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Golden Pitt ride (Dave Bishop) |
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Vancouver Bicycle Club: Ride Leader Guidelines
Planning the ride
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The usual starting points for VBC rides are Max's Deli (15th & Oak) or Uprising Breads (on Venables near Commercial). If the starting point is out of the city, it's helpful to provide a way for participants without cars to get there. You could suggest in your ride description that participants in the city meet at one of these points earlier and carpool to the starting point, or that they call the ride leader or the VBC hotline to arrange carpooling.
The usual start and finish times (but you can vary these):
- Fast rides from 9 AM up to all day
- Medium rides from 9, 9:30, or 10 AM (depending on the time of year and other factors), also up to all day, but shorter in the winter
- Leisure rides from 10 AM to about 3:30 PM at the latest
- Escargot rides from 11 AM to no longer than two or three hours
The ride rating scheme is described in detail on the Ride Info page.
If possible, test the route ahead of time and note any difficulties. Check that the restaurant you choose is open on Sundays, and plan to arrive by about 12:30 at the latest. Participants will appreciate your knowledge of snack stops and washroom stops along the way.
The distance should be no more than those listed on the Ride Info page. If the route is mostly flat, an exception can be made, but the distance should be noted in the newsletter description. Leisure and Escargot routes should avoid high-traffic arterials where possible.
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Before the ride
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You may receive some phone calls or emails about the ride, including some from new members or non-members who have no idea of what to expect. Answer any questions with as much information as you can, especially about the pace and distance. If the callers are first-time participants, let them know about the club's helmet requirement.
While we encourage all participants to carry basic tools and a patch kit, we indicate in our Ride Rating Scheme (on our Ride Info page) that the leader and the sweep for Escargot rides carry these. Ride leaders in particular should have these with them, as well as a spare tube.
If you have to cancel the ride, leave a message on the VBC hotline at least an hour before the ride start. You can also leave a message indicating that the ride is going ahead in case anyone calls the hotline to check about the ride.
If you know in advance that you can't lead a ride as planned, try to find another ride leader, or contact the ride committee. |
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At the start of the ride
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Introduce yourself to the riders assembled at the starting point, and have them sign the waiver/participant record. Try to get everyone's phone numbers, including emergency numbers.
If anyone isn't wearing a helmet, politely tell the person that helmets are required on VBC rides, and suggest that he or she come back for another ride after getting a helmet.
It's helpful to tell the group the route as well as the destination, and where some stopping points are along the way.
Depending on the experience of the group, you may want to go over some group riding practices:
- Be predictable
- Leave at least a metre between you and the cyclist in front of you unless you and the other cyclists are experienced in drafting
- Obey traffic laws
- Use hand and voice signals for your fellow cyclists as well as for motorists
- Pass on the left only
- Wait for other group members, especially after going through an intersection, crossing a road, passing a fork in the road, or turning onto another road
If the group is large, point out that when riding in traffic where there isn't a wide shoulder, it's considerate to leave a space after every three or four cyclists so that motorists can pass the group safely. With a very large group, you might want to split the group in two, and ask another club member to lead one of the groups.
Unless the group is quite small, ask another club member to be the tail rider/sweep, or to lead while you take the tail position so that no one gets left behind. This doesn't need to be the same person throughout the ride.
Count the number of riders so that you can keep track of how many people are with you. |
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On the ride
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Our newsletter and the Ride Info page have details about the typical pace and distance for each ride category.
For all rides:
- When you go through an intersection, always check if everyone got through it. If not everyone did, wait until the group is together again.
- Unless everyone is familiar with the route, wait after turning onto another road or passing a fork in the road to be sure that everyone makes the turn with the group.
- In bad weather, you might want to shorten a long route so that if the weather becomes worse, you can end the ride early.
- At the end of the ride, lead participants back to the starting point, or to another familiar point.
For Leisure and Escargot rides:
- The pace should be suitable for the slowest rider. If some riders want to ride faster than the group pace, don't try to keep up with them. Your responsibility is to the group.
- Every few kilometres, stop for a few minutes to allow everyone to catch up, and to do a head count. This is also a chance for the group to relax and socialize.
- At busy intersections where left turns are part of the route, some participants may choose to walk their bikes along the crosswalks. You can suggest this to anyone who isn't comfortable in traffic.
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After the ride
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Mail the completed waiver/participant record as requested by the ride committee.
If you encounter any problems on the ride, inform the ride committee.
Ride stories are always welcome. If you write one (optional), please send it to the newsletter editor. |
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What makes a good ride
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The leader describes the route so that participants know where they're going and what to expect.
First-timers are made to feel welcome and comfortable in the group.
Nobody gets separated from the group, or has reason to worry about this happening.
The pace isn't too fast for anyone.
The group(s) is/are not too large.
The route is pleasant.
Everyone feels relaxed and is able to have a good time.
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