Club riding etiquette
Code of Conduct
The primary purpose of the Club Rides is to promote road cycling to its members in an enjoyable, safe and sociable environment.
Group riding, when done properly, is not only hugely enjoyable but it will improve a rider’s cycling skills, and it can push a cyclist to ride further and faster than they would do on their own. However, riding in a group does require that all riders modify their riding behaviour to ensure the safety of all road users. For example, negotiating a road junction is not as easy for a large group as it is for a single rider. Additionally, motorists can often seem confused by a large group of riders, and often seem to misjudge road distances and speed when overtaking the group, meaning that they can sometimes dangerously cut in or pass too closely.
Club Rides and events are for the enjoyment of all those participating; anti-social behaviour that affects the enjoyment of others during Club Rides, trips or events cannot be tolerated and such incidents will be dealt with by the Club Officers. Many members go to considerable effort and expense to participate in club activities, whether at home or abroad, and they have a right to enjoy a Club activity without experiencing anti-social behaviour.
When taking part in Club Rides and when wearing clothing or other items bearing the name of the Club, members are ambassadors or representatives of the Club; as such, riders’ behaviour (including adherence to the Highway Code at all times) should be appropriate and considerate to those in the vicinity. The Club Rides are also an important opportunity for the Club to advertise itself, and therefore, the wearing of Club kit is strongly encouraged.
The basics
Group behaviour
It is human nature that there will be a competitive element when you have two or more people riding bikes together but please remember that, above all else, Club Rides are social events, not a race.
Different groups cater for different abilities and rider preferences, but please remember that there will be a spread of abilities within a particular group. The key to a successful group ride is to maintain a steady pace and to keep the pack as a compact unit for the duration of the ride.
Members of the group need to communicate up and down the line using hand signals, shouts or both. Follow and pass on the hand signals and calls of the other riders to ensure communication throughout the pack.
If you are near the back of the group and see someone being dropped, it is your responsibility to alert the riders towards the front that the pace is too high. Otherwise, the lead cyclists may not be aware that riders are starting to drop off. Ask them to slow down, as the ride needs to work for all riders. When asked to “ease up”, do not brake suddenly. Simply ease the pace by pedalling less hard or freewheeling for a moment.
Cover your brakes at all times and, for the benefit of the group, use your brakes as gently and smoothly as you safely can. Sudden changes of speed cause a concertina effect which gets magnified down the line which can be dangerous for the riders behind.
