We are about to start another great season with our SOBs. One of our challenges is that the membership has grown and we have more cyclists than ever joining the Thursday rides, as well as Tuesday and Saturday. On the one hand, this is a very good thing, we love to see us “older” folks out there enjoying ourselves with friends and getting the benefits of exercise regularly. But, the challenge is the size of the groups and making sure all of us are safe.
We are on roads that we share with cars and they are bigger and much more powerful than we are. We all (cars and cyclists) must learn to share the roads. And we all know these “rules” but just need to be reminded of them.
-We stop at all red lights!
-We slow way down/stop at stop signs and make sure there is absolutely no car in sight.- each person is responsible for themselves, no yelling all clear!
-Ride as far to the right as is safe. Do not ride to the left of another rider for long periods of time. If you are passing, then pass as fast as possible. If you cannot pass without impeding traffic then wait until you can.
-When a right turn lane comes be especially careful. Cars may expect you to turn right and then turn right into you when you continue straight. Ensure no cars are turning into you if you have moved into the right turn lane to allow cars to pass or because there is no other shoulder. At a traffic light, do not ride into the right turn lane. Stop behind the last car in the straight lane. If the only lane is right and straight combined then take whole lane behind last car and take lane through the light, then pull right after crossing intersection.
if there are parked cars take the lane to protect yourself from opening doors
-Single file is best on most roads, unless there is a shoulder and two cyclists can be within its boundaries
-When a cyclist passes another cyclist always do it on the left and say something: ” on your left” or “Hi.”
-If the group is larger than 6 or 7 cyclists, break the peloton up into two or more groups to allow cars to pass and pull in.
-When a bunch of cars are lined up behind the group-pull over in the first safe place and let the cars go by.
-When we regroup, we get completely off the road so cars can get by and see around us. This may mean adjusting some of our traditional regroup points.
-Use hand signals and acknowledge a driver when he treats you well, and do not argue with a bad driver or use any gestures that may incite a driver’s anger
EVERYONE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR RIDER SAFETY. DO NOT LEAVE IT UP TO THE RIDE LEADER. THE RIDE LEADER IS NOT A POLICE OFFICER. If you have a cyclist in your group who is having difficulty keeping to these safety guidelines he/she could be endangering the group’s safety and it is your responsibility to COURTEOUSLY remind that rider to adhere to our guidelines. If a rider continuously refuses to ride safely, then he/she may be asked to no longer ride with us. In these days of drivers inattention, i.e. cell phone calling, texting, just not paying attention, we need to do the best we can and be on the defensive. We ask everyone, to bicycle and drive safely.
PS. The board decided to sign up with RWGPS as a club. That means all paid up club members can use all the RWGPS features for free! That’s right, ignore the message about needing to pay for the ride cues on your phone. Yahoo! You can also print the ride cues at home if desired. Explanations coming soon. All paid up members for 2018 will be given information on how to access these features. Stay tuned.
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