WAB RIDE LEADER GUIDELINES
by JIM HOMEROSKYWhy Lead a Ride?
I’d like to start with a recent top ten list that I saw on
David Letterman. Really, I did. So, from our home office in beautiful Colonial
Williamsburg, Virginia, the top ten reasons to lead a 10) Sleep in if you want. You can pick the date and time that works for you. 9) You can choose an existing route that works best for you or be creative and design a new one. 8) You won’t be left behind. You can choose a pace that is best for you. 7) You contribute something to a great club. 6) You get to see lots of your old friends. Which is fun. 5) You get to make new friends. Still more fun. 4) Leading a ride makes you go riding yourself. 3) You get to choose the food stops during or after the ride! 2) You can share with others historical or other interesting sights along the route. And the number one reason to lead rides for the Williamsburg Area Bicyclists…. 1) You get one of those nifty certificates each year at the awards meeting! What Kind of Ride to Lead?· Decide on a date. Weekends are best and usually attract the most riders. Some holidays work also. · Decide on a time. Take into consideration driving time to the start, daylight hours, cold winter mornings and hot summer afternoons, and timing a lunch during or after the ride. A good rule of thumb for C rides is 10 miles/hour. · Decide on a pace. Make sure you can maintain that pace for the duration of the ride and that it matches the pace of the riders you want to ride with. Remember that this should be fun. Selecting a Route· Choose a starting point that has adequate parking and that people can easily find. It’s a plus to have restrooms nearby. · Always feel free to choose an existing route that others have road tested. Plagiarism in this case is OK. See another member or your ride coordinator for existing maps and cue sheets. Add variations to the ride to give it a personal touch. · Consider choosing a theme (history, chili, pumpkins) or have some fun with the ride descriptions. Capture their attention. Plan the ride with the intent of having fun. · Plan your stops. Consider availability of food, water and restrooms. Remember, however, that most riders do know to carry energy snacks, water and are comfortable with trees, if you know what I mean. · Safety should be your deciding factor for all route-related decisions. · Choose a distance that is practical for the pace you are leading. Casual rides are generally between 10 and 25 miles. If a ride is long for a particular pace, consider having a shorter option and be prepared to direct them back to the start. · You should always pre-ride or at least pre-drive the route to know first-hand road conditions, hazards, sights, stops, etc. Maps and Cue Sheets
It is preferable to give riders a map and/or cue sheet but not
mandatory. Maps or cue sheets may not be necessary if the ride is short,
simple (out the parkway and back), or if your riding group is small and you plan on
sticking together. You will find that on some rides, either a map or cue sheet is
necessary. If you can, check with other members or leaders to see if they have one
you can use. Whether you use a map or cue sheet is simply personal preference.
I guarantee, though, that whichever you select, someone will still complain.
So, if possible, use both. Cue sheets are the easier of the two to develop
but by supplying both you can make the ride a lot easier on yourself. Any rider who
wants to go off ahead or take a shortcut back can and will do so. Usually it is time
constraints that force some riders to cut off early. You would be doing them a great
service. Submitting a Ride Description Form
Whether this is done at the meeting, by email or by phone, the
following should be provided: Date and Time Remember to start at
least 15 minutes earlier that the ferry departure time for Surry rides originating in Starting Point Distance A range is acceptable. Pace We are trying to more
accurately describe ride paces by using + and –‘s or by simply indicating the
average speed you expect to maintain. Doing your best here will improve the quality
of the ride. Phone and Email Other considerations: Indicate
whether money is required for a lunch stop. If you are starting from an obscure
location, give directions. Indicate if lights are required (if the ride is starting very
early or ending late). If it’s a long ride, indicate whether food and water
stops are available. Indicate the difficulty of the terrain only if it is quite
different from the typical terrain of this area. Indicate, when applicable, whether
rain or temperature would cancel a ride. Before the Ride
If you must cancel a ride, show up or have someone else show up at
the starting point to announce that the ride has been cancelled (unless it is obvious from
the weather conditions). If you can’t lead a ride for some reason, try to find
a replacement. Your ride coordinator may be able to help here. Always bring
your bike and helmet, of course, and copies of the maps, cue sheets and the Have everyone sign the waiver form. Important: a parent
or guardian must sign the form for any rider under 18. Carry the waiver form with
you on the ride so you will have the contact information in case of emergency.
