone else is moving back into the line is all that is required before moving across and joining the line moving forward.
Communication on leaving/joining the back.
If you are struggling then it 's not a crime to sit on the back of the chain gang and benefit from the speed without contributing to the effort(unless you never even try to contribute and then you should be shot and left at the side of the road). If you are coming out of the working line then a shout of "up" to the rider in front when they are being passed by the last man moving up the line is beneficial. This rider can then move across onto the line moving forward without leaving a gap that has to be closed causing the pace to be disrupted.
If you wish to re-join after a period of sitting on, call "coming through" before the last man moving down the line has been passed by the rider moving up. This will stop them moving across into your path as they should still have received a call of "last man" from the rider moving up.
IMPORTANT - The rider moving back down the line should always glance behind before moving across no matter what call they have just received.
Tight left hand corners!!
It's not a road race! Remember that the line on the outside has to travel further round the corner and also has to move faster to get past the inside line. The lead rider on the inside taking the corner should come out of the corner easy, not sprint off up the road. The rider on the outside moving forward should also not accelerate so violently that the rider following can't keep up. This won't be as big an issue when the ability levels split up but at the moment it is imperative to think about who is on your wheel. Please remember that you may have someone on your wheel that does not have too much more in the tank or may not have the same 'kick' as you. If you break the line here you are forcing them into a bigger turn into the wind. If you also don't ease the pace when you move across they may not have the strength to move the line up and across, you then have a situation where they are being overtaken by the rider behind and are trying to 'push' into the line moving backwards (or moving wide out into the road) causing chaos and braking up the smooth operation of the lines. If you are the lead rider moving up after the corner check you have a rider on your wheel before steadily accelerating, this also goes for each rider moving forwards coming out of the corner.
Winter 1st cat riders
You will inevitably get a few riders who want to show how strong they are not observing the rules and generally messing things up for the others. You will be able to spot these after a couple of weeks. If you are a novice then there is no crime in asking to follow a wheel of someone you can see is being smooth and considerate. You are more likely to last longer on this type of wheel, learn more and generally have a better time all round. Don't be shy, if you think someone is riding like an idiot, tell them and get off their wheel, they will soon get the message when no one will follow them through and they are left on the front to fry on a long turn!!