Participants of group rides have responsibilities to themselves, the ride leader and their companion riders. It’s mostly just “common sense”, but we’d like to suggest the following as reminders to all participants of OBS rides.
- Arrive in plenty of time to put your bike together, put on your cycling shoes, and whatever else you need to do and be ready to go well before the prescribed departure time. It is rude to keep a whole group waiting while one or two late arrivers get ready.
- Choose a ride that suits your abilities. OBS has made an effort to define the approximate distance, pace and terrain difficulty of our regular rides. Please observe these and choose accordingly. Don’t join a ride which advertises a pace faster than you can manage and then complain that you were dropped.
- Don’t try to change the pace of a ride. If a ride you choose is slower paced than you would like, don’t try to “improve” the ride. Choose another ride that is more suited to your abilities. If a ride that suites your abilities does not exist at the time and place you prefer to ride, consider beginning a new ride. If you cannot commit to being ride leader each time, recruit a friend or two to help share the responsibility.
- If you do start a new ride, be sure to let the OBS leaders know of the details so the ride can be advertised. Click on the "Contact Us" button.
- Be attentive to the ride leader when he/she is describing the route and possible hazards. Even if you are a regular on the ride, there may be important announcements about route changes or new hazards such as road construction. Also, if you are talking during the ride briefing, it may interfere with others hearing the information.
- If you leave the prescribed route for any reason, make sure the ride leader or another rider knows that you are leaving. The ride leader is not responsible for anyone leaving the route.
- If you ride out in front of the majority of the other riders, the ride leader is not responsible for turns you may miss, etc. (See item 3)
- Ride safely. You endanger yourself and your riding companions when you commit unsafe acts. OBS ride leaders have the right to ask unsafe riders to leave the ride.
- Make an effort to make new riders feel welcome. Nothing turns off a new rider more than being ignored unless it’s being dropped. Talk to new riders and, if necessary, assist the ride leader in keeping track of them and riding back with them should they have trouble keeping up.
- Helmets are required for all participants of an OBS ride.
- Everyone rides at their own risk.
