It seems longer - but we've only been riding in groups again in 2021 for a little over 2months. Hardly time to get to know each other again! We've also welcomed new Wayfarers - some experienced riding in groups, others more used to solo riding, maybe unfamiliar with the discipline of riding in small groups. If you are a new rider, a read-through our Group Riding Guidelines will provide some much-needed guidance on conduct on the road. A re-reading of the Guidelines would also be a valuable refresher for 'old-hands'!
The Guidelines are available to view on the Information Hub on the CTC South West London web page. Please aquaint yourself with Guidelines, follow them, and work together to ensure that Wayfarers rides are not only enjoyable, but safe and secure.
For those stepping up to the mark as sub-leaders - and hopefully becoming fully-fledged ride leaders in the future, the Ride Leader Guidelines need to be followed on all Wayfarer rides. As with the Group Riding Guidelines they are up-to-date and come with the stamp of approval from Cycling UK. With pandemic restrictions hopefully easing further it is vital that we build on our experience of riding in small groups by following Group Riding and Ride Leader Guidelines.
2 comments:
Thank you for the reminder, Ged. We've got used to riding in groups of six which makes it easier for cars to pass, but sometimes I've noticed that even a group of six is too large to pass, especially when we are spread out a bit, which encourages dangerous overtaking. Two groups of three with a fair-sized gap (several car lengths) is safer in my experience.
One thing missing from our guidelines (other than “being considerate to other road users” and " create a gap for an overtaking car" relates to single track / narrow lane etiquette. These are very common in the Surrey Hills and we had quite a few of these scenic, winding, undulating lanes that went on for a good distance on our last ride to Haslemere. Even a single rider can create a frustrating delay to motorists. It is therefore important to remember to pull over to let motorists overtake at the top of a hill or a flat section when a safe opportunity arises. If we don't, we are likely to be put at greater risk as a frustrated motorist is increasingly likely to do an unsafe manoeuvre. I saw this happen from the rear of our group ( where you can see the circumstances unfolding more clearly than from the front) on the ride last week. Shouts of "Car up" or "Car back" help alert fellow riders of the hazard. Apologies for stating the glaringly obvious but we do need to ride defensively. and considerately. It is meant to be a recreational ride after all.
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