Group Riding Expectations

Safety is the number 1 priority of the club. We want everyone to get home safely, every ride, every time. To reinforce this, we have the following expectations of all riders on every club ride:

YOU MUST:

• Know and obey the Highway Code.
• Ride in a manner that positively promotes cycling and 7Oaks Tri Club. You are an ambassador for the club and must treat other road users with care, patience and diplomacy.
• Ride as a unit and not be stretched out along the road. Start out together and re-group regularly if become separated. Look out for each other. Whenever possible ride in a bunch and (when appropriate) rotate the order (sometimes called “through and off”). Experience has shown that this promotes increased group awareness of positioning, hazards, care for each other and performance. This can be best achieved using recognised calls and signals.
• Where appropriate, ride in pairs unless it is unsafe to do so. Go back to single file in situations such as: single track lanes; blind bends or busy roads where motorists are likely to become overheated. The outside lead rider and the last rider are responsible for calling out “single” when they believe it is appropriate.  All other riders must comply.
• When it’s necessary to go from pairs to single file, the inside rider of a pair rides forward and the outside rider drops back into the space behind.
• You should ride no more than a bike length behind the rider in front of you. If the pace is too fast, call out “Easy Up/Hang on!” If rotating the bunch, the last person calls “I’m on”.
• Ride at an appropriate distance from the curb to avoid debris / drains / car doors / pedestrians etc..
• Use recognised vocal and hand signals to communicate any potential hazards to the group such as: potholes or debris on the road, horses or walkers, traffic (esp tractors or vans), when the group is slowing or coming to halt. Common commands are: “Car Back/Up”, “Stopping/Slowing”, “Gravel/Hole”, “Right/Left”, “Horse/Runners/Walkers”.
• Use common sense to pass commands up and down the line to ensure everybody has heard. Accepted standard signals can be found at Road Cycling - essential guide for cycling hand signals.
• If someone punctures or suffers a mechanical, the whole group stops to assist. If for some reason this does not make sense e.g. extreme cold, can’t be fixed etc – the ride captain makes a call and may send the group on.
• Attempt to make eye contact with other road users to understand  whether they have seen you or not.
• Inform the ride captain if you intend to leave the ride early. They will stop and look for you if you don’t.
• It is recognised that hill climbs are potentially a time when a group naturally splits and riders may ride at their own pace. This said, the ride captain reserves the right to keep the group together on climbs if deemed safer to do so. Regroup after a hill climb at a safe location (somewhere away from hazards).
• Do not loiter at junctions. Get across as soon as it is safe to do so. If you like to pass on a message regarding the lack of cars, use “Clear for Me” as opposed to “ Clear”. Everyone must make their own decision that it is safe to cross

YOU MUST NOT

• Break the law, e.g. jump red lights or cause criminal damage
• Wear headphones during a club ride.
• Ride off the front of the group except on a declared ‘max effort’ segment or occasional hill climbs – if you prefer to ride alone, go alone
• Half wheel (i.e. ride with our front wheel overlapping and close to the rear wheel of the rider in front)
• Deliberately aggravate or react to motorists
• Wave cars through
• Change direction or brake harshly without warning those behind you (unless emergency)

In the extremely rare occasion that riders are deemed unsafe to themselves or the group, the club reserves the right to remove the privilege of joining club rides.