there has been quite a bit of talk lately and a few posts about people in the various groups not behaving properly during rides.  some of this is how we act in relation to the general public and some of this is how we treat the other people in the group.  by this i don’t mean that people are being mean or nasty to anyone, but people just not being aware of the impact that their actions are having on the group.

so, if any of you are fairly new and have emailed me recently, you most likely would have received a reply that had the following line – “have a look at our ride etiquette guide so you know what we expect”.

for those of you that have forgotten, here is a link and i will be explaining some of the finer points now.

 

• SAFETY is always the number one priority of any SPR group ride

wow, who would have thought that everyone wants to stay upright.  don’t do anything that may adversely affect the safety of others.

• Choosing to participate in an SPR group ride means you have chosen to be part of a team

this means that the group that you have decided to ride in is the pace that you should be riding at.  if you want to drop down to a slower group for the day for an easier ride, that is fine, but don’t show how “strong” you are by smashing the group apart.  look over you shoulder occasionally to make sure the group is still together.

• Give and receive advice graciously

when someone tells you that you are not holding a good line, or you are surging, don’t just ignore them.  people generally won’t really speak up until you are consistently doing something that may affect others safety.  have a think about what you are doing.

• Obey the road rules
• Remember… our actions as individual riders reflect upon SPR as a whole
  

besides that fact that the road rules are there to stop you being killed, the respect we get on the road from motorists can be attributed to the respect we give them.  if we cut them off, slide down between cars and go through red lights, don’t expect that they will want to be courteous to us.  also, wearing the spr kit means that you are representing the club.  everything that you do reflects upon the club as a whole whether it is on the road or bike path, on a group ride or on your own, you are part of the club.

• Riding in Formation

there is a whole section on riding in formation that people seriously need to look at.  the whole point of our training rides is that you are not riding by yourself.  if you can’t seem to grasp some of the basic points under this section, you may need to spend some time in the novice and transitional groups.  it doesn’t matter if you have spend $10,000 on a new bike and have all the gear, if you are not following the rules, riding correctly and listening to the ride leaders, then maybe you shouldn’t be riding with us.

• Obey the road rules

i put this one in again as it is important.  watch the video and see if you can identify just which road rule was being breached. ok, so the heading may have given it away, but if the 6 guys in front of you can stop, then so can you.