Coventry CTC Ride Leaders Guidance

This Guidance for Coventry CTC Ride Leaders has been prepared as a workable distillation of the Cycling UK Ride Leaders Handbook. It focuses on the key elements from the Handbook, draws on common working experience of experienced  Coventry CTC Ride Leaders, and is directly relateable to our rides profiles.

Ride Leader Role in Coventry CTC

All Coventry CTC rides are Ride Leader lead rides.

All rides will be conducted in accordance with CyclingUK guidelines in order to both provide a good riding experience to the participants, and ensure  Ride Leader is covered by CyclingUK‘s Organiser’s Liability Insurance, which covers the Ride Leader in case of a third-party claim against them whilst leading a ride.

 

Ride Leader Qualification and Registration guidance

Ride Leaders will be experienced riders & will have completed the CyclingUK online Ride Leader training course. ONLY upon completion of the course will the required insurance cover become active and only then will they be registered by Coventry CTC as a Ride Leader. 

To give them confidence, and assurance by Coventry CTC of their competence, before leading a ride they will also have shadowed other Ride Leaders on their club rides & been supervised by more experienced Ride Leaders on others as part of their initiation.

PERFORMING THE COVENTRY CTC RIDE LEADER ROLE

The following is general guidance for planning and executing a Coventry CTC Club Ride. Items in Red relate to mandatory elements identified in the Cycling UK Ride Leaders Handbook that MUST be complied with.

SAFETY GUIDANCE

• • • Safety is of paramount importance and in the planning and execution of a ride the Ride Leader MUST adhere to the Club’s Generic Risk Assessment both when planning the ride and when controlling the ride

ROUTE PLANNING GUIDANCE

• • • Plan your route in advance, minimising risks & include refreshment stops at suitable distances.
    • Action an informal risk assessment on the draft route referencing the Club’s Generic Risk Assessment– and adjust the route accordingly, e.g. identifying Fords.
    • Check the ride distance & ascent is suitable for the group.
    • Consider the abilities of all riders & the weather, being prepared to modify the route on-the-fly if necessary.
    • Only plan a route where legally permitted to ride.
    • Don’t necessarily need complex routes, but avoid main roads, avoid bad lanes & try to avoid repetition of the same ride.
    • Don’t take OS maps, Google maps or PC Software as gospel for accessibility & right-of-way – some lanes may not even be passable.
    • Knowing the area helps (ideal situation).
    • Owning the route (by that we mean not just blindly copying someone else’s route, without having reviewed it thoroughly). 
    • For new Ride Leaders, it’s best to start simple & go from there as experience levels increase.

Navigation GUIDANCE

• • • Types of navigation – memory, maps, GPS or combination of all three could be used.
    • Paper maps have downsides – if likely to be wet, ensure that they’re protected from the weather.
    • GPS navigation has downsides – would need a backup plan should the GPS device malfunction or battery become exhausted.

Pre-Ride GUIDANCE

• • • Ensuring café/pub etc. is open/available – book if necessary.
    • Check the weather in the days leading up to the ride & cancel the ride if deemed appropriate. (Consider rain, strong winds & importantly icy conditions).
    • It’s not normal practice, but you can issue a gpx file of the route if you wish, but this doesn’t absolve you from the navigational duties; also, be aware that this may encourage riders to go off the front.

Ride Start GUIDANCE

• • • Complete the sign-on sheet. (The mechanism for doing this within Coventry CTC is still to be agreeed) This is mainly for insurance purposes but will also include some or all of: ICE (In Case of Emergency detail – either card, phone or other method), new rider details (new riders have 3 rides with insurance cover before they must join CyclingUK), rider head-count.
    • Non-members need to sign the disclaimer, giving their full contact details.
    • Under 18’s must have a responsible adult sign a parental consent form.
    • Welcome new riders & determine their experience etc.
    • Action a cursory/quick visual check of any new bike attending a ride – this is to ensure that the bike does not present an obvious risk to the rider themselves & just as importantly, to the group as a whole.
    • Give out mobile number to any newcomers, in case unavoidably separated from the group.
    • Alert newcomers to the fact that photos will probably be taken & will likely be used for club publicity purposes – if any rider is uncomfortable with this, then they should just step out of the way when photos are being taken.
    • Explain the basics of group riding etiquette to any newcomers.
    • Emphasise the signalling techniques to be used if there are hearing impaired riders in the group.
    • Remind all riders that they are responsible for their own safety – this includes both the mechanical safety of their bike & at all times whilst riding within the group.
    • Remind riders that they should comply with the Highway Code & Countryside Code.
    • Brief overview of route, destination, distance, speed, elevenses & café/pub stops etc. 
    • Identify key features / hazards on the ride (Fords, Right turns on busy road, steep downhills, etc.) and what control you will be exerting at those points

ON THE RIDE GUIDANCE

• • • When leading a ride, take several factors into account – consider the size of the group, their experience, the type of road, the road conditions, the weather etc.
    • Positioning – front, middle or back as appropriate – they all have their benefits & downsides – so do whichever feels more comfortable for you.
    • Stop & wait at junctions for the rest of the group to catch up & know which turning has been taken. This could be the ride leader themselves or an appointed experienced rider for that junction. Remember to wait in a safe place & not cause an obstruction, so probably best to stop a few yards past the junction itself.
    • When stopping, ensure everyone has a safe place to pull off the road.
    • Keeping the group together (especially at junctions).
    • Alerting/controlling risky junctions/sections.
    • Take headcounts regularly, including after junctions & on leaving any stops.
    • Allow participants to ride freely on quiet roads, but take more control on busier roads.
    • Consider using a back-marker if the group is very large.
    • Navigation (whether memory, maps or GPS).
    • Speed control (to ensure it’s appropriate & matches the advertised ride).
    • Adherence to timings – for the café/pub & also in winter, due to lighting-up time.
    • Maintaining discipline & safety (e.g. riding 2-up, singling-out, separating into sub-groups).
    • Organising the group to let the following traffic past when convenient.
    • En-route diversions (road closed, a puncture & the need to shorten the ride due to timings etc.)
    • Be aware of riders dropping off the back – Club rides are non-drop.
    • Perform a Dynamic Risk Assessment during the ride, should any unexpected situation occur that could potentially present a hazard – then take the appropriate & safe action necessary.
    • Possibly appoint an Assistant Ride Leader (temporary or permanent) to address the size of the group & the necessity to split into smaller sub-groups.
    • Helping/shepherding new riders.
    • Offer advice to newcomers about riding etiquette, where to position themselves on the road etc.
    • Check in with newcomers regularly to ensure that they’re ok.
    • If anyone wants to leave the ride early, ensure that they know how to return home (route & safety).
    • Take charge (or agree another more suitable experienced person) during an incident, accident, mechanical issue, or emergency, so as to handle the event in a safe & appropriate manner.
    • Be aware of the need for incident reporting

POST RIDE GUIDance

• • • Thank everyone for attending.
    • Thereafter, hand in the sign-on sheet at the end of the ride to the relevant Ride Co-Ordinator (or alternatively providing this info to them by some other means).