Ride Directors’ Guidelines

By Bob Geyer and Paul D. King Before Ride Day | Take to the Ride
On Ride Day: Before | During | After

Before Ride Day

Be familiar with the route. If you haven’t been on this route recently, either ride or drive it to make sure there are no unpleasant surprises (like washed out bridges or gravel sections. Plan where you would like the group to assemble. Note useful landmarks.

Take to the Ride

Your bike and helmet
A BRBC Ride Release form
Cue sheets and/or maps (if available)
A couple of pens
Change for a pay phone
Enthusiasm

Before the Ride

Anyone who does not meet the requirements of the ride must be told in front of a witness that he or she cannot participate in the ride.

Be at the starting point at least 15 minutes early.

Ensure that all participants who are not current club members sign the ride release, and that any participating minors’ parents/guardians sign the separate “Parental Consent Form”.
Verify that all participants are wearing helmets.
State the ride speed, distance, terrain and structure.

Tightly structured = riders stay within sight of each other (ride as a pack) and/or assemble frequently, like at the tops of significant hills.
Loosely structured = the ride will assemble periodically.
Unstructured = riders will not be formally assembled after the start.

State that if a rider cannot maintain the ride’s advertised pace he or she may have to be dropped, and that an effort will be made to notify a rider before he or she is dropped.
Encourage riders to obey traffic laws

Stop at red lights and stop signs
Use hand signals
Ride single-file when in traffic

Encourage good rider etiquette

Notify other riders of traffic: “car up”, “.. back”, “.. left”, “.. right”
Notify other riders of your actions “on your left”, “stopping”, etc.
Notify other riders of road problems “bad grate”, “gravel”, etc.
Ride predictably: pass only on the left, don’t make sudden turns, etc.

Count bikes (not riders—you may have some tandems!)
Establish lead and sweep riders. (On unstructured rides, you do not need a lead, and you should ride sweep.)
State the first assembly point.

During the Ride

Wait at the first assembly point for the sweep rider, then state the next assembly point, and mention any important details about the upcoming section (dogs, gravel, blind turns, ambiguous intersections, etc.).
If a rider cannot maintain the ride’s advertised pace, explain to him or her that for the benefit of the other riders you need to maintain the pace, make sure he or she can find the way back, and move on.
If a rider has terminal mechanical failure, take reasonable measures to ensure that he or she will be able to get home. This may mean driving back after the ride, or calling someone from the nearest public phone. Make sure you and the rider agree on a strategy.
If a rider is injured and unable to ride, get medical help. Ensure that he or she will be able to get home. If the injury is severe, take the rider to a hospital.
On two-lane roads with traffic and infrequent or short passing opportunities, break the group up into sets of approximately four riders, with enough space between sets that a car can pass one set at a time. Explain this at an assembly point.
Count riders at each assembly point. If any do not show up in a reasonable time, send someone back for them. Take any appropriate action.

After the Ride

Count riders. When the sweep rider arrives, all should be accounted for. If not, wait awhile. They may show up in a few minutes. If they don't, ride or drive the route backwards, watching and possibly inquiring along the way. Lastly, call their home phone. (They may have gotten by you somehow.) If they’re not home, ask that they call you when they get in.
Check in with riders. Did everyone have a good time? Does anyone have comments that would be useful?

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