Joining the Club
Membership costs just £10!
Please use the membership form below for either joining the club or for renewal of membership.
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Advice and Tips for all Club Members
Please note – In addition to this guide members are also referred to the Risk Assessment document which is to be found on the Club’s website as an Appendix to the Constitution
General policy
• The Club’s aim is to provide safe and enjoyable cycling facilities for its members. This guide is designed to ensure that individual members are aware of the responsibilities required of them to fulfil this aim.
• As part of Club policy to involve members in club activities the Club encourages all members to volunteer as Ride Coordinators. The role of Coordinator is essential for the success of the Club’s ride programme.
• The Club is setting up a ‘buddy scheme’ whereby those wishing to volunteer as Ride Coordinators will be assisted by more experienced club members. This will include being accompanied on a designated ride route to gain the necessary confidence and understanding of the role of Ride Coordinator. Further details can be obtained by contacting the Rides Committee.
• The club currently rides in three distinct groups, A, B, and C, according to ability and distance. In selecting the group in which you ride ensure you are comfortable with the distance proposed and pace of the group.
Club policy is that there is a maximum of six riders in any one group.
• At the start of the ride if numbers in your group exceed six it will require the formation of two or more sections within the same group. In this situation members should assist the ride coordinator to split the group and appoint other ride coordinators as necessary.
• The combination of two groups [eg. A and B] into one must not occur, as this gives rise to obvious difficulties in respect of the speed of the combined group. However, if any A riders decide to join the B group the pace of the group will remain as for B riders. Similarly if A and/or B riders decide to join the C group the pace remains that of the C group.
Individual conduct
Before the ride: Ensure your bike is roadworthy, that you are in possession of basic repair items, and a contact number is in a back pocket in case of emergency
At the start of the chosen ride: Make yourself known to the Ride Coordinator. If you have a health problem likely to affect your ride eg. shortness of breath and feel comfortable in disclosing it, inform the Ride Coordinator. Please comply with the requests and directions of the Ride Coordinator and assist him/her as required in the management of the ride so that a group identity is maintained throughout.
Whilst on the ride
• Be courteous and considerate when riding eg. respond to calls of ‘car up’ and ‘car down’ by adopting single file. On narrow lanes please ride in single file and in small groups, allowing sufficient gaps for other road users to pass safely. Remember, like any other rider you owe a basic duty of care to all other road users as they do to you
• Only overtake when vision is clear from both behind and ahead. This is particularly important on downhill sections. Never overtake on bends, on the brow of a hill and on approach to hump back bridges. Do not draft behind the rider in front on downhill sections. Also, make sure your wheels do not overlap with the rider in front or behind.
• Communicate any problem that arises affecting your ride to the nearest rider/ride coordinator eg. personal health, mechanical problem, speed of the group at the earliest opportunity.
• Do not ride ahead at a speed greater than the group you are in, ie. Do not ride ‘’off the front’’. Otherwise the role of the ride coordinator to manage the group becomes difficult. Stay within the group. This may not be possible on uphill and downhill sections in which case the ride coordinator should organise a suitable ‘catch up’ point to reassemble the group. Remember the club policy is that groups remain together and that riders do not get left behind.
• If you decide to leave the group prematurely tell the next rider/ride coordinator at the earliest opportunity.
• If the group is joined by riders from a faster group avoid any tendency to alter the proposed pace of the group and make those joining aware of that. The group should ride at the pace of the slowest rider.
• There may be occasions when alteration of the proposed route is required due to unforeseen traffic/road conditions. Communicate clearly your decision to the group. Avoid any rider being left behind.
• In event of emergency or accident this must be reported to a member of the Club committee as soon as possible upon completion of the ride.
Please note: Incidents of individual members riding in a careless and dangerous manner will be reported to the Club Committee. As a last resort the Committee retains the discretion to terminate membership forthwith.
Club Committee – August 2023