General

Since these are group rides, you should be prepared to ride as a group, using these practices as a guide. If you prefer to ride at your own pace in your own way, please choose to ride on your own at another time and place. You must ride according to the Highway Traffic Act, which means things like: staying to the right-hand side of the lane (single or double file), stopping at STOP signs and red traffic lights; signalling turns; waiting in line at the back of a traffic queue (no filtering to the front) and using good observation at all times. We ride as a group, which means things like waiting for the rest of the group if it gets stuck at traffic lights or at a busy intersection or if someone has a flat. Waiting means stopping and waiting, well over to the side of the road away from traffic. If for any reason you do not want the group to wait for you, please be sure to let someone know.

Safety

Each individual is responsible for his or her own actions and safety. You must wear a helmet on all BCC events and brightly coloured clothing is strongly recommended. You can use the check lists of items you may want to carry with you (see below) but it is up to you to carry enough food and drink, clothing, medical supplies, repair kit, cell phone and anything else you may need to satisfy your level of risk. The designated ride leader is not responsible for carrying such items for the group. The club holds skills training clinics from time to time, designed to improve safety for you and those around you. Every member is encouraged to attend these clinics regularly. See the message board for further information. Although the club makes a reasonable attempt to conduct its events safely, you should recognize that riding a bicycle on public roads can be hazardous and you must prepare adequately.

Equipment

You should always bring a bike in good working order. If you show up on a machine that the leader thinks is unsafe, you will not be permitted to join the group until it is fixed.

Triathlon bars that protrude in front of the brake hoods are very unsafe in a group setting and are therefore not permitted. They must be removed from the bicycle before you will be permitted to join the ride. This is for the safety of your fellow group members and failure to abide by this requirement shows an unacceptable attitude to such matters. Loop style tri-bars are more acceptable as they don’t have a sharp end. Under no circumstances should you ride on the tri-bars on any group ride as you must at all times be ready to make quick manoeuvres and be within easy reach of your brakes in case of emergencies.

Wheels should be in good shape and tires should be in good condition and inflated appropriately.

Check all nuts and bolts for tightness. You must carry a reliable pump – with the right adapter for your valve type, and at least one spare, intact inner tube/tubeless tire with the right valve stem length for your rims.

Both the brakes and gear change must be working efficiently.

Carry a multi-tool, tire levers, cash, your BCC and OCA cards and sufficient fluid for the ride. Consider carrying your cell phone as well.

Most of these items must be attended to for the safety and convenience of your fellow riders. You may wish to invest in taking a bicycle maintenance course (see your local bike store or check out our bike services listing under resources on this website) and know how to make simple adjustments and fix a flat.

Most people will be on road bikes and although mountain bikes are allowed on BCC rides you may have trouble keeping up with the group, depending on tires, road conditions etc.

Formation

We will quickly form into tight single file or double file formation, according to traffic conditions or upon the advice of the leader. The default formation is always double file, but if conditions are unsafe for this, single file is used. Sometimes, the first few kilometres of the ride might be single file until you get out of town. It is an offence under the Highway Traffic Act to block traffic and so special attention should be paid to queues forming behind the group. If necessary, single up for a while to let such traffic pass safely. When changing from double file to single file the riders from the left hand line should pull in ahead of he rider they were just alongside after checking that a safe gap has opened up. The riders on the inner file should smoothly and carefully open up the spacing to allow the outer riders to slot in.

When riding in either single or double file many riders have the tendency to follow the person in front with a slight offset to the left to give a little more room in case of emergencies. When several rows of riders are doing this it causes the group to take up the whole width of the lane and seem 4 or 5 abreast when viewed from behind, an effect that exaggerates on hills. Please be aware of such situations and if the person in front of you is off to the left make a conscious effort to ride to the right and thereby cancel out the effect.

Stopping And Starting

When it is necessary for the group to slow down or stop the riders should first communicate that we are slowing before gently reducing speed as appropriate. Every rider in the group is responsible for being aware of the road conditions ahead but those in front should be aware that riders further back may well have their vision obstructed. The riders on the front will determine whether a slow down or a complete stop is appropriate depending on the obstacle ahead (traffic lights, stop sign, yield sign, railroad crossing, construction or other road users etc etc.) and will always err on the side of caution.

