Peloton Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• The Game Contains
• I. Preparing for the Start
• II. Basic Rules
  • 1. The Movements of Playing Pieces – Cyclists
  • 2. The Move
  • 3. The Speed of the Cyclists
  • 4. The Indicator of Acceleration
  • 5. The Indicator of Energy
  • 6. Falls
  • 7. Turning Back
  • 8. The Start
  • 9. The Finish, the Bonuses
• III. Timing at the Finish
• IV. Complementary Rules
  • 1. Wind
  • 2. Going Through the Turnings
• V. Individual Time-Trials
• VI. Team Time-Trials
• VII. Hints on Tactics

The Game Contains

• A playboard
• Playing panels with 12+12 indicators, type A and B
• 12 pieces – cyclists
• 28 signs
• 4 plastic clasps
• Sticky labels – 8 sets of strips; tables of signs; 12 extra numbers
• A set of cards – 13 cards for time-trials; 1 card for the wind-factor; 9 jerseys for the best racers
• Instructions (rules)

I. Preparing for the Start

Before your cyclists first take to the road, it is necessary to choose strips for them, to assemble the playing panels and to stick on the signs. Before you start, read through the following text and the instructions on the back of the playboard.

Let us start with the playing panels – each one is designed for 3 cyclists of one team. Each cyclist has at his disposal 2 indicators – on the upper one, you will set the immediate acceleration (+0, +1, +2) with the pointer a, on the lower one you will set the cyclist's remaining energy (from 20 to 0) with the pointer b. Make sure you always turn the pointers clockwise! The pictures a, b and c show how to put together the panels: insert the short hollow axis of the pointer in the appropriate opening and press gently to fasten the safety collar on the back.

The peloton comprises 4 teams of 3 cyclists each. You have the choice of two colours for each team: grey or white (nos. 1 - 3 or 13 - 15), red or orange (nos. 4 - 6 or 22 - 24). Cut the chosen strips from the sheet of stickers and stick them onto the pieces (see picture d). If you have chosen strips with numbers 13 - 24, cut out extra numbers and stick them over the original numbers on the appropriate playing panel (picture e).

On the playboard you see a landscape with a network of white roads. If you look closer at the roads, you will see they are composed of incomplete hexagons. These are put together to form indented crosswise stripes. At turnings and crossroads, the straight parts are connected with other hexagons.

To be able to hold the race over a different course each time, mark the route on the road with signs (picture f) – mark Start and Finish and turnings with arrows, and the uphill, downhill and level sections with signs with the number 2, 4, or 3 respectively, in the upper right-hand corner. If there are bonuses, mark them with the appropriate signs – speed bonus is violet, uphill bonus is green. There are some extra stickers provided, as the total of the signs is only 28.

You can also put two playboards together and thus get double the space for your racing tracks. If you change the colours of the strips in both sets, your peloton can be extended to 24 cyclists!

If you wish, you can award the best cyclists jerseys: you have rainbow-coloured, yellow, pink, white, violet and green jerseys and you can colour 3 others as you wish. Cut them out from the sheet of cards and stick them on, as shown in picture g.

Time (minutes) or moves, are marked with plastic clasps on the inside of the cover flaps (picture h). The large numbers mark tens, the small ones mark units.

II. Basic Rules

Theoretically any number up to 12 players (24 when joining together two games) can participate in Peloton. The most suitable arrangement is as follows:

• 2 players – each player plays with 1 - 2 teams (3 - 6 cyclists)
• 4 players – each player plays with 1 team (3 cyclists)
• 12 players – each player plays with 1 cyclist

1. The Movements of Playing Pieces – Cyclists

The pieces (cyclists) are always moved either straight ahead or crosswise onto the next free hexagon.

(Picture 3 shows you the 2 - 3 possibilities of moving out of each hexagon.)

As shown in picture 4, these directions may be changed in any way you wish within one move. The only exception is the swerve, which makes the cyclist fall (a swerve means passing, within one move, where you could have gone straight).

