| - | Arrive fully-fueled and ready to ride. |
| - | Wear a HELMET & appropriate riding gear... PLEASE. We put time & miles into some rides and you can run across some adverse weather conditions in the mountains. Don't like wearing a helmet? We won't force you to, or stop you from riding with us (that's evolution at it's finest), but consider this (click here). Still not convinced? Fine, just please, Please, PLEASE... don't let this be you: WARNING: extremely graphic image - click here to view it. |
| - | Safety first - don't put other people at risk. We’re not on a racetrack, we’re here to have fun. |
| - | Ride in staggered formation on highways. Signal your intent to move to the other side of the lane. |
| - | In the twisties, ride in single file and no passing in the same lane (make sure you leave enough room between you and the rider in front). |
| - | Rider in front has right of way. |
| - | Pass safely using another lane ("safely" varies depending on the individual - the person in front of you may not feel confident/comfortable enough to pass when you would). |
| - | Ride at your own pace. We don't make any turns before everyone's caught up. Everyone's at a different level, so there is no need to feel you have to keep up with the rider in front of you or be at the front of the pack. |
| - | Do NOT leave the group and turn back (or go a different route) unless you've told someone you're going to do so. Since we wait for everyone before making a turn, it would be inconsiderate to delay everyone by making them "wait" for someone who has no intention of catching up. |
| - | Position yourself appropriately in the pack: Faster riders may want to place themselves near the front, and slower riders near the rear. If you’re not sure where you fit, start in the middle or near the back. If you find yourself getting frustrated because the rider in front of you is going slower than you want to go, remember, you can always re-position yourself at the next break-stop. And if you feel that you’re slowing down the rider behind you, feel free to indicate to them to pass you - if they don’t, then you’re fine & don’t worry about them. |
Although we haven't adopted it for the club, "The Pace" offers guidelines for safe & fun group riding and we recommend you read it.
Signals:
Transmit these signals to the rider/car behind you when appropriate.
| Meaning | Usage | Hand Signal |
|---|---|---|
| Left turn | Mostly for lane changes - not intended to replace turn signals | Left arm straight out beside you (palm open & facing forward), or angled downward to where you are going |
| Right turn | Mostly for lane changes - not intended to replace turn signals | Left arm out beside you, bent with forearm & hand up (palm open & facing forward) |
| Slow down/ Stop/ Don't pass |
Mostly for unexpected stops, also to indicate it is unsafe for riders behind you to pass car(s) between them & you | Left arm out beside you, bent with forearm & hand down (palm open & facing back) |
| Police ahead | For oncoming riders and riders behind you, warning them to check their speed | Pat your head with your left hand (this is the signal we use). Some riders do an up & down motion their left hand out at waist level, palm down (like they're dribbling a basketball). |
| Danger | Dangerous obstacle in road (sand, gravel, pothole, oil slick) | Point to the obstacle with the nearest hand or foot, but only if you can do so safely (without putting yourself at risk) |
| Gun it | to indicate it is safe for riders behind you to pass car(s) between them & you | Up & down motion with left arm out beside you, forearm & fist up (like a trucker pulling his air-horn cord) |