From , The Ride Journal, The Swarm:
“The stillness inside a large group of cyclists is fascinating. To be part of a large body in movement but more or less unmoving relative to those around you is hypnotic. Like a flock of birds or a swarm of bees, the peloton exhibits unity of action and single-mindedness; only the whole is appreciable to the observer while its individuals blur and coalesce. To belong to that animate mass, to feel part of something faster and larger than oneself is one element of the appeal of the sport.
There is also silence. The mesmerizing whirr and the clicks and the occasional shouts are contained, isolated from the muteness outside and beyond the group. Turn your head to look around and suddenly the wind isn’t rushing into your ears. The hushed world slips by. Inside, all is quiet, still. Looking towards the side of the road, I see the outside as a strange, lonely place: fields, parked or stationary cars, hedgerows, gates, some bystanders, a house or school and I feel a sharp pang of pleasure to be inside and to belong.”