CESTRIA

Our Sunday club rides are the primary event of the weekly Club calendar. 

The Club Ride, whether full Club Run, Steady Ride, Intro beginners ride or weekday rides officially organised by the Club, are social events giving everyone the opportunity to share the riding experience with the Club. The rides may test your ability at times, but will encourage you to become a more competent rider. The club rides are not personal training rides or races.

As a knowledge sharing opportunity, the more experienced riders will guide and support those less experienced and will help to ensure the Club and its members enjoy all aspects of the ride.

Below are a few suggested guidance notes that the Club expects every rider on any Club Ride to have read and understood. They are there for the safety of both yourself AND others riders. 

Please familiarise yourself with the club rules of safety and take the time to read each one.

All the guidelines below are the basic requirement that all Club riders are expected to understand and adhere to the Highway Code.

Whilst we cannot enforce when riding on the public highway the wearing of a helmet, we do strongly recommend the wearing of one while out on a club ride and that it’s up to current standard.

We also recommend having a working fixed rear light and where conditions dictate a working front light.

Your bike must be in good working order and you must carry your own spares and be capable of basic road side repairs. The Club does not ride with a mechanic and, although all riders will help where they can, you are responsible for your own kit/maintenance and getting yourself home in the case of a breakdown.

Please do not ride with headphones.

As general guidelines, the following is subject to alternative agreement prior to the ride. Where no agreements or alterations are made, the following applies by default:

Ride in a pack less than 1 metre between you and the rider in front.

Ride two-abreast, only going to single file through clear agreement with the group, e.g. on narrow or busy roads, (Highway Code Rule 66), doing so without indication and agreement can cause accidents.

Do not overlap wheels with the person in front. It is dangerous and may cause an accident.

Do not ride up on the inside or outside of another rider without making your presence known.

While we will always try to have one rider at the back who will keep an eye on the pack, he/she will be do their best to ensure that no one is dropped and that we all work towards these etiquette rules. This person may alternate by agreement during the ride.

When the back of the group calls out cars, remain two-abreast but close the gaps as best you can. It does NOT mean single file or slow down as doing this unexpectedly or suddenly is dangerous.

When coming to a stop at any time, pull as close to the side of the road as you can and keep the line intact. Do not bunch up and spread across the road. Remember, there may be cars approaching from behind that deserve a clear view of the junction too.

Make sure you stop in a visible place. Stopping on blind corners, just off a junction or just over the brow of a hill all make you difficult to see, and motorists may not have time to make allowances.

When cornering, do not cut or under steer the corner.

Trace the road centreline/pavement as when riding in a group there WILL be someone to your left or right whom you will be forcing off the road or into the path of an oncoming car.

DO NOT LOSE SIGHT OF THE RIDE LEADER.

The lead rider is controlling the pace and navigating the route.

Anyone accelerating significantly ahead of the group will be assumed to be on a ride of their own and will not be chased after if they miss or take a wrong turn.

The main group should wait for people who go off the back of the ride. We do NOT wait for people who go off the front.

Exceptions are made when tackling significant uphill or downhill stretches, in which case you will regroup at the first sensible opportunity.

Do not try to “up the pace” of the ride. The Club Run is NOT a personal training ride. If the agreed pace is too slow for you, you are respectfully advised to leave the ride and take up your own training ride. There are six other days of the week to plan rides to your personal requirements.

Where conditions and numbers permit, a faster paced ride may take place on the same route heading to the same café stop as the main club run. These rides are again a group ride, but if you fall back off the pace it is at the discretion of the group whether to wait or not. 

If you cannot hold the faster pace you can drop to the group following behind.

Taking part in the faster ride is done so at your own risk and responsibility so you will need to know the route.

PLEASE ADVISE SOMEONE IN THE GROUP YOU ARE RIDING WITH IF YOU INTEND TO LEAVE THE RIDE SO WE DO NOT WAIT FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS GONE OFF ON THEIR OWN

Communication is a key part of group riding. A group that keeps talking is a safer and more unified group. You will make quicker progress and enjoy the experience more.

