CODE/DISCIPLINE: STAGE/LEVEL: GUIDE TO CYCLING ON STAGE 1 STAGE 2 STAGE 3 STAGE 4 As a body, Cyclng Ireland has grown dramatcally n recent years, reflectng an exploson of cyclst numbers on the roads. Wth the ncrease n numbers partcpatng n formal (consttuted) clubs or nformal (non-consttuted) groups, there s a growng appette for nformaton, support and gudance on rdng n groups on the road. Ths gude s ntended to promote and develop best practce for all Cyclng Ireland groups rdng on the road. GENERAL SAFETY 1 A cyclst should know the Rules of the Road and should understand sgns and road markngs. 2 Every cyclst should start a cycle by performng four checks helmet, clothes, bke and condtons. Done n less than a mnute, each one adds to safety on the road. CONDITIONS BIKE ONE MINUTE CHECK CLOTHES HELMET 3 Correct road postonng s vtal to ensure that other road users are aware of a cyclst and ths can vary from beng on the left sde (but not n the gutter) of a wde, fast movng road, to keepng to the mddle of the lane on a narrow, wndng, back road to prevent dangerous overtakng. At all tmes, a cyclst should be where other road users can clearly see them, should cycle steadly and consstently, and should occupy the poston that s SAFEST for them. 4 Vsblty s always key on the road ths means always beng sure to wear brght colours and supplement wth hvz (vests, bands, belts, bag covers etc.). 5 Ths also means havng good lghtng outsde daylght hours a strong whte lght to the front to see wth and to be seen by approachng traffc, and a strong red lght to the rear so that other road users are aware of a cyclst from behnd. The generally held poston on lghts s that flashng lghts attract attenton, but can make t hard to judge dstance and speed. At nght, a good compromse s two lghts, one steady and one flashng, to allow maxmum vsblty and attenton-grabbng mpact. 6 A cyclst should always cycle well wthn the lmts of ther vson ths means slowng nto corners, allowng for poor weather such as fog, mst and ran, and slowng down at nght where vson and vsblty s compromsed. 7 A cyclst needs to scan contnuously and wdely to stay aware of problems on the road and to have tme to react safely. 8 A cyclst needs to know the road and the weather and needs to constantly adapt ther cyclng to allow for both these factors n combnaton. a. Slow down for weather wet, cy, dazzlng sun, fog b. Slow for corners n poor weather c. Slow for poor surfaces gravel, sand, potholes, broken edges, drans, ol etc. 9 A cyclst always needs to keep a Safe Stoppng Dstance ths s the space between the bke and whatever s ahead on the road t vares accordng to speed and condtons. 10 A cyclst should always LOOK and consder a SIGNAL before movng poston on the road wth only tme for one or the other, LOOK to be sure not to move nto danger. 11 A cyclst should NEVER go up the path sde of a large vehcle (bus or lorry) even f there s a bke lane there wat untl t turns or drves away. 12 In stopped or slow-movng traffc, a cyclst should watch out for drvers from the opposng lane turnng across the road, through the queue of traffc they may not antcpate or see the cyclst.!
