It's the most common cause of crashes in groups and pacelines. You overlap your front wheel with the rear wheel of another rider. Then he swerves slightly to avoid a chink in the road, the wheels touch and -- boom! -- you're in a heap.
Nothing causes panic faster than that nasty whirring sound of two tire sidewalls rubbing.
But what Tour voice Phil Liggett calls "a touch of wheels" doesn't mean an automatic trip to the pavement. You can learn to avoid getting too cozy with another rider's rear rubber -- and stay upright if you do. Here's how:
Avoid overlaps. It's not necessary to overlap wheels to get a good draft. Stay in a comfort zone about one foot (30 cm) behind so small mistakes don't cause big problems. The exception is during a strong crosswind. Then the paceline will be angled across the road in an echelon, with each downwind bike overlapping the one in front. Riders must stay sharp because one wrong move can bring down the line like dominoes.
Don't panic. If your front wheel is bumped, keep your shoulders and arms relaxed. Don't freeze, don't fight the bike.
Steer into the offending wheel. This is totally counterintuitive but it's your best chance to regain balance and stay upright. Veering away is just about guaranteed to put you on the ground.
Practice. This is the key to making the above move automatic. Grab a riding buddy and head to the local soccer field. Ride behind at an easy speed on the soft grass and purposefully graze the left side of his rear wheel, then the right side.
Play on your mountain bike. A standard prank on singletrack is to rub your front tire against the rear tire of the unsuspecting rider ahead. The knobbies make a loud and satisfying buzz. Try it and you'll develop the reflexes to save your skin when your front wheel gets tapped.