Helmets are required, of course, by Making a Pre-Ride Announcement
Keep this short! Everyone is anxious to ride. Some
things to mention… Introductions – particularly with new riders or members.
Ask if everyone has signed the waiver form. Mention the pace and whether or
not you expect the group to stick together (particularly important if you do not supply
cue sheets or maps). Briefly describe the route and any options. Safety –
don’t bore the group with a long sermon but do indicate the importance of riding
single file, using hand and voice signals and bring attention to areas along the route
where the riders should be cautious. It’s always a good idea to find out which
riders have a cell phone, first aid kit or first aid training. Inform the group of
planned stops for food or rest and of a planned get-together or lunch after the ride.
Leading the Ride
Hopefully, when you have done all the above you can now concentrate
on riding and having fun. But do your best in maintaining the pace that you
advertised. It is your responsibility to do so and also to keep track of all the
riders in your group. Always be courteous to other cyclists, pedestrians and
drivers. Set a good example. Talk with and get to know new riders and make
sure they are comfortable. Obey traffic laws. You, as a ride leader, can
dismiss someone from the ride for failing to obey laws or whose actions endanger other
riders. Remember that you don’t necessarily have to lead the ride from
the front. If you’ve passed out maps or cue sheets you may better serve your
group by bringing up the rear. Slower riders really appreciate this! If you
are leading from the back, make sure the riders in front maintain the advertised pace and
are aware of your anticipated stops. If you don’t supply any maps or cues, then
stay at or near the front. Make sure riders know that if they get ahead, they are on
their own. If you run into unforeseen problems, don’t hesitate to change the
route, take shelter or anything else. Keep safety in mind. If the group spreads far apart, consider splitting into two smaller
groups. Take it from experience, this happens a lot. Be prepared to assign
another rider to lead a faster or slower subgroup. If a rider was too slow for your
advertised pace, do your best to get them back but indicate that they should select a
slower pace for their next ride. Keep in mind that although very efficient, pace
lines can be dangerous especially for inexperienced riders. Don’t encourage
pace lines unless you know the group’s abilities well. Keep track of everyone
as best as you can and most of all, have fun. After the Ride
Make sure everyone has returned safely. Thank them for
joining your ride. Mention lunch if it’s in your plans. If someone has
taken pictures or is interested in writing a short article about the ride, encourage
submitting them to the club to use on the website or in The Flying Wheel. Handling Injuries
If a rider is injured, first try to determine if there is a
possibility of a neck or back injury. If so, keep the rider as still and as quiet as
possible. Keep calm, call for help and divert traffic if necessary. Also seek
help if an injured rider is bleeding heavily, has a head injury or has lost consciousness,
can’t remember what happened or has obvious pain when moving an injured limb.
As a ride leader, you are not required to be an expert in first aid. But do
your best to summon help and take responsibility for the injured rider’s bike and
equipment, if necessary. Call the injured rider’s contact number and calmly
explain what happened. For minor injuries, do your best or seek out someone in the
group to administer first aid. Place a high priority in getting the injured rider
back to the start without further incident. Did I Mention, “Have Fun”?
I realize this is a fairly comprehensive guideline. But it’s
not very hard at all. I’ve tried to include as much information here as
possible hoping I can answer all of your questions and make your rides more enjoyable and
of a high quality. Anyone can ride alone and some actually prefer that. But
many, including myself, enjoy bicycling in groups. We are blessed with a great club
and over 300 wonderful members here in
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