Group riding is a wonderful experience for anyone who cycles regularly. A well organised group can nearly always travel further and faster than an individual cyclist and it’s always nicer sitting in a café with your friends than caking alone.
But, riding in close proximity to other cyclists does bring inherent risks and the information below on safety, etiquette, kit and bikes is designed to minimise these.
How to ride in a group pdf group riding guidelines
These principle are to ensure that group rides are safe and enjoyable for all those who participate.
We all have a responsibility for the safety of the group. It follows that we are all therefore responsible for highlighting instances of poor riding so…
If your riding puts the group at risk, expect to be told.
We ride as a group
- British Cycling recommends that group rides are kept to a maximum of eight riders. This is an easily manageable number and makes communication within groups easy.
- On the road there may be times when groups come together – generally when there are a lot of traffic lights such as either direction along the sea front. In this case, it is generally better for the back group to slow down and allow the front group to distance itself. If it’s clear that the back group is faster then the groups need to agree that they will swap places.
- Whilst it’s fine to ride off the front up the odd hill, the default is that we ride together as a close compact group. That means that some people will inevitably be riding more slowly than they might have done but as someone commented recently, “It’s a club ride, not a training ride”.
We ride with consideration for all road Users
- We ride in a manner to make it as easy as possible for traffic to pass and with due care for pedestrians and horses.
- When we’re riding two abreast, we ride close to the kerb and close to each other. If we need to ride single-file to allow cars to pass then we do so and this means that EVERYONE needs to do so. If even one rider fails to comply then it negates the purpose of the group riding singly.
- If we approach stationary traffic such as at traffic lights then we wait as a group. It’s simply not possible for a group of eight riders all to filter safely to the front of a line of cars even if you might do this as an individual rider.
We communicate as a group
- If you’re at the front then you’re calling out approaching hazards and obstacles. If you’re at the back then you’re calling out traffic behind and judging whether it’s necessary to single out. Listen for calls and act upon them.
Don’t be a dick
Alwyn. Road captain