Whilst there are restrictions in place on group activities, club rides will be running in a modified form.

As advice is updated to reflect changing circumstances you may wish to bookmark this page.

The availability of rides will solely depend on the willingness of ride leaders to lead rides.  Please don’t expect the usual calendar of rides to be immediately available.

The rides list (https://www.readingctc.co.uk/rides/) will only be showing rides within the forthcoming fortnight rather than our usual seasonal three months of rides.  This is to keep management of the rides list simpler in the face of a rapidly changing situation.

There is some excellent advice on socially distant cycling from Cycling UK (https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/tips-socially-distant-cycling) which make recommended reading. 

As a summary here’s the club’s guidance.

Visiting pubs and cafes

To support NHS Test and Trace, staff in pubs and cafes are obliged to ask for contact details. They may ask just for the ride leaders details or for the whole group. We have a form you can use to make things faster on arrival.

Guidance for riders and ride leaders

• Maintain social distancing at all times
• There is a limit of 6 riders on the ride, including the ride leader. The ride leader may choose to run a ride with a smaller group
• Riders must book their place with the ride leader – the leader’s contact details will be on the rides list.  Do not turn up expecting to go on the ride without having booked your place; this may lead to disappointment and may put the ride leader in a difficult position
• Do cancel your place on a ride if you cannot make it to allow someone else a chance
• Be aware of those behind you and prepare to wait at junctions to show the direction of travel
• Be self-sufficient in food and drink and the ability to make basic repairs
• Check the rides list for any last minute changes before setting off

Guidance for ride leaders

• You may wish to have a smaller group than six which is at your discretion
• Details of the ride have to be published on the rides list *
• You must have full (i.e. not affiliated) membership of Cycling UK on the date of the ride *
• Manage a reserve list in case of cancellations
• Split rides into two smaller groups to allow vehicles to overtake more readily.  A line of six riders with two metres between each of them presents a formidable challenge for drivers to overtake safely
• Appoint a back-marker
• Encourage riders to take responsibility to wait near junctions to mark it so that following riders note the direction of travel
• Plan rest stops which have sufficient space for social distancing
• Fill in the club’s NHS Test and Trace contact form beforehand. This may make your arrival at a pub/cafe quicker and easier
• Inform the runs representative (runssec@cyclingukreading.org.uk for on-road, offroad@cyclingukreading.org.uk for off-road) if demand exceeds spaces available and they’ll attempt to find an additional leader

Further information from Cycling UK

https://www.cyclinguk.org/news/coronavirus-cycling-uk-group-cycling-advice-guidance

https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/coronavirus-qa-it-safe-cycle

Any questions

Please contact myself or anyone on the committee (https://www.readingctc.co.uk/committee/).

Simon Bird
Rides Secretary, Cycling UK Reading
07846 219114
runssec@cyclingukreading.org.uk

*denotes a condition of the Organisers liability insurance provided by Cycling UK which covers our ride leaders for potential losses incurred by a rider during a ride.

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• 3/7/20 – added information about using a contact list for pubs/cafes
• 4/6/2020 – first publication