2. The Move

In each move, each cyclist moves at his immediate speed (i. e. through a certain number of hexagons – explanation follows).

In each move (also in the first move at the start) the cyclists proceed in such order as they follow each other. If they are on the same level, the first one to go is the one who is on crosswise strip further forward (see picture 5). In the connecting hexagons, the one closer to the inside line goes first. For example, in picture 6a the cyclist will go in the following order: 11, 7, 4, 6, 2, 8, 12, 5, 1, 9, 10 and 3. The situation at the crossroads will be similar; the difference is that all the cyclists who are already on the traverse road will go first. Therefore, in picture 6b the cyclists go in this order: 2, 4, 6, 1, 7, 5, 8, 3 and 9.

3. The Speed of the Cyclists

In each move, the cyclist's speed is determined by three factors:

a – the basic speed is given:

• 3 hexagons/move on the level track
• 2 hexagons/move on the uphill track
• 4 hexagons/move on the downhill track

The decisive factor for calculating the cyclists' basic speed is the initial hexagon of the move. For example, in picture 7, cyclists 7 and 9 are already going uphill, while no. 8 is still riding on the level track and making use of riding tandem. In the next move, no. 8 and 9 have already gone over the top of the hill, so that in the third move their basic speed is 4, but the speed of no. 7 is still only 2.

b – The basic principle of road cycling is the cyclist's effort to eliminate air resistance by riding tandem. A cyclist riding tandem can gain the advantage of moving forward 1 hexagon/move and thus he can move forward on a level track without drawing on any of his energy. A cyclist rides tandem when there is another cyclist on a hexagon directly in front of him – see picture 8.

Before each move you decide which players may not take the advantage of riding tandem. For example, in picture 6a numbers 11, 7 and 3, in picture 6b numbers 2, 4 and 3.

Attention – this advantage cannot be made use of during acceleration (at the start, after a fall) and when riding uphill!

c – In addition, a cyclist can gain another acceleration of 1 or 2 hexagons. Before the player makes the move with his cyclist, he sets the chosen acceleration on the upper indicator. However, acceleration uses up the cyclists energy and so this amount of energy has to be subtracted from the indicator of energy.

Example: The cyclist is on a level track, therefore he can move: minimum of 3 hexagons forward (basic speed a) maximum 6 hexagons forward (a+b+c = 3+1+2 = 4+2 = 6)

4. The Indicator of Acceleration

The indicator has five positions and may be turned any number of positions clockwise, but never through position +0!

If it is not set to zero in a given move, the player must turn it at least one position forward; i. e. the cyclist cannot accelerate in a sequence of more than 4 moves: +1, +1, +2, +2; the next position is again +0 – the cyclist must rest at least one move.

5. The Indicator of Energy

As explained above, acceleration draws a certain number of points off the cyclists energy on the indicator. Moreover, an abrupt acceleration from +0 to +2 draws one more point of energy, i. e. 3 points altogether (-2-1=-3).

Remember – you cannot accelerate without the necessary amount of energy, nor can you accelerate while the cyclist is resting.

In a leg-race, it is possible to save up to 5 points of energy for the following leg (these positions are marked green and a cyclist can enter the following leg with max. 25 points of energy), or use max. 5 points of energy of the next leg (the positions are marked red and a cyclist would thus start the leg with his indicator showing 15 points of energy).

6. Falls

If the cyclist is so pressed by the others that he cannot make a move in at least the basic speed (basic speed a), or he swerves abruptly (see paragraph 1), he falls down on the last hexagon he has got to. The piece is laid down (see picture 4), then put up again in the next move, and only in the following move is it possible to proceed at the basic speed.

7. Turning Back

If a cyclist has missed a turning, or if required by the special design of the track, he may turn. To do so, set the acceleration to +0 and move forward crosswise one hexagon. At the same time, turn 180° (see picture 9). Move normally in the following moves.