When clear of the obstruction & accelerating back up to speed the riders on the front should accelerate slowly in order to minimise the telescoping effect and to allow the group to regain its formation.

Communication

***Keep your head up and your eyes looking ahead*** In a close formation, you must be looking up and ahead at all times. Look to the front of the group or at least a few riders ahead of you. This way, you will see any problems or changes in direction or speed, well in advance. The riders close to you (left, right or directly in front) will be sensed using your peripheral vision, which is more adept at judging movement than your straight-ahead vision.
For some things we rely on other group members (when it is hard to see the road ahead) and for other things we must rely on ourselves (traffic safety).
An experienced group member may order "Single file" if necessary, but under normal circumstances even on narrow roads, it is safer to ride in double file since it obliges the traffic to slow down and pass safely, rather than to try to squeeze past when there isn’t quite enough room.
Please signal all turns and stops with regular arm signals, well in advance. Also, point out potholes and hazardous objects in the road so that following riders can avoid them.

Up-hills and Down-hills

When we ride as a group, we try to keep the pace as even as possible. Increases and decreases in speed must be gradual and all associated gear changes smooth. At an up-hill, we climb at the pace of the two lead riders, who will try to keep the pace steady. If this is too slow for you, hard luck! These are group rides – remember. You should not break ranks and show how fast you can ride to the top. There is no point to that; you will only have to wait for everyone else to catch up. In the process you will wear out the weaker riders, who, having extended themselves too much on the hill, will not be able to increase their speed at the top. The group will inevitably break up. If you are interested in doing hill intervals, pick a couple of buddies and do it at another place and time, or choose a more advanced group. Alternatively, an even, moderate pace up a hill will keep everyone together and ready to increase speed at the top. This will maximize the average speed of the ride and the training effect for everyone. If you need to get out of the saddle to climb, wait for the part of the pedal stroke where you are actively pushing down. This will reduce the ‘pause effect’. If you stand while not actively applying power to at least 1 of the pedals, the rider behind you may crash into your back wheel. Practice while out on your own.
Down-hills should be approached in the same way. Follow the lead riders but gently increase the distance from yourself to the rider in front of you a little, to give yourself a little more reaction time in case of emergency. If your speed picks up too much, do not break ranks or pass other riders. Gradually decrease your speed, by applying the back brake lightly, and pedalling against it if necessary. Keep your hands close to the brakes in case there is an emergency.

Changes of Speed and Direction

All changes should be smooth and gradual. Remember, everyone behind is dependant on you to lead them safely up the road, around potholes, dead animals and corners, and up and down hills. There must be no sudden movements to left or right (switching). Switching is very dangerous in a group and can instantly lead to serious injury for fellow riders, as a result of a crash. Common sense is a virtue. Do not remove things from pockets, eat, drink, take off clothing, startle another rider, suddenly break ranks or do anything else that may result in an erratic movement when riding in a group. If the speed is fast you must be especially vigilant. Your hands must be on the bars at all times. To eat, etc. you must wait until it is your turn to be at the back of the group, when no one is following.
Avoid sudden braking at all costs. Be aware that the front brake has a very abrupt stopping action whereas the back brake is less abrupt. Know which is which. To reduce speed slightly, use the back brake lightly and pedal against it at the same time. To increase speed, first pedal faster in the gear you are in, then change up to your next gear. Typically, your cadence should be between 80 and 100 rpm for regular flat riding, on hills this may reduce to 60 rpm or even lower. The higher the cadence, the smoother rider you will be, better able to adapt to changes of speed and other manoeuvres.

Other Road Users

We all must use the roads in a considerate and courteous manner to avoid unnecessary risk or conflict.

At all times you should refrain from waving other road users past the group even though you are only trying to be helpful. It is the responsibility of the driver to pass safely and you risk assuming some liability should an accident result. If the road conditions are such that the vehicle will have a long wait to get past then the leader or an experienced rider should call out for the group to single up to make passing easier.

Never respond to provocation as it will only inflame the situation. If a motorist passes in a dangerous manner or is in other ways threatening or abusive try to get the license number, a description of the vehicle and, if possible, the driver and contact the police on a non-emergency number at the earliest convenience. Corroboration from independent witnesses would be a great help.