Group Rides = Group Responsibility

Riding with a crew is one of the best parts of cycling—shared effort, shared joy, and shared safety. To make sure every ride is smooth, safe, and enjoyable for everyone, we ask all riders to keep a few simple etiquette guidelines in mind. Some of these are about communication, some are about courtesy, and some are about staying out of the ER.

• If a ride leader or sweep asks you to take a certain action, (move over, single up, stay out of a lane, so on) please know they are doing so for the safety of everyone out on the ride. Please take the requested action.
• Pass back any hand signals and vocal calls from the lead to ensure everyone in the group is aware of what’s coming up.
• A rider in front of you has the right of way. If passing another rider, it’s your responsibility to ensure you have enough room to pass and maneuver around the rider safely. Best to vocalize your intent so they know you’re coming.
• Don’t pass between two riders riding side by side if it can be avoided. Wait for a safe spot to pass.
• Try to indicate your intent to move/shift lane position to other riders behind you. If shifting to a gap on your left, point to the left gap you intend to fill. That way if someone behind you, that you are unaware of, is attempting to pass, they can react. You have right of way, but it’s better to let everyone know your intent.
• Cars will always win. They’re big and made of metal. We’re made of flesh and bone.
• There’s what’s legal and what’s safe and smart. We want to promote good relationships between cyclists and motorists. Just because it’s your right to consume the entire lane, doesn’t mean you should. Understand that we have to share the road and that roads in KC were designed for motorists more than cyclists. This design paradigm leads to feelings of entitlement among motorists, and can generate anger/hatred when they can’t use the roads the way they feel they were designed to be driven. Both sides must make concessions, but when in doubt, refer to “Cars will always win.”
• Move over to the right and make room when you hear “<Thing> Back.” Riders behind have recognized a car/vehicle trying to pass. Refer to “Cars will always win.”
• Pace lines are fun, but also carry risks due to the speed and proximity to other riders, do not join in on a pace line unless you understand your role once you join and are comfortable with the pace and proximity to other riders. Want to learn more about pace lines? Read our blog on the subject!

Important Signals and Cues:

Most hand signals should be accompanied by a vocal call out of the signal, exceptions to this rule indicated by a asterisk (*).

Group Safety and Navigation Signals

• Stopping: Arm out and bent downward at the elbow with the hand extended with palm facing backwards towards riders behind.
• Slowing: Arm out and bent downward at the elbow with the hand extended with palm facing backwards towards riders behind, but hand raised and lowered like pumping the breaks.
• Left turn: Left arm extended straight out from the shoulder, finger pointing to the left.
• Right turn: Either; Right arm extended straight out from the shoulder, finger pointing to the right, or Left arm extended from the shoulder and bent upward at the elbow. Thumb pointing to the right.
• Single Up: Hand with 1 finger up, raised above the helmet. Used to indicate that the group should reduce to a single file line.
• Double Up: Hand with 2 fingers up, raised above the helmet. Used to indicate that the group is clear to ride side by side.
• Shift Left/Right: Arm behind the back, bent at the elbow, and hand pointing the direction the group should shift to make room for upcoming obstacles. (Shift Left uses the right arm. Shift Right uses Left arm).
• Tracks: With an open/flat hand, arm behind the back, making multiple (2) slashing motions towards the ground.
• Rough Road/ Rumbles: Arm out extended over the area that is / will be rough, hand flat with palm towards the ground, making a back and forth shaking motion at the wrist.
• Clear: With arm out from the shoulder and finger extended, Make a rolling motion with the finger like a wheel spinning. Used to indicate that an intersection should be clear and that the group can possibly proceed through the intersection. Riders in the group responsible for re-validating this themselves before proceeding into an intersection, as conditions can change quickly.
• Hole/[Thing]: Arm extended hand out pointing towards the thing that is the obstacle that riders need to avoid.
• Train Whistle* (“Woo Woo!”): Used by the Ride Leader to determine if the group is together. This hand signal should be passed back without making a vocal call out, and if the sweep/person in the back is a part of the group, they should vocally respond making a “Wooo Wooo!” train call so that the leader knows whether or not they are a part of the group without having to break their neck, risk injury by turning around and looking.

Vocal Calls w/o Hand Signals

• Slow Roll: Leader is slowing the pace to allow a separated group to come back together
• [Thing] [Up / Back / Left / Right ]: Let other riders know dangerous things are either ahead of us, coming up from behind, or that something of note is approaching an upcoming intersection or side of the road from the left or right. Examples: Rider Up! Motorcycle Back! Car Left! Walker Up! Dog Right!
• Off [Left/Right]: Let other riders know your intention of pulling off and stopping on the left or right side of the road/path and getting off your bike (Leg swings as you get off can kick riders behind you.)
• Rider On: Let other riders know your intention of getting onto your bike and joining the group. Make room fools!
• Standing up!: When riding in a group or pace line, let a rider behind you know your intention to hop up and pedal out of the saddle.  This action often causes an immediate slow down, and if the rider behind you is right on your rear wheel, your sudden pop up could cause your wheels to collide.