Tips: Teaching new riders group ride behavior

[Nokomis]

DH and I are going to help a local group of kids train for a ride event later this summer. This will probably be the first group ride for all, so we wanted to have some bike safety talks before heading out. I've found a few good websites that I'm consolidating ideas from, but don't want to miss anything!

What would you want a new rider to know before they ride with you?

I'll start
-Hold your line
-Point out hazzards

[bike4ever]

ride single file
notify when there is a "car up"

[maillotpois]

This is a pretty good compilation:

http://www.goldinc.com/gcbc/practica...etiquette.html

[Grog]

"point out hazards".... only if you feel comfortable doing so. If you know you'll swerve even just a bit when lifting one hand from the handlebar, don't do it, because you'd be creating a bigger hazard.

Otherwise call them out.

Potholes do not necessarily need to be called out, unless the pack is going at a very very high speed.... Glass, metal objects, sand, etc. should be.


Signal stopping or call "STOPPING". In a big group, it is useful to signal by raising your arm vertically with an open palm instead of keeping it low, in your back, so people far behind will get the signal too.


When there are a few cars parked on the right-hand side of the road, DO NOT change your line to get closer to the curb/sidewalk when there are no cars. Just hold your line, as if you always had cars parked to the side, until you get to an area with no cars at all. (Cars coming from behind won't see you if you keep swerving between parked cars.)


Do not look at the person's wheel, but through her hips. Staring at the wheel will make you micro-correct your trajectory and in the end swerving all over the place.


Stay focused but enjoyed the ride.

[RoadRaven]

NEVER half wheel

[makbike]

Please teach them never to call "clear" as they cross a road or make a turn to the cyclists behind them. Cars/trucks move quickly and what may have been clear for them may not be clear for the cyclist who is riding behind them.

Teach them to call out when the pass another cyclist and to use proper hand signals. Finally, tell them to have fun!

[Geonz]

I talk about the actual route we'll be riding on and the kinds of things they may have to call out/ deal with along that way - like "when you're out among the cornfields you can go two abreast and chat, but don't turn into a giant amoeba clump, **and** pay lots of attention so that you single up for a car to go by [depends on the road] becuase sometimes we tend to act like we're in a *car* chatting to a passenger when we're riding two abreast, and there are a few fundamental differences involving major structural metalworks not being between us and the other cars and pavement."
Oh, and "announce if you're slowing, stopping, turning, or blowing your nose."
And... when you stop, get ***all the way*** off the road. We tend to think we're in a parking lot sometimes...

[crazycanuck]

What's half wheeling????

I have an idea but am not sure.

The tips are useful for me too as i think one reason i'm not eager to ride in a bunch is i'm unfamiliar with the signals etc...However do you think it goes down to TRUST....?

c