Preparation
● Bicycle Maintenance: Keep your bike well-maintained, specifically brakes and tyres.
● Essential Equipment: Always carry a spare tube, pump and basic tools. You should
know how to fix a puncture, but experienced riders would help if you were stuck.
● Supplies: Bring sufficient food and water for the duration of the ride.
● Safety: Carry a cellphone, a small first aid kit, and personal ID.
● Clothing: Wear high-visibility clothing. Always bring extra layers for wet or cold weather.
Group Riding & Safety
● Road Code: Always follow the official Cyclist Road Code.
● Ride Single File: On busy roads, keep well to the left. and ride single file.
● Following Distance: Follow the 3-second rule, like when driving.
● Traffic Flow: Split long lines into smaller subgroups to allow motor vehicles to “leapfrog”
safely.
● Hazard Awareness: Stay alert for glass, potholes, and opening car doors.
● Pace & Ability: We are a touring club, not a racing club. Rides are at a leisurely pace,
about 15-17 km/hr. Ensure you can handle the distance before joining.
● Clear the Way: When waiting at an intersection or side of the road, make sure you stop
clear of the road. Use the footpath or verge if necessary. Ideally, stop and park at an
angle out to the road so you can see easily. The next rider should mirror this, so riders
pull in as follows next to each other, \\\\\ which gets everyone off the road, rather
than ———– which takes up much more room and leaves/extends riders into the
road.
Communication & Signals
● Voice Signals: Clearly call out intentions and hazards (e.g., “Stopping”, “Slowing”, “Car
back” “Glass”, “Pothole”).
● Hand Signals: Use clear hand signals for turns, stopping, and pointing out physical
hazards like bollards.
● Passing: Do not overlap the wheel in front. Always pass on the right. Do not pass on the
left.
● Keep an eye on the rider behind you: If you turn onto a new road, wait until the rider
behind sees you. If they disappear, stop and wait.
Leadership & Group Roles
● Respect the Leader: The leader is in charge of the ride.
● Tail End Charlie: We always nominate a Tail End Charlie, who is the last rider.
● Early Departure: If leaving early, you must notify both the Leader and the Tail-End
Charlie. Leave from the back of the group to avoid leading others astray.
● Riding Ahead: If you ride ahead, you are responsible for knowing the route; the group
will not track you down if you take a wrong turn.
E-bikers
● Blend in. Match the flow of the manual bikes. Many long-term ACTA e-bikers are
experts at this; observe them.
● Be considerate: Do not ride close behind the leader, as it applies subtle pressure to
increase pace. Riding close behind the leader’s right shoulder can block their view of the
rest of the group.
● Manage hill climbs: Either climb hills at the same speed as your companions on
manual bikes or pass safely and wait in a safe place at the top. If you find yourself
always needing to pass, ride further back in the group.
● Respect momentum: Be aware that manual bikers use the momentum of a downhill to
assist a corresponding uphill climb. If appropriate, allow the manual biker to pass on the
downhill so they get a running start at the uphill.
Tours
Most tours have routes available on Ride with GPS, which is available free to all members.
As riders can break into groups, it is important that riders are aware of the route.
It is expected that most riders will download the route from Ride with GPS so they will not
Get lost. If you do not want to use a digital map, a copy of the instructions can be printed or
please ride with someone who does have the route.