8. The Start

According to a chosen rule (e. g. according to the final positions, the results of the first time-race, or by tossing a coin), the cyclists take their positions on the starting line and make the first move (picture 10).

Remember, the cyclists are standing abreast, so there is no influence of riding tandem!

9. The Finish, the Bonuses

The competitors gain bonus points according to the order in which they cross the bonus line (marked with a sign).

At the finish it is better, if the competitors are placed in order relative to their time of arrival. See section III. Remember, it may differ from the order in which the pieces are moved!

Now you are familiar with the basic rules. They can be further enriched by time-keeping and you can set out. Once you have mastered the game, get to know the complementary rules and try the time-trials as well.

III. Timing at the Finish

In an individual race it is sufficient to measure time relatively (i. e. in relation to the winner); in time-trials the cyclists have to be timed absolutely (i. e. the number of moves necessary to reach the finish is counted).

When the cyclists are timed relatively, the basis for those who reach first the finishing line is 0:00, and the remaining cyclists have to add 1 minute for each extra move they have to make. Then 10 seconds for each hexagon they are behind are subtracted from the minutes, and 5 seconds for each additional half-hexagon (it is necessary to leave sufficient space behind the finishing line).

The instructions on the back of the playboard show an example of the final part of the race (6 moves). In the last move, no. 12 first moved 5 hexagons forward, then no. 4 six hexagons forward (no. 4 has overtaken 12 because of riding tandem), and the rest move towards the finishing line. Cyclist no. 12 subtracts 3 x 10 seconds from the basic 0:00 and total of 35 seconds and wins with time - 0:35 seconds.

In the following move, cyclist no. 11 moves 3 hexagons forward and no. 6 five hexagons (because he is in the lead). These cyclists are 1 move behind the winner and thus their basis is +1 minute. Cyclist no. 3 finishes 3rd with his time 1 minute - 45 seconds = +0:+15; no. 1 finishes 4th; time +0:25; then no. 5 has +0:35, no. 11 has +0:40, and no. 6 - +0:50;

(Picture 11b) No. 2 has lost energy and is left behind in the spurt and finishes two moves behind. His time is 2 min - 20 sec - 1:40 and he finishes in the last place.

In a leg-race, the whole group always has one time; therefore, after adding the chosen constant – according to the length of the track – e. g. 4 hours 20 minutes, the time will be:

For cyclists	Time
4 and 12	4:19:25 (without time bonuses)
3, 1, 5, 10, 11, 6	4:20:15
2	4:21:40

As you can see, counting the times is an easy routine. In time-trials there are also other factors involved, as mentioned below.

IV. Complementary Rules

1. Wind

In the upper right-hand corner of the playboard you can mark with the appropriate card the direction of the wind (e. g. in picture 12, the direction of the wind is 1).

If there is side wind, the cyclist rides tandem only if there is another cyclist in front of him crosswise against the wind (e. g. in picture 6a, where the wind direction is indicated by arrow, only 6, 4, 2, 12, 5, and 10 can ride tandem).

Headwind causes a lone cyclist or a leading cyclist the loss of 1 point of energy, if he makes use of acceleration (e. g. for acceleration +1, the loss of energy is 1+1=2 points of energy).

Whether or not a cyclist rides against the wind depends on his initial position (as when riding uphill).

2. Going Through the Turnings

A cyclist going at a speed higher than 4 must round the turn adequately to his speed. Exceeding the safe speed causes the cyclist to fall on the hexagon where he did not keep to the safe trail.

The speed limits for the different trails are shown in pictures no. 13a and 13b. The trails are valid for an uninterrupted pass in both directions.

Do not get confused by the simple rule that the higher the speed (4, 5, 7 hexagons), the greater the radius of the turning (marked by continuous, dashed and dotted lines). You can always choose the quicker trail, but never the inverse.

It is obvious that the 2nd lane gives the most possibilities of turning and that from the 3rd lane on you can pass the turn in any way you wish.

