As a club that supports safe group ride practices, the Ride Ambassador Program is core to our philosophy.  A Ride Ambassador is assigned to each club group ride.  The ambassador’s role is to ensure everyone feels welcome before, during, and after the ride. Ambassadors do not need to be in the A Group. In fact, expect to act as a “mid-sweep” and fall back to wait up for anyone who got dropped. Our goal is to avoid anyone from having to ride alone unless they choose it.

If you are volunteering to serve as an ambassador, please follow these guidelines for your ride.

Before Departure

  • Arrive at least 10 minutes before departure time
  • As people arrive, make an effort to greet each person individually
    • have everyone sign in on the check-in form.
    • ask guests to provide email address. welcome them but make sure they know they must join before they ride with the club again.
    • introduce guests to a regular. Point out a commonality if you know of one.
    • politely and diplomatically inform 2nd time guests that they can meet us back here after the ride, but insurance won’t allow them to ride with the rest of the group.
  • No helmet, no ride, no exceptions.
  • Ask for someone to act as final sweep. Make sure someone in Group A knows the route.

Ride Briefing

  • At ride departure time: Introduce yourself, thank guests for checking us out
  • Explain route (major turns and roads, total mileage)
    • Explain shorter option
  • Group A keeps a 16-18 mph average pace and doesn’t stop to wait.
  • If you get dropped by Group A, you can hang out at the next major intersection and re-group with the next cluster of riders.
  • Sweep will ride with Group B or anyone choosing a slower pace.
  • Give safety speech

Safety Speech

  • Foot down at stop signs and red lights. Follow rules of the road.
  • Be predictable! Signal and communicate with each other and other users of the roads and bike paths
    • Be courteous
    • (Give examples of hand signals)
  • Keep it under 15 mph on the bike paths. Use the bike paths as warm up/cool down.
    • You are welcome to go all out once we get onto the road.This also gives people a chance to get up near the front if they want to ride with the A group.
  • Single file in bike lanes (two abreast is okay on road if not impeding traffic)
  • If we end up with in a paceline
    • Not a race
    • take short pulls up front (0.5- 1 mile) then signal the rider behind you
    • keep right and let the line pass you on your left
    • new leader needs to maintain the same pace, don’t race off
    • Keep a full wheel or more back from the rider behind you
    • Don’t “attack” and jump out from the middle of the line and race to the front
    • No pacelines on bike paths

After the Ride

  • Thank riders, especially guests, and ask if they had a good time.
  • Make sure everyone knows they are welcome to stay and hang out even if they choose to not buy anything.
  • You do not need to stay after the ride.
  • Within 48 hours of the ride, please email all guests using the following template: