I don’t ride in groups much, so I have to get my peloton etiquette from watching pro racing. Lately I’ve noticed a new double elbow flick that I’m sure I never saw in the past. I’ve tried to capture it on a video, but failed, however you probably already know this one. If you don’t, it sort of looks like the 2nd move in The Chicken Dance, except your hands are on your bars, not tickling your ribs.

This gesture is a signal to the riders behind you that you are about to stand up, often a necessary alert because most people I know slow down momentarily when they do this. There is a simple technique to avoid this sudden decrease in speed, but we’ll address that in another episode. What I want to say about this ‘flick’ is that I’m sure it’s much preferable to someone screaming ‘standing!’, or anything else for that matter. I jump out of my skin sometimes when I hear well-intentioned people screeching warnings.

Do you all use this technique? Ever seen it? I’ve seen it at least 5 or 6 times this season in races, but never in real life.