CALENDAR

Relaunch of Club Rides

On 18^th June British Cycling published The Way Forward which is a plan for the reintroduction of organised cycling activities. Importantly for us, this sanctions cycling clubs to restart organised club rides. The Committee have undertaken a Risk Assessment based on the protocols laid out in the document and we are pleased to confirm that we are able to restart club rides from 28^th June. 

You will not be surprised to learn that there are some significant adjustments that we will all need to make in order to ensure the successful relaunch of the club.

All members will be expected to make a written commitment that they will adhere to the new processes and will not be eligible to ride with the club unless they do so. 

All members choosing to ride with the club are responsible for the risk they are taking with regard to their exposure to COVID-19.

British Cycling have advised us that providing we follow the guidance in The Way Forward, then the clubs insurance will be valid.  

Any member that doesn’t take the new protocols seriously will sadly no longer be welcome at the club.

No Sign-up, No Ride!
The club has an obligation to have a full record of everyone who attends our club rides. Should anyone become ill after a ride we need to be able to provide full details of their contacts immediately before, during and after riding.  Consequently if you don’t sign-up on the club calendar then you will be turned away in the car park. 

Changes YOU need to be aware of

We are changing the way we sign-up, meet, ride together and socialise. In addition YOU need to take extra precautions before, during and after your ride. 

All the following requirements are mandatory.

 

Please click here for a quick guide to walk you through the process of signing up for a club ride.

	Ride Preparations
General precautions	All members should follow current NHS guidelines regarding COVID-19 as they change from time-to-time and use them to determine if it is appropriate for them to join in club activities. Members aged over 70 should carefully consider NHS guidance that they should minimise contact with others outside their household.
Eligibility to ride	Participants must not attend a club ride if: They have Covid-19 symptoms or have someone in their household who does They are in the extremely vulnerable category If they have been asked to remain at home by the UK Government track and trace system
Maintaining Hygiene	All members must bring Hand Sanitiser and keep it with them on their ride. All members should use Hand Sanitiser before and after the ride, and during the ride if they need to contact anything apart from their bike.
Signing up to ride	The club must be able to manage social distancing at the meeting points and track & trace post-ride if necessary. Consequently all members must use the club website sign-up process if they want to ride. If you don’t sign up you can’t ride
The sign-up process	We’re not sure how many people will want to ride and what distance they will want to do. So for now, we’re going to put up only one ride for each route (one Intro, Social, Short, Medium and Long). When you sign up please add the C-Level group that you want to ride with in the comments
	The Meet-up
Parking	Please do not park in the normal place where we meet. Instead please park in the main part of the car park so we have the maximum space for Social Distancing
Social Distancing	Congregation areas will be clearly marked on the eastern side of the Leisure centre car park (for my wife this means “on the left” as you look at the Leisure Centre) and will be designated by ride distance (not C-Level). Congregation areas will be reflective of the number of people who’ve signed up. Each week a committee member will be present in each area to welcome you
Riding Groups	Groups will ideally be limited to four riders to ensure that we can maintain Social Distancing without creating a road safety hazard. Larger groups up to six riders will be permitted by exception (e.g. to prevent riders being left without a group) - in these circumstances, riders are reminded to be especially vigilant in busy traffic conditions where a socially-distanced larger group could be a hazard. Groups will be set off at one minute intervals to limit the likelihood of groups meeting on the road.
	On the ride
Social Distancing	Two-up riding. If riding two-up, you should maintain a 1m+ distance from the rider next to you. If road conditions do not allow you to maintain social distancing while riding two-up, you must ride in single file.
Social Distancing	Maintenance of a two metre gap. As a guide, if you keep at least a one metre gap between the back wheel of the rider in front of you and your front wheel this will create a two metre gap between the back of the saddle of the rider at the front and your handlebar stem. In a larger group (e.g. more than 4) riding single file in busy traffic, you should split into two smaller groups to present smaller “overtaking units” for cars.
Social Distancing	Be aware of others when changing rider order, overtaking other riders and passing pedestrians. Allow plenty of time and space to navigate safely with appropriate distancing.
Joining mid-ride	Not allowed at present
Hygiene	All riders must practice good respiratory hygiene during the activity (i.e. coughing, sneezing into a tissue or the crook of an elbow). If you need to cough or sneeze etc. only do so when you are at the back of the group.
Keep it social	The emphasis now more than ever is on club rides being social events. No-one should be exercising beyond their physical and technical limitations to avoid additional burden on the NHS. If you’re not sure of your current fitness levels then be conservative and join a lower C-level or a shorter ride length No-one should be dropped on any rides (inc. C6+) As socialising after the ride is not going to be possible, consider whether you’d like to stop mid-ride for a coffee within your group.
Keep groups apart	Avoid situations where groups might be perceived to be bigger than they are. For example stop in advance of traffic junctions if another group is there already.
First Aid	If you are a First Aider you should check the current protocol for administering First Aid in advance. If you are not a qualified First Aider consider your health in relation to COVID-19 carefully before you help others.
	After the ride
Social Distancing	To help protect the reputation of the club, do not meet in groups in public areas post-ride.
Hygiene	Any member developing symptoms after a ride should notify the Club Secretary so that other members of the ride group can be advised and all should refer to the latest NHS advice