{"id":34,"date":"2020-02-16T19:14:14","date_gmt":"2020-02-16T19:14:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/shipstoncycling.co.uk\/?page_id=34"},"modified":"2026-01-21T15:39:36","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T15:39:36","slug":"ride-guidelines","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/shipstoncycling.co.uk\/index.php\/ride-guidelines\/","title":{"rendered":"Ride Guidelines"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Sunday Club Rides<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Shipston Cycling Club organises group rides every Sunday meeting at the Shipston Leisure Centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are normally 3 riding groups all leaving at 0930. All groups stop for refreshment at a set venue but will set their own pace. The objective is a social ride along with a fair bit of exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For those who are beginners, returning after a lay off&nbsp; or want a more relaxed ride we suggest riding with the C group which is a slower pace and usually a shorter route.<br><br>Just a bit more information to make your cycle rides more enjoyable. We are not a club with endless rules and regulations, but there are some things that need to be considered to make everyone&#8217;s cycling a good experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/shipstoncycling.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Risk-Assessment-for-Club-Group-Road-Rides-1.docx\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/shipstoncycling.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Risk-Assessment-for-Club-Group-Road-Rides-1.docx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sunday Ride Generic Risk Assessment<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.shipstoncycling.com\/uploads\/3\/4\/3\/3\/34339036\/shipston_cycling_guidance_v2.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Group ride Guidance<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Group Riding Video &#8211;&nbsp;<\/strong>See this video from British Cycling\u200b that explains group riding&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.britishcycling.org.uk\/news\/article\/izn20151117-Sportives--Ridesmart--Related-How-to-ride-in-a-group---Ridesmart-0?utm_campaign=539988_Membership_Club_News_July_2018&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=British%20Cycling%20V2&amp;dm_i=480K,BKNO,RB6FD,19XF3,1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&nbsp;Here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Essentials<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Follow the Highway Code at all times &#8211; it applies to ALL road-users.&nbsp;<br>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<strong>It&nbsp;is a Club Rule that well-fitted cycling helmets must be worn on Club rides.<\/strong><br>3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ensure your bike is road-worthy, the brakes are fully operational and that your tyres are pumped up to an appropriate pressure for the road conditions and weather.&nbsp;<br>4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<strong>For winter riding, fit mudguards with a mudflap&nbsp;<\/strong>to&nbsp;protect yourself and the person behind you from water and mud spray, which can&nbsp;be a hazard&nbsp;<br>5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Bring puncture kit, tyre levers, inner tubes, pump, multi-tool,&nbsp;waterproof jacket, food, water\/energy drink, money, mobile, contact details in emergency.&nbsp;<br>6.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dress in appropriate clothing for the weather.&nbsp;<br>7.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When cycling in dull and\/or foggy conditions, at dusk or at night, wear appropriate reflective bright clothing and ensure you have working lights.<br>8. &nbsp; &nbsp; Carry at all times ICE (In Case of Emergency) details and hold their own insurance from for example,&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.britishcycling.org.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">British Cycling<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Group Riding<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>9.&nbsp; &nbsp; When conditions permit, cycle a maximum of two abreast in close&nbsp;parallel lines,&nbsp;<strong>focus on keeping it neat and tidy<\/strong>.&nbsp;<br>10.&nbsp; Ride directly behind the&nbsp;rider in front of you.&nbsp;<br>11.&nbsp;&nbsp;Lead cyclists to navigate&nbsp;and point out hazards in the road by either shouting or using hand signals,&nbsp;preferably both. Listen to them and act on the calls<strong>.<\/strong><br>12.&nbsp;&nbsp;Be prepared on small or&nbsp;busy roads to ride in single file; the inside riders to make space for outside riders to pull into the side.<br>13.&nbsp;&nbsp;Riders at the back of the pack to shout &#8220;Car back, single file&#8221;&nbsp;if there are&nbsp;vehicles behind.&nbsp;<strong>Listen and act on their&nbsp;call<\/strong>,&nbsp;<br>14.&nbsp;&nbsp;<strong>Calls<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8220;<strong>Car&nbsp;Back<\/strong>&#8221; there\u02bcs&nbsp;a car approaching from the back of the group ride &#8220;<strong>Car Front<\/strong>&#8220;: there\u02bcs&nbsp;a car approaching from the front of the group ride.&nbsp;<br>15.&nbsp;&nbsp;Cover your brakes when&nbsp;appropriate but&nbsp;<strong>always<\/strong>&nbsp;when in close formation.&nbsp;<br>16.&nbsp;&nbsp;Brake as gently and&nbsp;smoothly as you safely can when riding in a pack, calling out \u201cSlowing\u201d or&nbsp; \u201cStopping.\u201d&nbsp;<br>17.&nbsp;&nbsp;When on the&nbsp;front keep pedalling, this is particularly important going downhill. If you&nbsp;freewheel everyone behind may have to brake.&nbsp;<br>18.&nbsp;&nbsp;Point out with hand signals and shouts, all potholes, manhole&nbsp;covers&nbsp;and other dangers in the road that could cause a puncture or an&nbsp;accident.<br>19.&nbsp;&nbsp;If&nbsp;you are&nbsp;at the back of the group and you, or someone else is being dropped, it&nbsp;is&nbsp;your responsibility to call to the cyclists in front that the pace is too&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;high. The pack must communicate this up to the front. The lead cyclists will not&nbsp;be aware if you start to drop off. Ask them to slow down; it is your ride&nbsp;too.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br>20.&nbsp;&nbsp;When asked to&nbsp;\u201cease up\u2019 or \u201cslow a little\u201d do not brake suddenly. Gently ease your pace&nbsp;by pedalling less hard or freewheeling for a moment. Look at your speedo&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;if someone is being dropped&nbsp;<strong>you probably only need to reduce your speed&nbsp;by one mile an hour to allow them to stay on.<\/strong><br>21.&nbsp;&nbsp;<strong>Keep the pace&nbsp;smooth and constant<\/strong>,&nbsp;keeping the pack as a compact unit.&nbsp;<br>22.&nbsp;&nbsp;Slow right down when&nbsp;passing horses, and pass them as wide as it is safe to do so. Always call&nbsp;to the horse riders well ahead of catching them &#8211; a cheery \u201cGood<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; morning\u201d&nbsp;or \u201cHello\u201d. Keep calling until the riders indicate they know you are there.&nbsp;They may want to turn the horse so it can see you.&nbsp;<br>23.&nbsp;&nbsp;If&nbsp;you are on the front,&nbsp;remember that people are following your calls. Stop at T junctions and&nbsp;<strong>only pull out when it is safe for the whole group to make the<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;move<\/strong>. If you decide to pull out on a roundabout or junction, you need&nbsp;to call &#8220;Clear&#8221;, &#8211; or &#8220;Wait&#8221; &#8211; to warn the pack of hazards.&nbsp;<br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sunday Club Rides Shipston Cycling Club organises group rides every Sunday meeting at the Shipston Leisure Centre. There are normally 3 riding groups all leaving at 0930. All groups stop for refreshment at a set venue but will set their own pace. The objective is a social ride along with a fair bit of exercise. 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