Riding Agreements, Policies & Expectations

Our club aims to provide fun, exercise, and fellowship through cycling.

Safety is our number one priority.

A daily club ride leaves the Echo Mesa parking lot each weekday. The start time varies by month. You can find the ride start times posted on our website at bicycle.scwclubs.com. We strongly encourage you to become familiar with the website.

We organize ourselves into smaller riding groups of 8 or fewer riders a few minutes before each ride. Riding speeds for the groups are as follows:

• 20+ mph
• 17-19 mph
• 14 to 16 mph
• 13 to 15 mph
• 10 to 12 mph (Leisure)

When there are nine or more riders in a group, we divide them evenly into two or more smaller groups, not exceeding eight riders. We do this because we think it’s safer. Not all groups may be offered depending on the number of riders on a given day.

Daily rides are one hour long with a 5-minute rest stop after 30 minutes. All rides then return to Echo Mesa for coffee and socializing on the Echo Mesa patio. On Mondays and Thursdays, in addition to the regular 1-hour ride, there is the option of a long ride of 2 to 3 hrs.

In addition to the daily rides, we have a monthly “out to dinner” social night. We have twice monthly Saturday breakfast rides and a monthly off-campus ride. Once you have joined the club, you will be on the distribution list to receive email updates on these and other activities.

Safe Riding Agreements

Our safe riding agreements have evolved over the years based on discussions and agreements at our regular club meetings. As club members, we agree to abide by these agreements because the behavior of each rider in a group affects the safety of all.

Helmets are required. Rear-view mirrors are recommended.

The club’s official policy is that we obey all traffic laws. That includes coming to a full stop at stop signs. If you choose not to come to a full, foot-down stop, you accept the risk of a $200+ traffic fine. At the very least, you must come to a near stop that allows for a thorough check for oncoming traffic before proceeding. All must understand that the rider in front of you may come to a sudden stop, AND  be prepared for that.

We have agreed that we ride as individuals, not as a pack of riders. That is, we are each responsible for checking for traffic and making our own decisions at intersections regarding whether or not it is safe to proceed. For this reason, we do not yell “clear” at intersections. The ride leader is not responsible for getting all riders in a group safely through an intersection. The leader must wait for all riders to catch up to the group if some riders are delayed at an intersection. Once all riders have rejoined the group, riders at the rear should shout, “All here,” letting the leader know it’s OK to proceed.

We use both voice and hand signals when turning, slowing, and stopping to indicate road hazards ahead. Rear-end bike accidents are among the most common. Stopping abruptly in a group without yelling “stopping” is a hazard for all.

When cars are stopped at an intersection ahead of us, we do not pass them on the right. Instead, we bunch up behind them and follow them through the intersection, then resume single file as soon as possible on the other side. This prevents cars from turning right in front of you or into you.

Our preferred riding form is a single file,  leaving at least one and preferably two bike lengths between riders. Single file is considered mandatory on the busy main roads in our community. If you want to ride two abreast on a back street to talk to another rider, we move back into a single file when someone calls “car back.” There will be plenty of time to socialize before, during the break, and after the rides. Our most important safety rule is to pay attention to your riding and the road ahead.

Three-abreast riding is both illegal and unsafe. Riding with earbuds or no-handed riding in a group of riders is not accepted.

We don’t pass other riders on the right, and we don’t pass the leader at an intersection. The exception to this rule is when riding single file, and the leader waves up the rider behind to take the lead and then allows the other riders to move through on the right so that he can take up a position in the back of the line.

If during a ride you decide to “peel off” from the ride to go straight home or wherever, you should notify members of the group of your intention and move to the rear of the group to peel off to go your way. This prevents surprise moves for the other riders and avoids confusion for car drivers.

Taking the Lane:

There are some riding situations when the group should take control of the lane by moving into the center of the lane.

When approaching a left turn, riders in the back of the group should move to take the lane when traffic allows it and tell the riders in front that they have the lane.

When waiting for traffic to clear at a stop sign or stop light, we bunch up and take the lane to prevent traffic from coming up on our left side before we have cleared the intersection.

When there is a road hazard ahead that prevents riding on the right side of the lane, the group takes control of the lane to avoid being squeezed into the hazard.

Tips for leading a ride:

When leading a pace line ( a line of single file riders ) and you want to change leaders, the leader points to the center of the lane and moves to the left. Then, they wave the group through on their right side while moving to the back of the line. The riders should allow the former leader to move into the line if a car is back. The new leader should continue at the same pace during the lead change. It should be done gradually if they decide to pick up the pace.

Always use voice and hand signals for turns, slowing, stopping, and road hazards.

When leaving an intersection or turning, accelerate gradually to allow the rest of the group to catch up before proceeding at the desired pace.

When a car approaches from a side street, please give them a friendly wave. The motion captures their eye as well as building goodwill.

Leaders should encourage new riders and riders unfamiliar with the route to lead while following behind them, calling out the turns, and acting as mentors. The best way to learn the route is to lead it a few times.

Again, Welcome to our club! Have fun, and Be Careful Out There!