SUMTER LANDING BICYCLE CLUB

RIDE DIRECTOR & RIDE LEADER GUIDELINES

The purpose of this document is to provide guidelines for the Ride Director and the Ride Leaders when organizing and conducting club rides.

Ride Director

The duties of the Ride Director (or another club member temporarily assuming these duties) are:

    1. to welcome club riders and new riders to the day’s ride;

    2. to ensure that all riders have signed a liability waiver form prior to commencing a club ride;

    3. to make, or to allow others to make, any announcements that may be of interest to club members;

    4. to direct all riders to specific locations in the parking lot for the following respective ride groups:

        a) "A" Pace (18 mph +)

        b) "B" Pace (16 – 18 mph), and its variations (e.g., "B-")

        c) "C" Pace (13 – 15 mph), and its variations (e.g., "C+" &/or "C-")

        d) "D" Pace (12 mph & under)

        Note: Total mileage of the respective ride groups varies between 12 to 30 miles according to speed and ability.

    5. to periodically review several primary club safety rules while participating in club rides, including:

        a) always ride in a single file;

        b) never overlap the rear wheel of the bike in front of you;

        c) never call "CLEAR" at road intersections (each rider is responsible for his/her own safety at all times).

Ride Leaders

The primary responsibility of the Ride Leaders is to ensure a safe ride for his/her particular ride group. To help accomplish this objective, the Ride Leaders should be prepared to lead a club ride by having the following on hand:

        a) a map of, or thorough familiarity with, the ride area;

        b) a cell phone to call 911, in the event of an emergency;

        c) a First Aid Kit (supplied by the club).

Particular duties of the Ride Leaders, after having met this initial preparation, are:

    1. to ensure that all riders have signed a liability waiver form (if not already performed by the Ride Director) prior to commencing a club ride;

    2. to outline the route and approximate mileage of the ride;

    3. to introduce the "Sweep" for the ride;

    4. to take a headcount prior to departing on the ride;

    5. to review any appropriate safety rules that may be particularly pertinent to the ride at hand;

    6. to remind riders to pass comments/alerts initiated by the Ride Leader or the Sweep (or other riders) forward and back so that all ride members are alerted.

In the interest of safety, it would also be desirable to split a particular pace group into two smaller groups if the total number of riders in that pace group exceeds approximately 12 or more. Splitting the pace group into two smaller groups and staggering their starting times should be implemented if two Ride Leaders and two Sweeps can be identified.

If, during a ride, a rider cannot keep up with the pace of the group, the Sweep should alert the Ride Leader accordingly. The Ride Leader should stop at the first convenient (safe) place and determine if the rider can continue with the group, or if the rider is able to leave the group and proceed on his/her own. With the rider’s safety foremost in mind, The Ride Leader and the rider should determine the most practical solution to be followed.

If, during the course of the ride, a rider is found to be riding in an unsafe manner or riding contrary to the Club’s Riding Rules, the Ride Leader and/or Sweep is responsible for discussing the issue with the offending rider.

If an accident should occur during the course of a ride, the accident should be reported to the Ride Director and/or other club officers.

February, 2009