This is part of a two stage approach to effectively managing and mitigating Risks on Coventry CTC Club Rides and Events.
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- The first stage is to Risk Assess the planned ride (this document), and to modify the Plan so as to mitigate identified Risks.
- The second stage is to use Dynamic Risk Assessment techniques to effectively manage risks on the Ride.
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AIM :
The aim of this Ride Planning Risk Assessment is to help the Ride Leader identify potential hazards on their planned ride, assess the level of risk involved with them ; and then to identify ways of alleviating/reducing the risk, taking mitigation action, or to avoid the hazard completely. This is to reduce the likelihood of an incident occurring & keeping all riders as safe as possible.
APPLICABILITY & VALIDITY :
Day Rides and Tours :
Club Day Rides are consider by Cycling UK as ‘Regular Member Group. By ensuring that the ‘On the Road’ elements of a Regular Group Ride are planned in accordance with this Risk Assessment and all the relevant Mitigations and Actions are included final ride plan prepared by the Ride Leader then this Risk Assessment become valid for that Ride or Tour and no formal written Risk Assessment form is needed to be completed.
Introductory Rides:
Monthly we offer Introductory Rides to inexperienced Participants looking to investigate the benefits of riding with a sociable group. These Rides hold specific challenges which benefit from specific risk mitigation actions.
Special Events open to the Public:
The Risk Management requirements are different for any events open to the General Public. For us as a Club this normal means Special Event Rides (TriVets, 100 mile Challenge, 100km Challenge rides, and so on). For these it is considered MANDATORY by Cycling UK that a formal, written Risk Assessment Form is completed, and stored in the event of any Incident resulting in a formal investigation. This Risk Assessment can be used as a basis for the Ride Leader to prepare such a Formal Written Risk Assessment
USAGE :
Listed are the typical hazards and default mitigations/actions that are likely to be encountered on a Coventry CTC Club Day Ride. Communication of these hazards, and what should be done to negotiate them safely, out to the group can be done at the start of the ride, then as individual hazards are about to be encountered on the ride the Ride Leader can communicate the appropriate pre-identified Mitigation / Action at that time.
However although it is a long list it cannot cover all other hazards that may be met infrequently. To compensate for this the Ride Leader will be constantly monitoring the conditions as the ride progresses and will be using Dynamic Risk Assessment techniques to manage and modify the ride accordingly.
We are blessed in Warwickshire and the surrounding counties with a multitude of small lanes, minor roads & quiet B-roads – our club rides will be predominantly on these types of roads & avoiding A-roads wherever possible. However where Major Roads are likely to be encountered the Risk Assessment does include the appropriate guidance. Additionally we can include sections of Unpaved tracks in our nominally ‘Road’ rides, and we are expanding into Offroad rides foucued on primarily using Unpaved tracks.
Below are examples of usual potential hazards we are likely to encounter & the usual recommended mitigations that you MUST consider in your Ride Planning.
By ensuring that a Club Day Ride is planned in accordance with this Risk Assessment and all the relevant Mitigations and Actions are included then this Risk Assessment become valid for that routine ride
HAZARDS AND MITIGATIONS
The analysis of the the Risks is divided into 3 sections.
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- The first part covers off the standard Hazards normally encountered on a Club Day Ride (Minor Roads, Major Roads and Unpaved Tracks).
- The second part is some additional factors which arise from running Introductory Rides with Inexperienced Participants
- The third part is some additional factors likely to arise for member of the public participating in one of our Special Events where there are likely to be additional hazards arising from the more intense physical and mental challenge of the intended ride.
