The object of the SA Recreational Cyclists Club is to have enjoyable cycling for all members. By observing the following guidelines for Leaders and Riders the safety and enjoyment of the club rides should be ensured.

CYCLIST’S RESPONSIBILITIES

1.  Riders must follow the ride leader’s instructions.
2. Ensure that your bike is in good repair, with tyres that are suited to the ride. Carry a pump, a puncture repair kit, a spare tube and a water bottle, and when necessary an effective raincoat.
3. A first aid kit should be carried by all riders
4. All riders should carry personal emergency information in the event that they are involved in an accident.
5. Wear an easily visible top and consider using your tail lights in wet weather and on dull days. Be seen and be safe.
6. Obey all the road rules. Do not ride two abreast if the road is narrow or has heavy traffic and always ride within any bike-lane on a road. On shared paths make sure you keep to the left and be aware of other cyclists and pedestrians. Remember that you are responsible for your behaviour and actions on a public road.
7. Leave plenty of room between yourself and the rider in front to allow for unexpected stops. If you have to stop, alert the riders behind you.
8. When passing, alert the rider in front by calling “passing on the right” and for safety’s sake, do not pass on the inside of a rider.
9. Alert the group to hazards e.g. broken glass, approaching cars, cyclists or pedestrians. Call “Car up”, “Car back” , “Bollard” etc and use hand signals for hazards on the road.
10. If you leave the group before the official completion of the ride, notify the leader or Tail End Charlie.
11. Do not go ahead of the Ride Leader without his/her permission, you may take a wrong turn. Riders who ride ahead of the leader without permission, will be deemed to have left the ride.
12. SARCC has public liability insurance but does not carry any personal injury insurance cover; rides are undertaken at your own risk. It is recommended that you at least have ambulance cover.
13. In case of an accident, we ask that you bring identification and emergency contact arrangements on every ride.
14. If a ride has 10+ participants there must be a “Tail End Charlie” appointed. This person needs to know the outline of the ride or the exact route and be capable of getting a message to the leader or riding up to the front. Mobile phone numbers should be exchanged too and all riders know who the tail end is.
15. It is the responsibility of every rider to check that they can see the rider behind them when making a turn and to pass a message up to the front if asked.
16. A leader does not have to lead a large group if he/she believes it is not manageable or safe. The group should be divided into two and another member can either take the ride on a totally different route or follow the original route a little way behind but not joining up to the first group.
17. If riding along a busy road we should ride in single file and in bunches of no more than  four to six so that vehicles can overtake safely. When turning off the busy road the leader should pull off the road and regroup.

LEADER’S RESPONSIBILITIES

Before the ride

1. Choose a route that is both interesting and within the capabilities of our members. Old programmes are useful for ideas and to provide an indication of appropriate distance, gradient and road surface. If the route is in the city, avoid busy main roads.
2. Cycle the route. Note toilet facilities, choose a pleasant spot for lunch and where possible ensure that there is shelter or shade. It is a good idea to check the route the week prior to the ride, particularly if the road surface could be affected by weather conditions. This also enables the leader to revise the details of the route.
3. For publication in the programme, write a few words about the location of the ride and features of interest, in particular the starting point and time, the distance of the ride and some indication of the difficulty of the ride so that members are able to choose rides within their capabilities. Unsealed roads and hilly terrain should be indicated. If there is no shop near the lunch stop, or morning tea, include “BYO” lunch.
4. CANCELLATION of a ride: Hot Weather and Fire Danger For all scheduled SARCC rides, if the Adelaide forecast maximum as at 6.00 p.m. the evening before the ride is 35 degrees Celsius or over and/or the fire danger in the area of the ride is designated “Severe, Extreme, Catastrophic”, the leader has the right to cancel the ride without notice.  Members interested in still riding should review the SARCC web site after 7pm the evening before the ride to determine if the ride has been cancelled, modified or will continue as scheduled. Cancellation may also occur if the Bureau of Meteorology issues an Extreme Weather Warning  the night before for the area covered by the ride.

Leading the ride

1. Attend the ride, or if you can’t, find an alternative leader who is familiar with the ride. In case of emergency a mobile phone should be available.
2. Do the ride that is in the programme. If you need to make any changes, gain the consent of the assembled members to ensure that those present are capable of the new ride.
3. Before setting out introduce and welcome new members to the group. Give a short description of the ride and emphasise any special features or road hazards that are expected to be encountered.
4. Take a head count and appoint an experienced rider to ride at the rear.
5. Lead from the front. Pace the ride so that there is a comfortable speed for the riders present. Stop and regroup if riders become too spread out. If regrouping after turning a corner, ensure that there is room for all cyclists to stop safely off the road without obstructing traffic.
6. Ride leaders must ensure that they obey all road rules, including waiting for green lights at all crossings, and walking bikes across such crossings that do not have a “cycle” sign. These infringements can all attract fines. Signal clearly well in advance when changing direction. If there is a large number of riders, consider breaking up into two smaller groups where the road is narrow and the traffic is heavy.
7. At the completion of the ride make sure you return to the starting point and wait until the last rider arrives. If this is not possible appoint a substitute leader to finish the ride.

Updated by the committee on 12 March 2021