After a year-long pause in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, RAW finally brought back its group ride on Chongming Island in April 2021. I was in year 7 and got picked as the leader—all because I knew the island’s roads like the back of my hand. But back then, “knowing roads” was all I had; leading a team—especially nailing the unspoken language of ride gestures? That was a whole new lesson.
I’d prepped the route twice, marked every pothole and turn, but on the morning of the ride, I froze when I needed to signal a left turn onto the coastal path. I fumbled with my hand—should I hold it straight out, or wave? The riders behind hesitated, and I realized gestures weren’t just “rules”—they were how we kept each other safe. After that, I paid attention: I held my palm down to warn of a bump ahead, tapped my helmet twice to remind someone their strap was loose, and swept my arm forward in a smooth arc to tell the group it was clear to speed up a little. When a newbie missed my “slow down” signal (I’d been too subtle, just a tiny wrist flick), I pulled over briefly to show him—“Like this, firm but not sudden. The guys behind need to see it fast.”
Later, when an older rider slowed from fatigue, I didn’t just stay back—I signaled the front group to keep going with a thumbs-up, then rode beside him, using a gentle “let’s take it easy” hand gesture (palm up, slow wave) instead of yelling. By the finish, I wasn’t just guiding the route—I was talking to the team with my hands, and they’d started signaling back to me too.
That day, I didn’t just become a “road guide”—I learned to lead with small, clear moves that kept everyone in sync. That’s how I went from someone who “knew paths” to someone who could look out for people on them.
