// Ride Organisers and Group Captains
Every SRAMcc group ride has a Ride Organiser or Group Captain. Their job is to guide the group around the route and be its point of contact. Club rides can’t happen without these volunteers, and we always need more. Any member aged 18 or over can volunteer. Putting your name forward doesn’t commit you to doing it every week: you join a pool of organisers and choose the rides and groups that suit your own pace.
We use “Ride Organiser” and “Group Captain” rather than “Ride Leader”, so they aren’t confused with British Cycling’s formally qualified Ride Leader role.
// Insurance and British Cycling
You are covered
We asked British Cycling directly how its guidance applies to clubs like ours. Its Club Support Lead and Head of Insurance confirmed that:
- The guidance on the British Cycling website is best practice, not a list of mandatory requirements.
- British Cycling’s liability insurance covers club officials, which includes anyone organising or captaining a club ride on behalf of the club.
- Ride Organisers are not expected to meet the standards of a British Cycling-qualified Ride Leader. They just need to help the group follow the club’s normal procedures and reasonable safety steps.
- Riding with a club is safer than riding alone, and every rider remains responsible for their own safety.
// Reasonable steps
How we manage risk on club rides
British Cycling confirmed that these steps are sensible, proportionate and enough to meet the threshold for insurance cover:
- Annual risk assessments, reviewed once a year
- Sensible group sizes of around 5 to 8 riders
- Fastest groups leave first, so groups don’t merge and riders can drop back safely
- Routes published in advance, so riders can load them onto their devices
- A clear pre-ride briefing. Experienced riders in each group help but aren’t required.
- First aid: first aiders are best practice but not required. Riders aren’t expected to carry a kit, though small basics such as plasters and wipes are recommended. See the SRAMcc first aid kit.
- Off-road rides follow the same principles, with extra attention to technical sections, rider ability and suitable bikes
// On the day
A simple checklist
Before setting off
- Announce the route, the groups and any known hazards
- Check new riders’ experience and make sure they’ve picked a suitable group
- Agree regroup points away from junctions
- Ask an experienced rider to sweep at the back, if possible
- Make sure everyone carries emergency contact details
During the ride
- You don’t have to ride at the front, but you should know the route
- Keep an inclusive pace and a compact, tidy group
- You can shorten the route because of weather, light or safety, and the group should respect that call
- Make sure anyone who can’t finish has a safe way home
If there’s an incident
- Call the emergency services if needed
- Note the location, the time and the conditions, and take photos of any hazards
- Get the details of any third parties involved
- Report the incident to the committee, who will report it to British Cycling so they can support us and notify insurers if needed
// Every rider
By joining a club ride, every rider agrees to follow the Highway Code, respect other road users, ride within their own capabilities and follow the reasonable decisions of the ride’s organiser. The club’s insurance doesn’t cover individual members, so we recommend your own third-party liability cover, for example British Cycling membership or Cycling UK.