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- ‘Standard’ Hazards for Club Day Rides
| Hazard | Risk level | Mitigation/Action | |
| MINOR ROADS | |||
| MN1 | Downhill sections of roads containing lots of gravel and potholes. | High | Ride Leader to warn riders at a suitable point in advance of the hazard to slow down & take extra care. |
| MN2 | Downhill sections which have a sharp bend or junction that the riders will approach quickly etc. | High | Ride Leader to warn riders at a suitable point in advance of the hazard to slow down & take extra care. |
| MN3 | Roads liable to flooding (especially during the winter). | High | The Ride Leader should avoid these when formulating a route, but if the group comes across an unexpected flood, then the Ride Leader should remind everyone that it’s more than likely to be best to cycle down the middle of the road (rather than the sides, so as to avoid submerged potholes & get the benefit from any road camber), & to go through unclipped, reasonably slowly & with a reasonable gap between riders. |
| MN4 | Crossing a ford. | High | The Ride Leader should have determined whether there’s a footbridge alongside & if so, should recommend that it be used. If no other option but to go through the ford, assess whether the depth is considered too deep – if so, replan a diversion to the route. If deemed safe to cross, then advise to cross singly, in as straight a line as possible, unclipped & not following behind one another closely. |
| MN5 | Risk of ice during winter months, especially on the back lanes after prolonged low temperatures overnight. | High | Ride Leader should consider an alternative route to avoid narrow/shady lanes & re-route onto the wider roads which will probably have been gritted. Alternatively, & especially if there is a very high risk of encountering ice, then to just cancel the ride. |
| MN6 | Lane full of potholes. | Medium | Ride Leader to avoid wherever possible. |
| MN7 | Short sections of roads or junctions containing lots of gravel and/or potholes. | Medium | Ride Leader to warn riders at a suitable point in advance of the hazard. |
| MN8 | A narrow downhill section followed immediately by a steep uphill section, which might cause riders to bunch up due to being in the wrong gear. | Medium | Ride Leader to warn riders at a suitable point in advance of the hazard. |
| MN9 | Any areas of exposed road that could be affected by high cross-winds. | Medium | Ride Leader to warn riders at a suitable point in advance of the hazard. |
| MAJOR ROADS | |||
| MJ1 | Crossing main roads. | High | When crossing a main road, riders must be discouraged from using small gaps in traffic & crossing individually, as this could impact on other riders, causing them to make inappropriate & last-minute decisions to cross when unsafe. Best practice is to have a disciplined approach & for the Ride Leader to wait for more than a sufficient gap in the traffic, which will allow the whole group to cross together; or alternatively & where appropriate, the Ride Leader could allocate crossing in sub-groups instead. |
| MJ2 | Crossing a main road at a blind junction. | High | Ride Leader either replan the route or prepare a suitable method of crossing the junction so as to do so in as safe a manner as possible e.g. nominate one rider to cross first, such that they then have a better view for any approaching traffic & can advise the main group accordingly. |
| MJ3 | Any length of main road where there will be a considerable level of traffic & where that traffic is either travelling very fast or includes heavy goods vehicles. | High | The Ride Leader should avoid these types of roads all together & should re-plan a more suitable route. |
| MJ4 | Turning right off a main road, especially when the turning is close to a bend. | High | Ride Leader either replan the route or prepare a suitable method of navigating the junction, giving considerations to: stopping on the left if safe to do so, avoiding riders being stationary in the middle of the road waiting to cross, nominating one rider to cross ahead of the others, such that they then have a better view for any approaching traffic & can advise the main group accordingly. |
| MJ5 | Steep uphill section of main road. | High | Ride Leader should avoid where possible as the riders will be slower uphill, will be putting more effort in & so may “wobble”/deviate from a straight line more than normal, & will probably get spaced apart, all presenting a greater challenge/risk for traffic to overtake. |
| MJ6 | Any length of A-road. | Medium | In general Ride Leaders will not plan routes with significant lengths of A-roads. A-roads will generally only be used in short sections so as to link routes across onto the more normal side lanes. Where an A-road must be used for any length, then during the ride the Ride Leader should ensure that the group splits up into sub-groups to enable traffic to pass more easily. Also, it would be advisable that the groups ride at an elevated pace such as to reduce the time that riders are exposed to the risk. |
| UNPAVED TRACKS | |||
| UT1 | Unable to predict all the surface conditions that could be encountered | High | Unpaved surfaces can vary considerable and frequently from section to section. They are also subject to constant change, especially when wet and icy. As it is impossible to identify each hazard before the ride the focus moves to more use of DRA by the Ride Leader during the ride. All participants must keep alert and listen to instructions |
| UT2 | Conditions beyond the skills of the rider and capability of their bike | High | Ride Leader must convey to potential participants the types of surfaces and conditions likely to be encountered and indicate the probable skill levels and bike capability to address those conditions. Ride Leader needs to check with any participant who does not normally ride unpaved surfaces as to whether of not they are likely to be capable of doing the ride. |