13 A cyclst should always watch out for openng doors when passng stopped or slow-movng vehcles. 14 Crossng ral or tram tracks poses a real danger for cyclsts. To avod gettng a wheel caught, cross the tracks at an angle (90 degrees) and avod brakng on them, as they can be hazardous, especally n wet weather. Approachng the tracks at an angle may necesstate you comng out nto the road to create the desred angle. Make sure you sgnal clearly and leave plenty of room between yourself and other traffc on the road. RULES OF THE ROAD The Rules of the Road apply to all road users n general terms, for cyclsts, ths means: a. Havng a bke that s n proper workng order and that fts. b. ALWAYS stoppng at a red traffc lght. c. ALWAYS stoppng at a STOP sgn and yeldng approprately at a YIELD sgn. d. ALWAYS stoppng at pedestran facltes (Zebra crossngs, pedestran lghts etc.) f someone s crossng. e. ALWAYS cyclng n the same drecton as the rest of the traffc (e on the left) when on the road or a bke lane. f. ALWAYS obey lane markngs, unbroken centre lnes cannot be crossed. g. ALWAYS use hand sgnals to ndcate your ntentons. h. Only cyclng on the path f there s a sutable bke faclty there.. When turnng left, gvng way to pedestrans who have started to cross the road. j. Stoppng and pullng n to use a moble phone. k. Cyclng no more than two abreast, and, keepng to sngle fle to facltate flow of other vehcles n traffc, unless t s safer to prevent an overtake where the road s narrow, or there are parked vehcles causng a narrowng effect. e. By law, a cyclst must use any cycle lane provded as part of a pedestran street or area or as part of a contra-flow cycle lane. f. A cyclst can use the same lanes as buses, even where there s a parallel cycle lane, but needs to be careful of buses and taxs stoppng along the route. g. Advanced Stop Lnes mark out an area ahead of the man stop lne at a juncton, where cyclsts can stop n front of traffc ths allows bkes to get n poston to turn to the rght whle watng for the red lght to turn to green. The Rules of the Road apply to all road users n general terms, for cyclsts, ths means A cyclst should never cycle on a motorway. A cyclst must gve ther name and address, f requested to by a Garda and must obey sgnals gven by a Garda or Traffc Warden. THE BASICS OF ROAD RIDING AND JUNCTION NEGOTIATION When rdng on urban streets or when rdng at the speed of the traffc, solo rders should rde n the prmary rdng poston whch s defned as beng the centre of the actve traffc lane. When traffc s movng more quckly rders should rde to the left of ths poston but never less than 50cm from the edge of the road. SECONDARY POSITION PRIMARY POSITION! BIKE FACILITIES a. A mandatory cycle lane s edged by a contnuous whte lne between t and the rest of the road no drvers may drve or park on t, except to cross t for access. b. A non-mandatory cycle lane has a broken whte lne and drvers may move nto t when there s no cyclst usng t, to pass a vehcle watng to turn to the rght. Drvers may park for up to thrty mnutes to facltate loadng or unloadng of a vehcle. c. A cycle path s off road and cyclsts need to watch out for traffc crossng, who may not notce the cyclst. d. Cyclsts also need to check all round before movng off a cycle path onto or across a road, as vehcles on the road have rght of way. When passng sde roads on ther left rders should attempt to occupy the prmary rdng poston to allow themselves the opportunty to acheve an earler vew nto the juncton. Drvers approachng the juncton from the sde road wll have a clearer vew of the rder. Try to make eye contact wth drvers approachng the juncton. When makng left turns at a juncton, rders should try to occupy the prmary poston as they approach the juncton. Ths wll protect the lane and dscourage drvers from overtakng durng the turnng manoeuvre.
TURNING LEFT A sequence of actons should be followed by rders turnng left On approach to the juncton LOOK over the rght shoulder to check what s behnd. SIGNAL for at least 3 seconds f there s anyone who would beneft from the sgnal. Just before turnng CHECK over the left shoulder. Follow the prmary POSITION lne all the way round the corner. TURNING When makng rght turns at a juncton rders RIGHT should move to a poston an arm s length from the centre lne. They should avod sgnallng wth ther arm extendng nto the oncomng lane. A sequence of actons should be followed by rders turnng rght On approach to the juncton LOOK over the rght shoulder to check what s behnd. SIGNAL for at least 3 seconds f there s anyone who would beneft from your sgnal and move nto POSITION an arm s length from the centre lne. Just before turnng CHECK over the rght shoulder. Follow the prmary POSITION lne all the way round the corner. When turnng nto a major road the turn should be executed after crossng the centre lne of the major road. As rders gan n confdence a hazard based approach should be adopted. A hazard s anythng that wll requre the cyclst to adjust ther poston on the road, ther speed or gear. Examples could nclude: A rght turn off a busy road A steep descent A road juncton A dog not on a lead Roadworks Whlst lookng and lstenng at all tmes rders should consder: Where am I gong, where do I need to be on the road? LOOK, SIGNAL, POSITION Is the speed and gear correct LOOK, (sgnal f requred), manoeuvre By observng ahead, there s tme to plan, adopt the safest poston and negotate the hazard at an approprate speed and n the correct gear.! ROUND- ABOUTS Negotatng Roundabouts When negotatng roundabouts rders should place themselves where other users can see them. Ths means choosng the approprate lane and rdng n the prmary poston wthn t. Avod rdng round the edge of roundabouts. Rders wll not be n the sghtlne of drvers there. Treat each ext as suggested above for passng sde roads. Rders should sgnal ther ntentons on approach but wll generally be safer rdng round the roundabout wth both hands on the handle bars untl passng the ext pror to the rders ext at whch pont a left sgnal should be gven. All round vglance, plannng of road poston, clear sgnallng and confdence are requred for busy roundabouts.
