Safe Group Riding

 Please Read and Follow These 
Rules of the Road for SAFE Group Riding!
* From the League of American Bicyclists

Be Predictable

 In a group, your actions affect those around you, not just yourself

 Riders expect you to continue straight and to ride at a constant speed

 Signal and announce your intention to turn or slow down before you do so

Look Before You Make a Move

 Scan behind before moving laterally

 Use cues provided by others in the group, but

 Make your own decision

Use Hand and Verbal Signals

 Use hand signals to indicate turns and point out hazards to others

 Left turn, right turn, slowing or stopping

 Back them up with verbal signals

Give Warnings

 Announce “Left turn!” or “Right turn!” well in advance

 Warn of road hazards

 Avoid sudden stops or turns except for emergencies

Ride One or Two Across

• Riding double file is fun, but

• Consider Safety and Courtesy; ride single file when necessary to avoid impeding traffic

• “Car back!” is the signal to get into single file

• Riding more than two abreast is illegal, unless an event has special permits with police escorts,

controlled traffic or closed roads that temporarily allows cyclists more room

Change Positions Correctly

 Slower moving traffic stays to the right; faster traffic to the left

 Pass on the left; announce “On your left!”

 On rare occasions you may need to pass on the right; announce “On your right!” clearly, since

this is not a usual maneuver

Watch for Traffic: Rear and Ahead

 The last rider should check frequently for overtaking cars

 “Car back!” when a car is approaching from the rear

 “Car up!” on narrow roads or when riding two abreast

Watch Out at Intersections

 “Slowing!” or “Braking!” or “Stopping!”

 “Car right!” or “Car left!” if there is cross traffic

 DO NOT say “Clear!” if there is no cross traffic; each cyclist should verify for him/herself that it is safe to enter the intersection.

Stop for Stop Signs and Signals

 DO NOT follow the leader through intersections.

 If a traffic signal does not respond, wait for a car, press the pedestrian pushbutton, or if there is no other option and the signal will not change, cross carefully when the intersection is clear.

Don’t Pass at an Intersection

 Do not pass other cyclists at an intersection.

 This is highly dangerous and discourteous; your group will be perceived as another bunch of crazy bicyclists who should not be allowed on the roads.

Announce Hazards

 Most cyclists do not have a full view of the road while riding in a group

 Point down to left or right to inform cyclists behind

 Shout “Hole!” “Gravel!” “Oil!” “Glass!” “Bump!” and so forth.

Warn of Foot Traffic

 “Pedestrian up!” or “Runner up!”

 Warn pedestrians you are overtaking from their back with “On your left!”

Watch Out for Railroad Tracks

 Cross perpendicular to the rails.

 Plan in advance: most motorists will not understand that you need to cross perpendicular to the tracks.

Watch Out for Dogs

 Dogs call for extra communication within a group of riders

 “Dog up!” “Dog left!” or “Dog right!”

 If a dog hits a front wheel, the rider will go down

 Try squirting the dog with a water bottle

 Don’t get so distracted by a dog that the group stops watching where it is going

About Drafting

 Drafting , or pacelining, can save a lot of energy due to reduced wind resistance, but...

 Drafting requires the ultimate in predictability and trust

 18” – 36” back in pacelines with riders you are not familiar with

 Wheel overlap: if the wheels touch, the rear rider goes down

 Do not draft another rider without his or her knowledge AND permission.

 Do not attempt to join a paceline if you are not sure you know all of the elements of paceline

etiquette.

Be Attentive — Conserve Energy

 Cyclists must make a special effort to remain attentive when fatigued.

 Drafting is an excellent way to conserve energy, even when a cyclist is tired, since the wind drag is reduced for several feet behind another cyclist.

 With the concurrence of the lead cyclist, a fatigued rider can draft at a greater distance than usual, thereby receiving the benefits while preserving an adequate safety margin.

Mass Rides Pose Special Challenges!

 Single-day and multi-day rides with hundreds or thousands of riders present some unique challenges.

 First: So many bicycles on the roadways at one time. Even with staggered starts, the road can

be very crowded.

 Next, the sorting out stage: The danger of bicycle-with bicycle crashes is greatest. Adrenalin-driven riders sprint around large groups of cyclists, often taking up all of the oncoming lanes to do so.

 Other cyclists may sprint by on the right side of riders preparing to turn into a rest stop area or

to stop by the side of the road.

 Probably the biggest challenge: The variety of skill levels among entrants, so

cyclists must ride with special care.

Cyclists should use extra care to:

o Avoid erratic behavior such as changing lane position without looking back.

o Move to the side of the road to dismount and rest to avoid blocking the road, especially on hills.

o Avoid collisions when descending hills at high speed and trying to get around riders going more slowly.

o Leave more space between bicycles, and use voice signals more frequently than on a smaller group ride.

o Avoid passing other cyclists whose skills they aren’t sure of, when surrounded closely by

them. Ride at the same speed, or slower.

Group Riding Etiquette

 Don’t wear headphones

o Auditory cues are too important to impair

o Wearing headphones in a group is unsociable

o It seriously erodes the communication necessary for safe riding

  
Leave a gap for motor vehicles

o Applies especially on narrow roads where even single file riding impedes traffic

o Leave gaps so motorists and faster cyclists will have shorter passing intervals

 Move off the road when regrouping

o Move completely off the roadway if at all possible when stopping to fix a flat, have a snack

or a drink, take a break, etc.

o Obstructing the road can create a dangerous situation and cause a traffic jam

Be Courteous

 When the group must stop at a traffic signal, avoid hogging the space other vehicles taking different directions could use. Example: when going straight ahead, leave the right-turn lane clear so that right-turning cars can get around.

 Be courteous to others with whom we are sharing the road, whether they are motorists or cyclists. This is part of being a responsible cyclist, and it will help improve our image.

 More safe group riding recommendations can be found by visiting the League of American Bicyclists at http://www.bikeleague.org/