- Try to ride in a group less than 1 metre (or as close as comfortable if novice) between you and the rider in front.
- Ride in pairs, never more than two abreast, but single-out if a car is behind singling out would enable the car to pass. (Note: when singling out, it is normal for the rider on left to go forward, and the rider on right to drop behind.)
- Do not overlap wheels (known as “half-wheeling”). It is potentially dangerous.
- Communicate with the other riders by pointing and calling out holes, walkers, joggers, parked cars and horses.
- Repeat calls up and down the line; assure the front knows if any riders on the back are struggling with the pace.
- Slow down for horses, give them lots of room. Call ahead “bikes-up” if approaching horses from behind, so as not to startle them.
- Call out “stopping” or “slowing” if that is what you are doing, to avoid the rider behind you crashing into you.
- When pulling out at junctions, you have the best view of any traffic coming from the left or right. Call back to the riders still at the junction “clear”, “car left” or “car right” as appropriate.
- On tight bends and narrow lanes call out “car down” or “car up”; remember that cars go down your throat and up your a**e.
- Keep your lines. On corners, do not cut the corner, or understeer the corner. Remain parallel to the road centreline/edge. There WILL be someone to your rear left or rear right whom you will be forcing off the road or into the path of an oncoming car.
- Do not overtake the lead rider. The lead rider is controlling the pace. The exception to this is when “rotation” action is being used to share the load against a headwind. If you are unfamiliar with this, you will be briefed on what to do. Anyone accelerating ahead of the group will be assumed to be on another ride of their own devices. They will not be called after or chased after if they miss a turn or take a wrong turn. We wait for people who go off the back of the ride. We do NOT wait for people who go off the front.
- Do not try to “up the pace” of the Club Run. The Club Run is NOT a training ride. If 16mph (at zero wind, zero gradient) is too slow for you, you are respectfully advised that the Club Run is not for you. The Club organises other rides that may be more suited to your pace.
- Do not overtake another rider on the left without shouting out a warning to the rider first.
- If you are on the front of the pack, after reaching the top of a climb, do not accelerate immediately as you go down the other side of the hill. Remember that in a big group, the rear riders will still be labouring up the hill even after you are descending down the other side. Try to keep the group together!
- Try not to break-up the ordered group. Only on significant gradient climbs should you break away if you want to, as all people have a different comfortable climbing pace. In this case, always wait at the top of the hill to allow a re-group and a short recuperation.
- When pulling out from a junction, or turning into a road, slow down a little to allow the riders behind to catch up. Everyone takes time to set-off, clip-in and get settled back in the saddle.
- Try to keep the group together!
- Do not litter. If you eat on the move, or take a gel, put the wrapper in your pocket. Do not throw it on the side of the road.
What do I need?
- Ideally a Road Bike but a Hybrid Bike/ Flat road bar bike will suffice; it does needs to be in a serviceable condition though.
- A basic tool kit, ideally a multi-tool with tyre levers, a pump and a spare inner tube of the size which suits your bike. (There will be people out on the ride who will be able to help out if the “mechanical” proves difficult).
- Drink/Energy bar (If you want to bring a small amount of cash as usually the ride stops at a cafe on the homeward leg of the ride for Tea/Coffee and Cake).
- A Helmet is mandatory.
