Paceline Rules- The Gatekeeper

Okay, so this is my favorite position in the paceline that goes completely misunderstood by most riders. Technically this person is the last wheel in a paceline, but not actually in it. You can do this in a large peloton or a small one. With the group rotating, the gatekeeper sits at the back, letting the group rotate in front. They can sit on the left or right, or slide back and forth with the rider coming out of the slow lane into the fast lane. The gatekeeper has two responsibilities: To let riders know when they are last wheel and can come back into the fast lane; To keep riders who are unable or unwilling to pull through in the fast lane from entering the paceline. This last one is tricky because the gatekeeper helps smooth out the surges and gives the riders behind a nice easy ride, which tricks them into thinking the ride is too easy, and they want to pull through. Sometimes, the gatekeeper keeps a gap open and the riders behind want to close the gap, thinking that they will get dropped. It is hard to keep these ruffians in check as they will always disrupt the smoothness and efficiency of the paceline. The gatekeepers job is tough and it's a thankless task. But if you want to join a large group ride and save your energy for another time, it's an important skill to know.