Rides Policy

Helmets 

MANDATORY - All riders must wear a US CPSC approved helmet.

Social First

this is a social club that uses cycling as a shared activity. It is not a racing club.

Safety

Safety is everyone's responsibility.

Accidents happen because something unexpected happens.

We can avoid the unexpected by:

• communicating what's going on to other riders using our VOICE (because not everyone can see) and SIGNALS (because not everyone can hear). 

  • • "Passing on your left", 

    • "Car Up/ahead", 

    • "Car Back/behind". 

    • We have no specific set of hand signals, so always accompany hand signals with a voice signal to help avoid ambiguity.

• riding in a predictable manner. This requires you to give everyone around you (and the people around them!) time and notice when you're making a maneuvre that might be difficult for them (and the other people) to anticipate or react to.

• anticipating what is coming up ahead and maneuvering (including appropriate hand/voice signals) in time for you and others to avoid any obstacle

• Ensuring that it is easy for other vehicles to see you and avoid you. Tips include:

  • Carrying bright lights (turned on!) and wear bright clothing

  • Only gathering where you can be seen and avoided (preferably off the roadside)

  • Avoiding bunching up on hills into one long line; instead spread out into small groups with room for 2-3 cars to get between one group and another

E-Bikes participating in group rides should be pedal-assisted (the bike does not move without pedaling). SCCCC strongly discourages using a throttle controlled (Class 2) E-bike on a group ride. Acceleration, braking, and pacing characteristics for throttle-controlled E-bikes differ significantly from pedaled bikes and therefore pose a significant safety risk to all riders in a group.

E-Bike Guidelines

• While E-Bike riders that participate in group rides are responsible for knowing and following rules and etiquette, seasoned riders in the group should speak with any new riders to ensure they understand these parameters. During a ride, if an E-Bike rider, or any rider, is compromising the safety of others, a seasoned rider should make that person aware of what they are doing incorrectly, and, if appropriate, request the E-Bike rider maintain a position at the back of the group to ensure the safety of others.

• On group rides with a pace of 20 mph or less, E-Bike riders may ride anywhere within the group and rotate through the paceline along with all other riders. However, when assuming the front position on a paceline, E-bike riders should not accelerate the pace of the group. They should maintain the established pace, or safely reduce it as needed to avoid hazards.

• On rides with speeds exceeding 20 mph, E-Bike riders should recognize and respect that there is a critical correlation of ride speed, rider experience, and rider skill that affects the safety of all riders in the group. More directly, most riders that possess the physical stamina to ride at high speeds also have acquired a high level of riding skill over many years. These skills are essential to maintaining the safety of riders at high speed. E-Bike riders should only participate in group rides where the established pace is equal to or slower than rides on which they have demonstrated experience, preferably experience developed on a conventional bike. 

• E-Bike riders should observe and follow all SCCCC rules and policies governing ride safety and etiquette, and should obey all traffic laws.

• It is bad form for any E-Bike rider to aggressively pass regular bike riders when proceeding up grades or in noticeably adverse wind conditions.

An E-Bike rider should ride to support and maintain the pace of the other riders.

An E-Bike rider is responsible for ensuring they have sufficient battery reserves to enable them to complete the ride they have chosen without assistance from other riders. It is not the responsibility of other riders to ensure that the E-Bike rider is safely returned to the starting point should they run out of battery. While established rider etiquette most likely will result in other riders remaining with them through the remainder of the ride, that should not be an expectation.

E-Bike Definitions:  California, and more than 30 other states, have adopted a standardized regulation regime recognizing three categories of E-Bikes as follows:

• Class 1: E-Bikes that are pedal-assist only, with no throttle, and have a maximum assisted speed of 20 mph.

• Class 2: E-Bikes that also have a maximum speed of 20 mph, but use a hand-activated throttle.

• Class 3: E-Bikes that are pedal-assist only (no throttle) with a maximum assisted speed of 28 mph.

Power for all three classes is limited to 1 horsepower (750W). Class 1 and 2 E-Bikes may travel on dedicated bike paths or bike lanes along roadways. Because Class 3 bikes are capable of traveling at 28 mph, they are prohibited from using dedicated bike paths. 

Private Land

We neither gather nor ride on private land. All club routes obey this policy (email rides@sc3.club if you find a route that you think breaks this policy!)

Medical Contact Info

It is a rider's responsibility to carry their Medical Contact Info such as:

• Emergency Contact Number and Relationship

• Medical Insurance details

• Significant Allergies or Medical Conditions

See the Emergency Medical Information page for how to do this.