1. One Free Pass
Beginners in their first cycling race are given a certain amount of latitude. Other cyclists can spot a newbie a mile away and smile as they watch you bumble and excuse yourself and commit the faux pas that experienced cyclists avoid. Showing up early to a race and learning the route and the other cyclists' expectations will help to cut down on some of the first-time blunders, but you can use the opportunity to remain dumb this one time and learn as much as you can.
2. Get Permission to Draft
Riding behind another cyclist creates a sort of draft and reduces some of the headwinds, pulling you along on the front racer's energy. It is a way to rest while staying in the race. Upright humans are not very aerodynamic, so every bit of draft you can cut, the easier it is to conserve energy for the long haul. Do not ride behind another cyclists unless you are on the same team or have talked about taking turns drafting prior to the race.
3. Pass If You Must
You have the entire race pass the other cyclists, so it is not very sportsmanlike to pass your competitors in the last 500 yards of the race. Certainly if you have been close to another rider the whole time or if you are pushing for a big prize or a qualifying place, then go for it. But in most competitions, it is the steady, reliable cyclists who receive the praise, not the show-offs.
4. Encouraging Shouts not Required
When you are standing on the sidelines watching a bike race, leave the advice in your mind. Cyclists do not want to hear how far it is until the end or how close they are to passing an opponent. They usually know these things and are concentrating on their form and their physical condition. Often, erroneous information can be more damaging than helpful too. Keep the sideline comments silent and stick to clapping.
5. They'll Party Later
Racing groupies, who can't get it together to actually ride, will stand along the sidelines and pass drinks to the cyclists. While the race committee will set up water stations along the race route, observers are discouraged from handing drinks or food to the riders. In some races, cyclists have reported receiving cups of beer or wine and been thrown off their pace. If you are not official, keep the beverages until after the race, and don't smoke along the sidelines. Cyclists do not need any more challenges to their lungs.
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