Ride Leader Responsibilities (and Guidelines)

As a BRBC ride leader, you are a representative of the club. As such, you should be informative and friendly and make sure that new riders feel they are part of the group. Your actions on club rides may be directly associated with BRBC by new riders. Please be familiar with the following guidelines. Click on the following link and agree to these Ride Leaders Responsibilities (and Guidelines). 

Ride Leaders have been trained in leading rides, the use of the BRBC Calendar for scheduling rides, using the Club RWGPS Library to find routes, the Ride Classification Grid, or their personal experience, to determine the target pace for a ride. If a large group of riders participates in a ride, it should be managed by dividing into groups of no greater than twelve (12) that are determined at the start of the ride.
 

RIDE ANNOUNCEMENT

Club rides are scheduled on the BRBC Calendar. Instructions are on the Ride Leader Dashboard.

 

Club rides scheduled on the calendar can contain:

1. Day, date, time, starting location, RWGPS route link, distance, total elevation and/or feet/mile, planned ride pace.
2. Your name and contact information.
3. A link to the liability waiver or Quick Release for non-members (or all riders on a Mountain Bike Ride).
4. What to expect on the ride, such as targeted pace, rest stops, regrouping, significant climbs, descents, points of interest.
5. A link to Rider's Responsibilities.

BEFORE THE RIDE

1. Arrive about 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time to prepare yourself and your bike, to take care of details, to meet new riders and still have time for the pre-ride briefing.
2. Introduce yourself to the group as ride leader.  Ask if there are any new riders who not yet members, or new members.
3. The beginning of the ride is typically the most hazardous period. If there is a large number of participants, you should split them into smaller groups of no more than twelve riders before the start of the ride. Each group should start at staggered intervals. If there are riders of differing abilities, you should attempt to group them together. If additional ride leaders are available, they could be asked to lead one of the subgroups. Otherwise, you may ask a non-leader to help keep the subgroup together.
4. Make sure that all non-BRBC members have signed the waiver.  A non-member who has not or will not sign the waiver may not join the ride.
5. Remind riders to wear helmets and have adequate water and snacks for the ride.
6. Discuss the route including any potential hazards or short-term detours.  If there are options, make sure everyone knows which one they will be taking, where they occur and advises you of their choice.
7. Announce regroup locations if you know them beforehand. You should regroup at least once unless everyone stays together or there is an agreement that there will be no regrouping.  You may also indicate additional regrouping stops as the ride progresses.
8. Remind riders to inform the ride leader or another rider if they leave the route for any reason. Make sure they have your contact info, but they should be reminded that reception can be sketchy in many areas.
9. Remind riders that bicycles are vehicles and must obey traffic laws.
10. Make sure new riders who are not members are referred to the BRBC website for membership information.

DURING THE RIDE

1. Set an example regarding safety. It’s unreasonable to expect others to ride safely if you aren’t doing so yourself.
2. If you observe unsafe actions, tactfully suggest to those committing those acts that they are endangering themselves and the group.
3. Try to achieve your planned average speed - although it's more important to ride as a group, than achieve a particular predetermined pace for the ride.
4. If some riders decide to go faster, do not speed up to try to accommodate them and leave others behind. 
5. Never leave a rider stranded. If a rider has to stop for any reason someone should stay with them if they can finish the ride or they call someone to come get them. All riders should carry a basic tool kit, tubes, pump, patch kit, etc., and be prepared to handle their repairs. Ride Leaders are not a ride’s mechanic, although you or another rider can help.   
6. Be cognizant of new riders during the entire ride. If they have overestimated their abilities and are not keeping up, either go back and ride with them or secure a volunteer to do so. Dropping a new rider is very poor cycling etiquette. Also, it could lead to a dangerous situation if the rider should crash, get lost, have a flat tire or other mechanical problem.

RIDE SAFETY

1. As a courtesy, try to find a safe spot for the entire group to pull off the roadway when a line of motor vehicles is waiting to pass. Those at the front cannot always see the traffic behind the group so ask riders at the back to call this forward to the leader. Prior to the ride ask those at or near the back to call out “car back” when a car approaches.
2. The group may go single file on two-lane roads when being passed by a car.  Because most marked travel lanes are too narrow for safe same-lane passing by a motor vehicle, controlling a narrow lane by riding two abreast or in its center reduces the risk of overtaking-type crashes by deterring same-lane passing.
3. Observe traffic control signs. Running a red light should not be tolerated and you should stop at stop signs, especially when traffic is present on the cross street. This is more than common courtesy; it’s the law and it could save your life.
4. At an intersection, don’t pull to the right side of motorists at stop signs or lights. Get in line with the traffic. This only aggravates motorists and forces them to have to pass you down the road. And it's the law.
5. Use proper traffic lanes. Avoid riding in the oncoming lane. Merge to the left-most lane before making a left turn after checking behind you for clearance before merging.
6. Remind all riders to use proper hand and verbal signals before turning, slowing or stopping, not just the first or last rider.
7. When stopping along the road (not at an intersection), make sure all riders are completely off the road. This is a NC state law.
8. Be familiar with NC state laws applicable to bicyclists.  Educational resources here.
   
   

There are certainly other items that could be added to these. Mostly leading a ride just requires some good old “common sense”, a little courtesy and a desire to aid others in enjoying the sport of cycling in a safe manner.