If you enter a turning by interrupting the pass on a connecting hexagon, or on the one after, and a level part of the track follows, you can make the next move at will. Passing a turn relates always to the given move and the given speed – it does not influence the preceding or following move.

Picture 14 shows taking the trails in practice. You can see cyclist No. 1 start the turn from the inside line, and various possibilities of passing the turn at various speed are marked. At speed 4 or 5, the cyclist goes into the turn in a way which allows him to go straight. No. 2 has entered the crossroads and therefore has no need to finish the trail. On the other hand, no. 3 still does not have a straight track ahead and thus has to follow trail 5 regardless of the way he entered the turning. Cyclist no. 7 illustrates the advantage of going into the turning from the outside line, when you wish to ride faster.

V. Individual Time-Trials

Once you have acquainted yourself with the complementary rules (section IV), make up an appropriately uneven track of appx. 25, 50 or 75 km (hexagons). For both longer time-trials mark the track with arrows at the midway point, or divide the track into thirds (always at a distance of about 25 hexagons). According to the length of the track, the cyclists have 5, 10 or 15 points of energy (set on the energy indicators).

The contest begins even before the start of the race. The players, in the given starting order, choose the tactics for the individual riders – each of them chooses, in succession, one of the 13 cards for time-trials.

The cards show 3 values:

• E for energy (+2 to -2) – i. e. the points of energy which are added to or subtracted from the basic energy (5, 10 or 15)
• t for time (+18,4 sec to -18,4 sec) – this value compensates the above stated increase or decrease in energy
• W for wind (0, 1, 2) – the total of the values on the two remaining cards indicates the direction of the wind (1, 2, 3, 4, 0 = no wind)

The choice of tactics is based on the following principle: the cyclist decides to spend more energy on the track, with the risk of a higher time loss in case he does not manage to use his energy efficiently, and vice versa.

Timing in the time-trial is absolute. The cyclists start in intervals of 2 moves, with each odd move, and they follow the track according to the extended rules.

Because the speed is high and the bicycles are usually of different types in time-trials, the basic speed of a cyclist in the game is, if he does not ride against the wind, increased by 1 hexagon/move (i. e. 4 hexagons/moves on a level track).

The cyclists gain no advantage from riding tandem in a time-trial!

The cyclist must distribute his energy efficiently over the whole track, because once he has passed the midway point or the sign marking one third of the race, in a race held over 50 or 75 course, the amount of used energy is compared to one half of the number of points (position 5) on the energy indicator, or with the thirds (position 10 and 5), and if the cyclist has used up too much energy in the beginning, it costs him an extra point of energy for each overdrawn point.

The calculation at the finish is based on section III. Add one minute for each move to the constant, e. g. 30, 60 or 90 minutes (according to the length of the track). Subtract from the base the appropriate number of seconds for hexagons reached behind the finishing line, add/subtract the value of t from the cyclist's card and, if need be, subtract 4 seconds for each point of unused energy.

Example for a 25 km track:

Constant	30:00.0
+ number of move	+6:00.0
- 1 1/2 hexagons behind the line	-15.0
+/- t on the card	+9,2
- 2 saved points of energy	-8,0
Cyclists time	35:46.2

VI. Team Time-Trials

Team time-trials are held over 100 km (hexagon) courses. The players select their teams, determine the starting order and divide the cards (not always necessary). The starting intervals are 2 - 3 moves.

As team time-trials differ from individual time-trials, there are 3 important differences in the rules:

1. A player may move the individual cyclists of his team in any order he wishes (even in disaccord with their position on the track). For example, in picture 15 the cyclists 10 and 11 went first and only then did cyclist 12 get to ride tandem.

2. The cyclists only ride tandem if:

   • a) with side wind, they ride crosswise against the wind, one after another, (picture 16a);
   • b) otherwise, they follow each other directly (picture 16b)

   This narrowed application of the rule on riding tandem is only valid for straight sections of the track. At turnings, the definition in paragraph 3b, section V is effective. For instance, in picture 17 only nos. 7 and 2 ride tandem (no. 2 in spite of headwind: he rides behind his team-mate who has already entered the turning).

