CAMBRIDGECC.org.uk

A Guide to Club Riding in a Group

This guide is a list of explanations, hints, tips - a riding etiquette. It has been written to help keep you and your fellow cyclists riding efficiently and safely and to help minimise the inconvenience to other road users. Mainly the advice will refer to the clubrun activities, but it will also apply to other rides that you may do. The guide is in two sections: general advice to all riders and specific advice for clubrun leaders.. This guide is not comprehensive, so please also use your common road sense and also obey the rules of the road.

General Tips and Advice

• Prepare. Make sure your bike is in good working order before each ride.
• Prepare. On each ride take at least: a puncture repair kit, pump, a spare tube, basic tools and some money for the café stop.
• Dress Sensibly. It is best to wear sports type clothing; cycling specific clothing is not necessary. In the winter it is generally better to be too warm than too cold. A wind proof top can make a large difference in keeping you warm.
• Think. The close proximity of other riders in the group makes sudden change on speed or direction undesirable. (dangerous!). So please do not make any sudden movements when riding in a group. Try to think about where other riders might be and how your actions may affect them. An occurrence that is becoming more regular is a mobile phone ringing; do not stop suddenly to answer it.
• Riding Style. Ride no more than two-abreast and stay in neat lines, this will help the aerodynamic efficiency of the group. Change to single file as necessary to help cars overtake. See an article written for triathletes by Tim Williams at http://www.perfectcondition.ltd.uk/Articles/Drafting2.htm which gives a more technical description of group riding.

Ride Leaders

• Prepare. Work a route out in advance and take a map.
• Prepare. Get to the start-point in good time.
• Prepare. Try to appoint a “tail-end Charlie” who will ride at the back and look after any potential stragglers or mechanical/puncture victims. Should you need to you can confirm everybody is together if the Charlie is in the group. The Charlie should be a strong and experienced rider.
• Welcome. Welcome any new looking people that are in attendance and explain to them what they should expect of the ride(s). Introduce them to other riders.
• Communicate. Before starting a ride or continuing after a stop, make sure everybody knows that your group is about to leave so they can prepare to move out. Be clear about which ride is moving off and when. Remember, less experienced riders may be slow to get started and if a gap opens up they will be playing catch-up from the start.
• Starting. Start relatively slowly to enable the group to get organised behind you and allow any gaps to be closed up. This is particularly important when riding through the town where traffic lights may conspire to split the group. This applies to the Addenbrooke’s start and to other stops.
• Look and listen. For signs from the group that you are leading the run too fast or too slow. Change the pace accordingly. Keep a steady pace when going up-hill and/or stop to regroup at the top of the hill.
• Split. If there are more than twelve people in a group, or there is an obvious disparity in abilities or fitness, consider splitting it into two (or more) groups.