| UT3 | Conditions beyond the capability of participants bike | Medium | Unpaved tracks typically require bikes with at least wider and treaded tyres. Hardpack tracks, old railway lines, canal towpaths etc are less challenging and just wider tyres are probably okay. Bridleways, tracks through woods, and so on are more challenging and would generally require a more robust bike. The Ride Leader must convey to potential participants the types of surfaces and conditions likely to be encountered and be available to discuss the bike capability to address those conditions. |
| UT4 | Everyone’s riding capabilities varies and it is not possible for the Ride Leader to select an optimum ‘line’ around or across any feature. | High | In the pre-ride briefing the Ride Leader to emphasise that each participant is responsible for selecting their own way round or over any feature. If the participant is uncertain then it is acceptable for them to dismount and walk the feature. |
| UT5 | Riding a Canal Towpath | Medium | Ride Leader to identify sections of the ride using Towpaths, and closely monitor any participants who are nervous around water. It should be seen as acceptable to walk sections where needed. |
| UT6 | Physical and mental demands and onset of fatigue | High | Riding unpaved surfaces is typically more physically demanding, and the concentration levels are more mentally draining. The ride plan needs to acknowledge this and the distance / climbing profile needs to be adjusted. |
| UT7 | Remoteness of location in the event of an issue | Medium | Ride timings should be scheduled so as to give contingency should it be necessary to walk-out from a remote location, say because of a damaged bike. |
| UT8 | Remoteness of location in the event of an emergency | High | Ride Leader should use location tracking techniques (Map Reference, What3Words, etc) to locate group and be able to convey that location to emergency services in the event of an problem |
2. ADDITIONAL FACTORS FOR INTRODUCTORY RIDES
| Hazard | Risk level | Mitigation/Action | |
| INTRODUCTORY RIDES | |||
| IR1 | Inexperienced Riders coming along for Introductory Rides | High | With the relative inexperience of Riders coming along to do an Introductory Ride with us the Route planned should be as Hazard free as possible and the route and distance should be relaxed.
The Ride Leader to Participant ratio should be low, such as 1:2. If needs be the Rider Leader should co-op additional ride Leaders to maintain the low ratio level. The Ride will need to balance the need for a quality briefing without be tedious and turning off the Participant. – there will probably be a need for a high level of Dynamic Risk Assessment on the ride,. Unless specifically invited along to assit the Ride Leader ordinary Club members should be disuaded from joining in.. |
| IR2 | Inexperienced Riders are unlikely to be used to maintaining and chacking their bikes | High | The confirmation of acceptance on to the Ride should prompt the Participant to do some basic checks on their bikes, and to bring along some appropriate spares.
The Rider Leader should work with the Participant ( as a ‘learning experience’) to do a formal bike check before the ride. The Ride Leader should bring along a wide range of tools to address simple issues |
3. ADDITIONAL FACTORS FOR SPECIAL EVENTS
| Hazard | Risk level | Mitigation/Action | |
| SPECIAL EVENTS | |||
| SE1 | These rides venture into some parts of our region which we infrequently ride and we do not have frequent updates on the riding conditions of some parts of the route. | High | Ride Leaders to trial ride the route to ‘prove’ it and to review it for the Risk Assessment
Ride Leaders leading each sub-group to be familairised with the route to they are comfortable with the routing and direction and hazards. On such a long ride it is impossible to specifically indentify and plan for each hazard. It is important that the Ride Leaders leading each sub-group are effectively trained in Dynamic Risk Assessment techniques, and that they are continuously using these techniques to assess and mitigate risks throughout the ride. |
| SE1 | These rides undoubtedly have a lure of doing a ‘challenging’ ride and as such are likely to encourage some riders to exceed their normal levels of effort. As such there is likely to be increased chance of injury and over-exertion. Also at the limit Riders are more likely to have an accident. | High | Ride Leaders to all be trained in and prepared to give First Aid.
Sweep vehicle to be available to pickup any ‘walking wounded’ type injusries All Ride Leaders to be practiced in using What3Words to indentify to emergency Services where an accident has happened Entry Form to request informationon prexisting medical conditionsThere are two Ride Leader to warn riders at a suitable point in advance of the hazard to slow down & take extra care. |
| SE2 | A longer ride will need additional hydration and energy replenishment | Medium | Ride planned to have regular formal refreshment stops
Riders to be encouraged to bring additional hydration and snacks with them. As part of the DRA protocol Ride Leaders to be requested to informal monitoring of all riders |
| MN2 | The longer distances also potentially lead to an increased chance of Bike failure.. | Medium | Participants to be encouraged to check their bikes before the Ride. Additionally to be requested to bring along a range of spares to address common bike isses. |
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Last updated by Alan Jelley on 3rd June 2026