Club Rides

Club rides take place on Saturday and Sunday mornings. These rides are organised on a week by week basis, details of each ride will be published on Facebook.

The club welcomes older youth riders participating in our club runs and training rides if membership and parental consent are in place beforehand. U16s will need to be in the company of a parent or guardian unless specific permission has been sought ahead of riding from the Club Chairman. Youth riders should bear in mind the required average pace and duration of the ride and be comfortable in achieving these before participating.

Saturday Rides

Rovers Saturday rides run from either The Community Stadium or Costa Coffee Tollgate West throughout the year (weather permitting). There are typically 4-5 groups of a maximum of 8 riders, with all groups riding the same 40-55 mile route with a café stop at varying speeds.

Sunday Rides

Sundays generally see two rides:

The “Medium” group is a longer 50+ mile. The ride typically averages 15 – 17 mph. Although the speed will be adjusted to suit those who turn up. If numbers allow, we sometimes split into groups at varying speeds.

Sunday Posse Rides are open to all riding abilities, with varying speeds ride speeds, 14mph +, but will always ride at the slowest rider’s pace. The group sizes no more than 8, with a coffee stop halfway.

Club Ride Etiquette

All riders attending Colchester Rovers Club Rides must carry Emergency contact details. This is to allow your club mates to help YOU in the event of an accident or illness.
Further details on our Emergency / ID policy can be found here

Helmets must be worn.

Bikes must be road worthy with two working brakes.

All rides will be led by British qualified ‘Ride Leaders’.

Mudguards are compulsory on club rides from the 1st November to the end of February and are advised at any time the conditions are wet.

Club rides are not official events, they are social rides with a no drop policy.

Always follow the Highway Code. 

You are responsible for your safety, and those around you and are expected to be self-sufficient, with suitable clothing, drinks and spares for the bike.  You ride at your own risk.

Safety and Risk Management

Consider your own insurance needs. In particular, ensure that you have Third Party (Public Liability) insurance that covers you whilst cycling. You should consider joining either the Cycling UK or British Cycling – membership includes both Third Party insurance and free legal assistance should you need to claim against someone else.

Be Proud to be a Rover

It is always nice to be nice, so when cycling you represent other cyclists and more importantly our club, especially if you are in club kit.

Check that the rider on the side of the road you are passing is ok.  They may be having a bad day and forgot a spare; one day that might be you!  When overtaking other cyclists let them know you are passing ‘on the right’.  Motorists and other road users may present a challenge, but be nice.  Rude gestures or unkind words will not help.  You represent all of the cycling fraternity.

Group Ride Etiquette

The basic element of the group ride is the paceline, in which the rider at the front brakes the wind and a trailing column of riders sit in their draft. Where safe to do so riders will be expected to sit two abreast & where appropriate single file.

We request a rotating Paceline, so everyone does their fair share of the work, changing only at the front and back. 

Ride close to the rider on your left/right and directly inline with the rider ahead.

Keep the group together and compact to provide a ‘presence’ on the road. This is particularly important on hills to prevent the group breaking up and taking over large portions of the road to assist other road users. 

Groups

Groups will be formed as close as possible/practicable to the optimal size of 8.
The group will ride two abreast (double pace line) whenever/wherever possible.

Each group will have a nominated Group Leader (GL).
The GL will give a ride briefing before set off.
The GL will give instructions during the ride with the main aim to keep everybody safe, please follow those instructions.

Singling Out

Remain riding a single pace line until the GL calls out “Double up” (gesturing with 2 fingers above their head) and return to your original position and continue riding a double pace line.

When conditions dictate that riding a double pace line be dangerous the GL will call “Single out” and gesture with a single finger above their head.

The nearside (left/slow) line will space themselves out to allow the outside (right/fast) line to merge with them.

Rotation – ‘Through and Off’

The nearside (left/slow) line will ride at a pace just slightly slower than the outside (right/fast) line.
This allows for a rotation of the group so everybody takes their turn on the front of the group.

As the faster line advances ahead of the slower line the yellow rider will ease left from fast line to the slow line.
The green rider will move right from the slow line to the fast line.
The inside blue rider can give a “clear wheel” call to the yellow rider when they are a clear bike length in front.

The yellow rider must decrease their speed to match the pace of the slower line.
The green rider must increase their speed to match the pace of the faster line.
After this rotation the group will be in this position.

The process then repeats.
The GL would have given instructions in the ride briefing as to how frequently the group rotates, it could be a mile on the front or 5 minutes. 

Communication

Communication (in combination with observation) is at the heart of safe and enjoyable group riding.

Make sure you know the meaning of and always pass verbal and hand signals through the group.

• “Slowing”, to warn that the group is slowing down
• “Stopping”, to instruct the group to stop
• “Car up”, meaning there is a car ahead to be aware of
• “Car back”, meaning there is a car behind
• “Single out”, meaning to adopt single file
• “Double up”, meaning to re-adopt two abreast

In addition to the standard directional signal of the left or right hand extended out to the side, which should be used whenever you are cycling on the public highway, see below some of the other common hand signals used when riding in a group situation.

Make the call (e.g. “hole left”) whilst making the appropriate hand signal.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Do: ride smoothly and predictably
• Do not: swerve, surge, half wheel or brake suddenly
• Do point out hazards, good communication is key
• Do not: overlap your wheel with the wheel ahead of you
• Do: Stay attentive and keep your hands where you can access the brakes if needed
• Do not: use aerobars or positions that compromise control

Upcoming Club Ride Events