3. If a cyclist rides tandem through one move (he begins and finishes the move behind his team-mate), he does not have to turn the speed indicator! Thus he can theoretically accelerate during more than 4 successive moves).

To calculate the time of the team at the finish, time the second cyclist to cross the finishing line and add/subtract the values t of all the three cyclists. Unused energy is not taken into account.

Example:

Constant, e. g.	95:00.0
The number of moves of the 2nd cyclist of the team	+23:00.0
2 hexagons behind the line for the 2nd cyclist	-20.0
(+/- t on the three cards)	-18.3, +9.1, -0.2
Time of the team	117:30.6 (1:57:30.6)

VII. Hints on Tactics

As with the rules of real cycling races, you will certainly use your own experience. The game Peloton enables you to choose any of the following disciplines and races:

1. Race of individuals in a group
   • Leg-race
   • World (European) championship
   • Point-system race
2. Individual time-trial
3. Team time-trial

ad 1) Individual races, particularly the leg-race, are the most popular cycling contests and this fact is respected in our game.

The basic principle of the individual race is to distribute one's energy, to keep an eye on the position of other competitors, and to find the right moment for a spurt.

The track should have as many hexagons as it would normally have kilometres (100 - 200 km). If the track is too short, all the cyclists save too much energy and good players will not be given the opportunity to show their skills. If the track is too long, on the other hand, the cyclists may lack the energy to compete all the way through the race; this could easily become boring. Should you wish, however, to design a track of a different length, it is possible to eliminate these dangers by increasing/decreasing the amount of the racer's energy allocated per race. Thus the course of the race (its attractiveness) depends fully on you – on your own tactics and your own design of the track. Just like in real life, the more broken is the track and its profile, the greater the opportunities for breaking out and away from the peloton.

ad 2) Time-trials represent another important part of road cycling. The rules are slightly more complicated, because the racer's rival is time, and the complementary rules must exclude the possibility of copying the moves of other racers by creating different initial conditions for each cyclist, while maintaining the same chance of winning for everybody. Those who take to the road for the first time, have the advantage of choosing their own tactics. Those who start later can learn from their rivals' mistakes and adapt their ride to the development of the race.

The basis of the individual time-race is to distribute energy adequately to the race, to find an adequate pace and the best trail.

A wrongly-designed track can be especially harmful to the time-trial. It is advisable to choose a more broken track and to take into account the wind. The choice of the card depends on the parameters of the track.

Before you start, draw up a table where you can put each cyclist's finishing time, the starting intervals (relative to the first cyclist to start), minutes, seconds, the final times and the final positions.

A model table

No.	Finish. m.	- Start	= Min.	Sec.	TIME	Position
19	6 move	0	6 min	-10 -18.3s	5:31.7	8
2	9 move	2	6 min	-55-4 +9.2s	5:10.4	12
10	10 move	4	6 min	-30 -9.3s	5:20.7	2
...

ad 3) The basis of the team time-race is to keep an adequate pace and to make appropriate changes.

ad 1 - 3) It is advisable, especially for time-trials, to design a different track for each race, so that the decisive factor is your immediate judgement, not a pre-calculated mechanical ride through a familiar track.

With each move, keep to this procedure: in time-trials, first set the time-keeper; in team races select riders who do not ride tandem. Before each move, first set the indicators and only then make the move, according to the rule: what is touched has to be moved. You should keep to the rule that you cannot put back what has been moved. This prevents many conflicts and much confusion. For instance, qualify all slip-ups as defects.

Finished – all summed up. These rules are chosen to reflect real road cycling in the most faithful and easy way. Experienced players can doubtless add other interesting details, such as defect, accompanying motor vehicles, refreshments, dividing the cyclists into sprinters, uphill racers and hilltop racers ... The variations are endless and this game certainly does not limit your imagination.