Without exception, you must indicate with hand gestures (and verbally where applicable) when making manoeuvres.

Point and/or call out potholes/road deformities, people in the road, parked cars, horses etc..

Indicate and/or call out when stopping or slowing to avoid the rider behind you crashing into you.

If a person behind calls a warning this MUST be repeated up the line to ensure everyone is aware. 

When calling a warning, if you are the last caller and do not hear it being repeated you MUST repeat the warning until it is repeated up the line. Calls up the line are usually warnings in regard to yours and others safety.

When pulling out at junctions call back to the riders still at the junction “clear”, “car left/right“ as appropriate and only when your call is 100% safe 

Avoid “dropping” your bike when getting out of the saddle. Try to stand smoothly or else call out before standing. It creates havoc behind when your wheel drops onto the rider behind.

Please do not overtake a rider without considering whether a call of “on your left/right” is required.

GENERAL NOTES OF ETIQUETTE 

If you are on the front of the pack after reaching the top of a climb, do not accelerate away immediately as you go down the other side of the hill. Remember that in a big group the rear riders will still be pulling slowly up the hill, even after you are descending down the other side. Keep the group together.

Exceptions are made on rolling sections, in which case you should wait and regroup at a sensible point along the road.

Do not 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, you should 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.

Ensure that the front knows if the back is struggling with the pace.

Do not litter. If you eat on the move, put the wrapper in your pocket.

Winter riding can be very cold and very wet. We ride in remote areas for many of our rides, so please make sure you are properly prepared for the conditions.

Appropriate clothing is your responsibility.

Full length mudguards are strongly recommended on all Club Rides throughout the winter. 

Although we cannot make this compulsory, if you turn up to a club ride on a wet wintry day without mudguards, you will be asked to ride at the back.

Lights are compulsory when visibility is poor, regardless of lighting conditions. It is the law.

We also advise you to use them in all light conditions. It does help your visibility on the road which in turn protects other riders in the group, especially if you are riding at the back.

You are part of a Cycling Club and you are expected to act in a manner the Club and your fellow club members would be proud to associate with. When representing your club, especially when wearing the Club jersey, you must adhere to the Highway Code and treat members of the public with respect.

Many Club members interact with each other via the clubs social media pages. This is a convenient resource that relies on members acting in an adult and responsible manner to keep the community constructive, lively and friendly. It is hoped that members will use the resource for positive, Club-specific purposes and respect everyone within the community.

One aspect of social media (and Facebook in particular) is the ease with which conversations and comments expand. Please pay particular thought when posting comments. If you feel your comments may be offensive, controversial or in any way not in the spirit of the community, then it is requested that you first approach the Club Committee in order that they are given the opportunity to appraise the comments and respond accordingly. This is particularly relevant with any complaints against the Club or its members, in which case the accompanying “Complaints and Disciplinary Procedures” shall be invoked.

Please respect the Club Committee’s right to rectify any complaints directly and privately in the first instance. In this way you can help us to create a better Club for everyone.

Cycling can unfortunately attract negative behaviour and comments on the road. This will always be present and there is very little we can do to change the attitude of those with intent on disliking cyclists. What we can do is ensure we are following the rules of the road while also acting responsibly and considerately.

From time to time there will be altercations, but please try to avoid them. Where they cannot be avoided, please conduct yourself in an adult manner in the least aggressive way possible.

If a car passes sounding its horn or shouting abuse out of the window, please think before reacting. Will it really help? They’ll be gone in seconds anyway.

Please do not antagonise a situation; doing so may put yourself and/or your fellow club members at risk.

Remember, if you are wearing a Cestria CC jersey you are also wearing the Club’s reputation, not just your own that also applies to whether riding with the club with your friends or solo. 

Unwarranted aggression, antisocial behaviour or breaking the law will be subject to our Complaints and Disciplinary procedure, which may lead to your membership being suspended or revoked. 

Gross misconduct will see the member excluded from the club immediately.