Ride Leader Guidelines

Want to be a ride leader or brush up on your ride leading skills? Here are some guidelines you can follow…

Your primary responsibility is the safety and well-being of the group on the road, to ensure that all traffic laws are obeyed, and that all riders are aware of the published ride safety rules. You will be expected to communicate ride expectations; when to start, where to regroup, when to keep going, etc. Leading a ride does NOT mean riding at the front the whole time.

  • If the ride you’re leading is a large group (say, 20-40 people), you may find it helpful to choose a co-leader to sweep for you. A sweeper's responsibility is to keep track of riders so no one gets dropped by accident.

  • If the ride is even larger (> 40-50 people), consider splitting into multiple rides that leave at staggered times, with the faster riders going first.

  • As a leader, you should ensure everyone feels welcome on the ride to cultivate our community, and also make sure that safety is made a priority.

Before the ride

  • Decide on a route, including rest/water stops. Know the route well (ideally you have ridden it recently) so you are aware of bailout points or detours in the event of bad weather or road closures. You can create your own route, or use one of the past routes (see here for a list)

  • Write a ride posting that includes a GPS route created with either Strava or Ridewithgps, a brief description of the ride such as major climbs and regroup locations, and the starting location and time

    Note: For more information on how to create a ride posting that is published to the AV website and mailing list, contact the AV webmaster

  • The starting location for most AV rides is Summit Bicycles on California Ave in Palo Alto, and the ride usually ends with a coffee stop at Backyard Brew

  • Some rides (such as the Egan ride) start at the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce

  • If expecting a large group with a coffee/food stop, notify the establishment ahead of time

At the start of the ride

  • Arrive early at the start

  • Aim to start talking about 5 minutes before the roll out

  • Introduce yourself, and ask any new riders to introduce themselves to the group. Confirm that new riders have signed the ride waiver

  • Give a brief description of the route and any regroups / water stops

  • It can be helpful to give a brief safety talk; discuss any likely hazards en route, remind riders to point out hazards and cars, etc. We want to ensure everyone stays “rubber side down”

  • Remind riders to tell someone (ideally you) if they are leaving the ride early. That way the group does not spend time waiting for someone who has left

  • Make any club announcements, if needed. These aren’t very frequent but you will be contacted if any announcements need to be made

  • Let everyone know when it's time to leave and which direction to roll out

During the ride

  • While each individual rider is responsible for their own safety and following the published ride safety rules, as a leader you might need to call out riders for not obeying these rules, and in the worst case, asking such riders to leave the ride if they continue to disobey the ride rules

  • Communicate where the next regroup will be whenever setting out

  • Warn of hazards (e.g. point out potholes, call out when there's a car back) and encourage other riders to do the same

  • In the case of accidents or mechanicals, make sure any riders involved are helped and ask the peloton to wait somewhere safe. Only push on when the rider(s) involved in the incident say it is ok to do so

  • Try to keep track of riders so that no one gets left behind. Most AV rides are “no-drop” rides, but if someone is substantially slower you can use your judgment as to whether to go on without them

  • If you do have to leave someone behind, let them know you are going ahead without them and make sure they know how to get back. To avoid spending too long looking for people, encourage riders to communicate if they are dropping off from the group

  • At regroups, communicate when it is time to start going again and where the next stop will be. Regroups should be limited to about 10 mins, or until the last person arrives. It can be helpful to give some warning to get the group moving (e.g. "2 mins to roll out!")