Tips for Riders and Ride Leaders
Attending a RideChoose a ride class and distance that is within your capabilities. If you are concerned about keeping up, choose your first ride conservatively. Arrive fifteen minutes early to make time to prepare yourself and your bike so that you will be ready to leave at the start time. Make sure that your bike is in good working order and bring a water bottle or two. Be prepared to fix a flat tire - you should have a patch kit, tire irons, spare tube, pump and/or CO2 cartridges - if you lack the know how to fix it yourself, the ride leader will talk you through it. Wear your helmet, If you intend to ride ahead of the group, or break off early to ride elsewhere, inform the ride leader. Bring a good, friendly attitude to share with the other riders. Call out 'car up' and 'car back' when vehicles approach. Pass on the left and do not ride side-by-side unless traffic conditions allow it.
Leading a Ride
Contact the
Touring Vice President so that your ride may be placed in the
newsletter. It is best to contact him by the 15th of the month previous to
the month of your ride. Give him the ride distance, pace, starting location
and a brief description. Make a cue sheet (roads, turns and distances) if
you feel that it is necessary and bring enough copies for each ride
attendee. (Note: the Club officers possess many, many cue sheets of various
starting points and distances that we are willing to share - contact an officer
or the newsletter editor.) If the ride is unfamiliar to you, consider driving
it a week or so before you lead it to make certain that the roads are still
suitable for cycling and not potholed or under construction.
On the day of your ride before you set out make sure to introduce everyone. Remind
the riders to be courteous and respect the rules of the road. Unless all attendees
agree otherwise, do not exceed the advertised pace of your ride. If someone comes
along who cannot keep up with the advertised pace, use your discretion whether or
not to 'sweep' at the back with that person. It has been an unwritten code of the
Frederick Pedalers Club that rides are for social reasons and that no one will be 'dropped' under
most circumstances. Set a good example - hopefully the ride attendees will be inspired
to lead their own rides in the future. When the ride is over, contact the Touring VP
and/or the Newsletter Editor to submit a ride report and copies of any pictures that
may have been taken during the ride for the 'Road Apples' column.
For a more thorough discussion on leading rides, you can view an excellent manual of
Ride Leader Guidelines put
together by the Cascade Bicycle Club of Seattle, Washington.
Impromptu Rides
In the case that no ride leaders are available on a certain date, there may be one or
more leaderless rides scheduled. A suggested distance, pace and destination will be
published in the newsletter. When you attend one of these, try to ride together
as a group.