In order to join our club runs you must have attended our Road Confidence and Skills Course. When cycling in a group, it is important that each rider is comfortable riding with other people, trusts that the other rider has a basic skill base and understands the etiquette of the group.
Our Road Confidence course will teach you those skills and ensure that each club member has the same minimum skill base. Our club runs are friendly and can cater for all levels of fitness, but from a safety point of view we need to ensure that riders have a minimum standard of safety and skill on a road bike. Here is the basic etiquette that we follow in our club runs – all of these skills are covered in our course:
- Follow directly in line with the wheel in front
- Avoid braking sharply
- Point and call out potholes or other obstructions
- Ride no more than 2 abreast, and single out when asked by Leader; do not ride ahead of group
- Ride together as a group, i.e. try not to let large gaps form in between riders
- Advise if a rider is off the back by calling forward
- Do not weave, keep a constant, parallel (do not half-wheel) and reasonably close distance to adjacent rider and do not get too close to middle of road
- Follow and pass on instructions from the group Leader
- Bikes must be in a roadworthy condition, with mudguards in wet conditions. An extended rear mud flap is an added courtesy to other riders
- Headphones and bikes fitted with tri-bars should not be used on club runs
- Riders should carry spare tube/appropriate tools
- Helmets must be worn
- Riders are encouraged to wear high visibility clothing
- Follow the highway code at all times, remember we share the road with others
As well as attending our Road Confidence and Skills Course, new riders must agree to the following:
- To notify ride leaders of any changes in health/medical issues
- To give permission to ride leaders to authorise medical help in the case of an emergency
- To take out appropriate insurance to provide personal accident cover, British Cycling Ride Membership provides a suitable cover
- To accept that road cycling carries an inherent risk and that each rider accepts this risk on their own behalf