CYCLING IN GROUPS - ETIQUETTE AND SAFETY 1. Cyclng n a group helps a cyclst n many ways safety n numbers, beneft of wnd resstance, ncreased average speed etc. but cyclsts should remember the followng ponts to ensure safety wthn the group. a. Communcate clearly, verbal and non-verbal communcaton wll nform everyone around of the rders ntended actons and hghlght potental hazards to other rders and road users. Cyclsts wthn the group should communcate up and down the lne, both by callng out ( car up, car down, slowng, stoppng etc.) and sgnallng (pontng out potholes or hazards, or ntenton to change poston) so that all rders are made aware of the obstacles/condtons each rder encounters. b. Holdng the lne cyclsts n a group need to cycle n a steady, straght lne, holdng the wheel of the rder ahead, so that they are predctable to both the other rders and other road users. c. Sudden brakng and changes of speed are dangerous n a group and should be avoded d. A cyclst should be scannng at least two to three rders ahead at all tmes by dong ths a rder wll be aware of any problems further up the lne. e. A cyclst should always shoulder check before changng poston. f. For narrow roads or where there s other traffc, the group may need to sngle out and t s essental that ths s done smoothly mantanng the exstng speed an agreed system should be used each tme e.g. nsde rder moves ahead to allow the outsde rder slp n behnd. g. Cyclsts wthn a group should never talgate or overlap wheels (rde wth half ther front wheel alongsde the back wheel of the rder n front) wth other rders as ths allows no reacton space f somethng happens unexpectedly. h. A group conserves energy and mantans pace by regularly swtchng the lead rders, but t s essental that ths changeover s done smoothly the rder movng to the front must keep the speed of the group and must be careful to move gradually nto poston at the head of the lne. The rder leavng that poston, must on the other hand, ease off, to allow the new leader come up alongsde whle mantanng the group speed. Ths momentary easng off allows that rder a short rest before slottng back n to tal the group.. BEWARE of half-wheelng. Half-wheelng s the acton by an ndvdual, when he or she rdes besde another rder and s always pushng the pace so that they are just enough ahead and the other rder(s) feel lke they are constantly tryng to catch up. Half-wheelng by pullng ahead can cause the groups pace to rse because as the rder beng half-wheeled tres to pull level and the half-wheelng rder wll often ncrease the pace. The dfferences n pace wll radate through the group forcng rders n the group to work harder to mantan the pace or alternatvely result n the group becomng fragmented. j. When rdng downhll where speed ncreases are expected, t s advsable to spread the group slghtly and allow greater gaps between rders. Rders wll have clearer vew of the road ahead and to mnmse the rsk of a collson wth another rder. 2. When cyclng n a group, whether for lesure, tranng, race or event, the Rules of the Road ALWAYS apply. 3. Cyclsts should NEVER cycle more than two abreast on the publc roads and should always be prepared to sngle out to facltate the flow of traffc and other road users whle remanng aware that snglng out on a narrow road mght nvte dangerous overtakng. 4. Lmt the group, consder keepng the group to 20 rders of smlar standard. Larger group szes may make t dffcult for other road users to safely pass. 5. As part of a large group on the road, cyclsts should always be ready to splt nto smaller groups of 6 to 8 rders, wth approxmately one hundred metres between sub groups, to facltate overtakng traffc. 6. Cyclsts should be conscous that leavng large spaces between rders to the sde or n front s frustratng for followng traffc as the length of the group s wdened and lengthened one metre to the sde and ffty centmetres to the front are good workng measures. 