CLUB RIDE ETIQUETTE AND GUIDELINES

We are always looking for ways to make RLSCC even better and you, our members, have suggested various things we can do to improve ride organisation, communication and running. We’ve done our very best to capture some guidelines below to help keep our members safe and ensure rides are enjoyable for everyone.

CLUB ADVERSE WEATHER POLICY

In the event of a Met Office Red or Amber weather warning OR where the outside temperature is 3 degrees Celsius or less, all club rides will be cancelled. Members may choose to continue to ride at their own risk but any planned club-sanctioned rides will not go ahead. This applies to all disciplines.

RIDE ADVERTISING

All official club rides should be:

Posted on Facebook 1st
- Officially posted on the RLSCC Members Facebook page with pace, distance, difficulty and route if possible, preferably 2 days before the ride is due to be held.
- Posted with minimal details on the “Friends of” Facebook page preferably 2 days before the ride is due to be held but this is not essential.
- Beginner/introductory or non-member rides should have sufficient details posted on the “Friends of” Facebook page. This is for potential new club members to be able to attend these rides who may not have access to the main members page. This will also allow them to determine which ride suits their abilities.
Posted on the RLSCC Website 2nd
- Added to the website calendar with a RSVP if necessary.
- All recurring rides should already be advertised on the website and so this step isn’t always necessary but do check just in case as not all members have Facebook.
WhatsApp groups are not a formal club communication channel for ride comms but we understand these are useful for general questions so do continue to use them for this method only.

EQUIPMENT/BASICS

For all rides where the riders joining are not club members or are beginner riders, some basic advice should be given to them by the ride navigator/organiser. Below is a rough guideline of what this advice should entail:

Quick overview of how to ride in a pack including but not limited to;
- Hand signals
- Verbal communications for things such as “holes, gravel and cars”
- No half wheeling
- Last rider is key, always be aware of the group and communicate required pace changes to riders in front so riders do not get dropped
A quick maintenance check for bike safety to ensure it is in a suitable order for the ride

We also recommend the following:

A helmet is to be used by all attendees – No exceptions
Suitable lights for all rides conducted during low light and/or darkness
Mudguards for wet weather or damp road rides to save fellow club members being inconvenienced

RIDING ETIQUETTE

It is expected that the highway code and the laws of the road are always adhered to by all participants. No Strava segment or similar is worth causing an accident or injury. It's a bike ride after all!

Anyone who repeatedly puts any other riders at risk and does not demonstrate the club’s values should either be spoken to by the ride navigator/organiser or reported to the RLSCC committee for discussion and action.

As with most rides, attendance can vary, making the group sizes quite large and difficult to negotiate for navigators as well as other road users.

The lead rider(s) must make decisions with the safety of the whole group in mind.
Do not do anything that puts others at risk (e.g. stop at a junction if in doubt about gaps in traffic, yield on corners if not clear, etc).
It is suggested that groups are kept to between 6-8 in number with 10 as the maximum
Ensure each group has large gaps between to allow safe passing by other vehicles. Ride start to be staggered so not all groups are leaving at the same time.
Split between rider ability or preference (e.g., Slower, Faster & for MTB off-road technical ability).
Ensure everyone in the group is aware of the nature of the ride and comfortable with arrangements (e.g. is the ride non-group; regular regroups at junctions or hill tops; pace-line, chain-gang or regular group; etc).
For MTB rides most of the route will be off road and the group riding together. However, when sections of busy road need navigating, split into smaller groups with gaps between each to allow cars to pass safely.

Depending on ability and experience of riding in groups it is suggested that

Ride 2 abreast on roads with two or more clearly marked lanes.
Ride single file on roads with no markings.
Riders to be aware of other road traffic or users of the trails and move accordingly to allow safe passing.
Common sense applies to the above points and rider discretion to be used.

Protect the more vulnerable road users at all times, announce your presence (use a bell or call out a greeting) especially if approaching from behind. In particular keep in mind the following road users you may encounter on a ride:

Horse riders - call a greeting from a distance, slow down, give plenty of room. Covering any flashing front lights can also help if approaching from the front.
Joggers - be mindful that headphones may be in use and a louder signal may be needed.
Walkers - if approaching a walking group they may be engrossed in conversation so a louder greeting may be in order.
Other cyclists.

The most important thing to remember is: use common sense and look after each other. Respect your ride organiser decisions at the start of the ride and support them where need be. Riding with the club is, first and foremost, about fun, community and enjoying our bikes together safely.

These guidelines will be reviewed at regular intervals and are subject to change at discretion of the RLSCC committee.