Group Ride Safety

Essential Ride Etiquette & Communication

Effective communication prevents accidents. Speak up clearly and use standard hand signals consistently.

Hand Signals: Learn and use the standard signals for stopping, slowing, turning left/right, and pointing out hazards (see graphic below).
Verbal Calls:
- "Car Back!" - Vehicle approaching from behind. Move as far right as safely possible.
- "Car Up!" - Vehicle approaching from the front. Hold your line.
- "Slowing!" - Always call this out before lightly braking or easing off the pace.
- "On Your Left/Right!" - Used when passing another rider. Pass safely and predictably.
Point Out Hazards: Use an open hand or point to clearly indicate obstacles like potholes, gravel, drain grates, railroad tracks, or debris. Pass the call/signal back quickly.
Hold Your Line: Ride predictably. Avoid sudden, unpredictable movements (swerving, sharp braking). Maintain a straight line, especially when looking over your shoulder.

🚴 Tips for Riding in a Single Paceline

1. Joining the Line (Getting into Position)

Approach Gently: As you come up to the end of the line, match your speed to the last rider before you get too close. Don't brake suddenly.
Maintain the Gap: Once you're positioned, keep your front wheel about 1 meter behind the rear wheel of the rider in front. This is the sweet spot for drafting. Any closer is risky; any farther sacrifices energy savings.
Focus on the Back: Look past the rear wheel to the rider's upper back or shoulder, and further down the road. Staring intently at the wheel in front of you can cause you to panic and overlap wheels if the rider in front swerves even slightly.

2. Holding Your Position (Drafting)

Look Ahead: Your job is to monitor traffic and road hazards for yourself and to help spot them early for the rider in front of you. Never look down for long periods.
No Half-Wheeling: In any formation (single or double), do not let your front wheel creep up next to the wheel of the rider beside you (if double) or overlap the wheel in front of you (if single). Overlapping wheels is the fastest way to crash.
Avoid Surges (Accelerations): The rhythm must be steady. If the line slows slightly, don't brake; instead, sit up straight slightly (increasing wind resistance) or simply stop pedaling momentarily. Sudden braking will cause a gap or a crash.
Keep Pedaling: Even if the pace feels easy, keep your legs moving lightly. If you stop pedaling or coast, you lose momentum and risk creating gaps or needing a surge to catch up, which stresses the riders behind you.

3. Taking the Pull (Leading the Line)

Match the Speed: When it's your turn to lead, smoothly move into the front position. Do not surge or accelerate aggressively. Maintain the speed the previous leader was holding.
Ride Predictably: Hold a straight line and avoid sudden swerving. You are responsible for scanning the road and shouting out calls for hazards (like "Hole!" or "Gravel!").
Set the Duration: Keep your pull time short and consistent (often 1-3 minutes). Don't try to be a hero; exhausting yourself breaks the rhythm and causes stress when you peel off.

4. Peeling Off and Rotating

Signal Clearly: Before you move off the front, give a slight elbow flick on the side you plan to move to (usually the left/away from the curb) to signal the next rider to come through.
Move Smoothly: When you decide to peel off, move laterally (sideways) smoothly and gradually. Do not slam the brakes.
Maintain Speed... Briefly: Once you are out of the wind, slightly reduce your speed just enough to let the rest of the line pass you. The line passing you should maintain its speed.
Join the Back: Once the whole line has passed, smoothly move back into the wind-protected line position. Call out "Last Wheel!" to let the rider behind you know the rotation is complete.

Pro Tip: Practice the Hand-Off

A great paceline relies on the smoothness of the hand-off. When the leader peels off, the rider directly behind them becomes the new leader. This rider should keep their speed constant and smoothly guide the line past the outgoing leader, then immediately take over the duty of hazard spotting and speed maintenance.

Club Ride Cycling Accident Checklist

Ride Leader - At the Accident Site:

Make sure that the accident site and people are safe, including traffic control if necessary.
Check for injuries, provide first aid, call for an ambulance and/or police if needed.
Witnesses: get as much information as possible from any witnesses outside of club

members; name, address and phone number. Preferably witnesses who actually saw the

accident happen.

Take photos of accident site, any vehicles and/or people involved.
Avoid discussing/admitting fault or accident details with anyone.

Injured Member - At Home:

See a doctor ASAP if you have not already done so.
Write down all details as you remember them of the accident. Include: Date, time, location, description of incident.
If there is an injury, an accident report must be submitted to Cycling BC within 7 days. https://cyclingbc.net/accident-report/
If a motorized vehicle was involved, submit a claim to ICBC. Consider contacting a lawyer.
Do not repair any damaged gear or property before discussing with insurance company and/or lawyer.
Report the accident to the club president or a safety committee member, if the accident has not yet been reported by another club member.

Please ask any member of the board that you are comfortable with if you need help navigating this to do list or if you have questions about how to proceed. Take care of yourself!

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