7. Cyclsts should also be conscous of organsng group spns at tmes and on routes that wll not nconvenence other road users unduly (e.g. rush hour). 8. Whle part of a group, cyclsts should remember at all tmes that they are responsble for ther own safety and should stay fully aware of ther surroundngs both n and outsde the group. 9. It s essental when rdng n a group to be constantly aware of the changng envronment and the verbal and non-verbal messages of other rders and road users around you. Lstenng to audo devces or a moble phone should be avoded at all tmes. Such devces are a dstracton and nhbt your ablty to hear and respond to verbal and nonverbal cues. 10.Cyclsts should not allow themselves to get drawn nto arguments or dsputes wth other road users t pays to remember that there are examples of both good and bad cyclng, as there are good and bad drvng and lost tempers never accomplsh any outcomes, but can cause dangerous stuatons. 11.Cyclsts should always apply a leave no trace ethos when cyclng and should keep any food wrappers, gel packagng or empty bottles etc. untl they can be dsposed of.
VERBAL AND NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION SLOWING CALL: Slowng usually accompaned by a hand sgnal to ndcate that the rder or rders are slowng down for some reason. For example, approachng a sgnal controlled juncton. HAND SIGNAL: Rase your arm, move up and down Slowng POTHOLE OR HAZARD HAND SIGNAL: Extend arm (left or rght dependng on whch sde the hazard s on) pontng down at the road, to pont out hazards such as pot holes, manhole covers etc. In the event of a pothole rder should shout Hole whle pontng toward the hazard. STOPPING CALL: Stoppng usually accompaned by a hand sgnal to ndcate that the rder or rders are stoppng for some reason. For example, approachng a sgnal controlled juncton. HAND SIGNAL: Rase your arm, open palm Stoppng GLASS OR LOOSE GRAVEL OR UNEVEN GROUND HAND SIGNAL: Extend arm (left or rght dependng on whch sde the hazard s on) wth hand open and palm facng the ground. Move hand left and rght to ndcate gravel or uneven ground, etc. WAIT CALL: Wat typcally at a juncton to ndcate there s a car comng or that t s unsafe to proceed. CLEAR CALL: Clear to ndcate that a juncton s traffc free or that t s safe to proceed. Rder must check themselves and not rely solely on others. SINGLE OUT CALL: Sngle Out or Sngle Fle to nstruct rders to get nto sngle fle. Wat Clear Sngle Out or Sngle Fle COME THROUGH HAND SIGNAL: Hands on the handlebars, flck your left or rght elbow away from your body. Flck the elbow on the sde that the followng rders wll come through on. CAR UP CALL: Car Up to warn rders that a car s approachng from the rear of the group. Rders should be prepared to sngle out f rdng two abreast to accommodate the car(s) movng through. Car Up MOVE OUT HAND SIGNAL: Brng hand behnd the back (left or rght dependng on whch sde the obstructon s on) and wave or pont behnd back ndcatng that there s an obstructon such as a parked car or pedestran, etc. Rders should move n the drecton ndcated to avod the obstructon. CAR DOWN CALL: Car Down to warn rders that a car s approachng from the front of the group. Rders should be prepared to sngle out f rdng two abreast to accommodate the car(s) comng down, partcularly on narrow rural roads. Car Down PUNCTURE Puncture CALL: Puncture to nform rders n the group that rder has got a puncture. HAND SIGNAL: Rase your hand, stop pedallng and hold n a straght lne untl everyone has passed. When all the rders are ahead t s safe to pull over. RIDER(S) UP CALL: Rder Up to warn rder(s) that the rder(s) behnd ntend to pass. Rders should be prepared to move over or sngle out to accommodate the rder(s) comng through. Rder Up
