Group riding skills

An article inside the back cover of the most recent issue of VeloNews got me to thinking. The article was about group rides, and there was a brief list of the skills that one should have to ride in a group such as our Wheezers and Geezers. To modify the list slightly and put it in my own words, I think that riders should have the skills to 1) ride in a straight line in a paceline with one hand on the bars so that the rider is able to point out obsticales or take a swig from the water bottle, 2) be able to ride a rotating pace line or else have enough sense to stay at the back of the pack out of the way when riders are rotating pulls at the front, 3) be able to follow the wheel in front of them in a steady manner, i.e. without swerving and at a relatively constant distance without the alternating pedaling and coasting that make the pace so jerky for those behind. -- Jack Quinn