HOW TO JOIN
1. Please read the "rules" / what is expected of you (which are in the parental consent form).
2. Parent and rider to sign and return by email the Parental Consent Form.
3. Join our Facebook page to see when the rides are. (N.B. this is a permission only closed group -message us in advance.)
4. Get a road bike without knobbly tyres or contact us to borrow a bike
5. Prepare your bike to be safe
Check the brakes
Pump up the tyres
Remove bike locks and pannier racks and other heavy stuff
6. Bring with you:
Two water bottles (full)
Some energy bars / food
Seatpost bag with: spare inner tube, levers, pump
Mobile phone
7. Join British Cycling (free for first year if you quote OYC). This will provide insurance also. Registration number is 818516.
Join our Facebook group in order to see when rides are on and who is going. N.B. this is a closed group for safeguarding reasons so please contact us first with information about who you are and why you want to join.
Join British Cycling (free)
OYC number is 818516
Parental consent form and rules
Road Ride Rules:
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The primary concern of any ride is SAFETY. Please support this above any other objective.
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Good communication is essential for safety, so speak-up, pass on messages and be vigilant.
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Point out holes and pass on safety messages in a clear voice
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Always do what the ride leader says
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It is not a race. Do not "attack" off the front unless invited to do so.
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Do not split the group. Look back to stay in touch.
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Keep your position in the group, unless you have permission to overtake.
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When overtaking ALWAYS CHECK THAT IT IS CLEAR -e.g. of cars / another rider overtaking.
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Do not cross to the opposite side of the road
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Keep in when going around a corner and don’t swing wide
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Do not UN-dertake. If you have to do it, shout “Inside!”
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Do not brake heavily, unless you shout “Braking!”
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If you stand up on the pedals, put in extra power in order to not drop back
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Stay behind the rider in front of you (offset a bit) and do not "half-wheel” (overlap wheels)
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If the road is busy it may be necessary to go ‘single file’
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When going down hill allow a bigger gap between riders
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Keep an eye on the rider behind you if you are the penultimate rider. Shout out loudly if someone is being dropped and get the group to slow down
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If the rider in front of you is gapped, don’t sprint ahead to the group, help them close back to the group
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If you are tired, tell someone and make sure that the people in front get the message
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Do your turns on the front. If tired, it doesn’t need to be long. However, if necessary, you can sit on the back if you make it clear that you are not going to take a turn.
Bikes and Kit
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All riders attend on a well maintained and clean road bike, with non-knobbly tyres in good condition; Tyres are normally labelled as 700x 23mm up to 28mm
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All riders shall bring: a pump; tyre levers; spare tube[s]; a multi-tool; £5;
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All riders to bring lights in the case of evening rides;
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All riders attend wearing a correctly fitting CE marked helmet in good condition;
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All riders must wear suitable cycle clothing for the weather and bring a waterproof jacket if there is the chance of rain;
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Riders should endeavour to carry a mobile phone;
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Riders must carry sufficient drink (2 bottles) and suitable snacks for the planned duration and weather. Bars, natural food and bananas are preferred over gels, and water over branded drinks.
Participation
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Only competent riders 14 years and over may participate (age at time of ride) who can ride at an equivalent of the Level 2 Cycle Training Standards will be allowed on OYC rides (some rides may be limited to older riders).
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By exception there may be some rides available for riders 12 and over who are of a high standard.
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Ideally newbies should be accompanied by their parent or other responsible adult.
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Experienced parents may come along on the rides. They must have insurance (e.g. British Cycling or Cycling UK). N.B. There is a no-wait policy for adult riders.
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New riders need to be approved or have undergone a newbie ride assessment before riding with other riders, for group safety.
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A Lead Rider shall be nominated for every ride. The Lead Rider will have control of the pace, route and general discipline on the ride.
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The lead rider shall have the authority to exclude riders from riding within the group if they consider the skills or behaviour inappropriate. It may be sufficient to simply ask a rider to trail the group until such time as it is safe to give further instruction.
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All riders shall comply with the Highway Code at all times and must be familiar with the contents of the Highway Code. This includes not crossing the central white line on the road.
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All riders should be members of British Cycling; (It is usually free for the first year.) https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/clubs/membership
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Third party insurance: British Cycling membership includes insurance. Alternatively Cycling UK offers third party insurance: https://www.cyclinguk.org/insurance/third-party-insurance