THE BASICS OF GROUP RIDING - UP AND OVER OR RIDING THROUGH AND OFF THE BASICS OF GROUP RIDING - SINGLING OUT When rdng n a pared formaton changng the lead rder s acheved by one of the par (usually the rder nearest the road centre) ncreasng ther speed very slghtly and movng over n front of the lead rder n the nner lne. When n poston at the head of the nner lne the rder wll ease back to the speed of that lne. Meantme the new lead rder n the outer lne wll move forward untl rdng alongsde the nner lne leader. At the rear of the group the last rder n the nner lne wll adjust ther speed slghtly and as a gap appears to ther rght, move over and jon the outer lne. The key to smooth and effcent progress s to ensure that there are no sudden acceleratons and that lead rders changng do not sprnt through, openng up gaps. Rdng n pars mght necesstate snglng out to avod conflct wth traffc. Movng to sngle fle wll double the length of the group and may encourage drvers to overtake where t s not safe to do so. Decde what s safest for the group. When the shout comes to sngle out the lead rder nearest to the kerb should speed up slghtly wth the lead rder on the outsde slottng n behnd. Other rders should follow sut. Unless unsafe to do so everyone should keep speed up, at least untl the group s n sngle fle. To move back nto pars the leadng rders poston sde by sde wth everyone slottng back nto ther orgnal postons. It s vtal that the lead rders proceed slowly as those at the back wll have many bke lengths to make up. The length of tme at the front wll vary. In a tranng or socal stuaton t mght be agreed to rde 500 metres or more at the front. In competton t mght be less than 100 metres. When learnng t mght be 5-10 pedal turns. Where possble the restng lne should be sheltered from the wnd. If the wnd comes from the left, the workng lne would be on the left, the restng lne on the rght. 1 2 3
PLANNING A CYCLE 1. Select and plan a route, safety of the route should be a major decdng factor a. Choose a startng pont that people can fnd easly. b. Pre-Rsk assess the route, Rde Leader should know everythng about the route, road condtons, junctons, mleage, stops, etc. c. Plan your stops, consder stoppng after halfway, dependent of length of cycle, rather than before. d. Dong a reconnassance or recce of the route beforehand allows the Rde Leader to focus on leadng the group on the day rather than navgatng whle movng. e. Document a Route Card or Cue Sheet of planned journey and consder addtonal copes for other rders n the group. Also consder emalng the cue sheets n advance so that rders n the group can famlarse themselves wth the ntended route. 2. Decde on pace and dstance, approprate to rdng goals and abltes of the group. 3. Consder ways of equalsng the group where the group s of mxed ablty or consder ext routes or detours for trng rders to cut planned journey short whlst stll arrvng at the same fnshng locaton. 4. Arrve early, be avalable to answer questons about the rde, mleage, rest stops, etc. 5. Pre-Rde brefng to whole group. 6. Renforce group cyclng etquette, rules of the road and communcaton whch must be adhered to throughout the whole journey. 7. Bref group on emergency and late back procedures n the event of an accdent or delay. DEALING WITH AN EMERGENCY 1. Some of the ntal steps the leader may take f there s an accdent: a. Drect traffc around and away from the ste of the accdent. b. Get all cyclsts n the group off the road. c. If requred, call 999 or 112.. Detals of the emergency. Gve locaton. Follow the nstructons from emergency operator d. In the event that the rder needs to attend hosptal, one of the leaders or responsble adults goes wth them. e. Contact ther emergency contact person. f. Get detals of the accdent from others rders. g. Complete an ncdent/accdent report from.