For all y'all Tweener riders not going to the Collin Classic
this weekend, please meet at my white truck by 6:45 for sign in and pre-ride
tail gate chat. We meet at the north end of the parking lot. (Please do not
park in front of the nearby Day Care center.)
We will ride at 15.5 - 16.0 mph for about 43 miles, with one or two rest
stops. This is a NO-DROP ride.
RIDE PARAMETERS:
•The goal is to keep the group effort smooth and consistent
during the ride.
•In order to keep the effort smoother for everyone, the
front riders will accelerate very gradually after stops and turns.
•If you want to work more, please take a turn up front by
announcing your request and safely making your way up to the front, e.g. at a
stop light, when given the go-ahead.
•We will target a rolling average of 15.5mph - 16.0mph. This
typically means going about 2-3 mph faster on flats.
•We may go slower at times, we don't want to burn ourselves
out on these long rides, so uphill and/or upwind sections will be taken at an
easier pace so as to not expend our reserves.
•We may go much faster at times and exceed 25mph, depending
on wind and hills.
•This is a NO-DROP RIDE. If we get separated at a traffic
signal, or if there is a mechanical issue, please call out
"Mechanical," or "Riders Back" so the ride leader can slow
down or stop to regroup. This also means
we will ride as fast as the slowest ride, but no faster than the 16.0 mph
average. If you have consistently been
able to ride faster, please consider moving up to DB Lite or DB2.
SAFETY:
You are responsible
for your own safety and the safety of everyone else in the group, so please
RIDE STEADILY, BE PREDICTABLE, & COMMUNICATE while riding with our group
and adhere to the following PBA rules:
•Keep at least one hand on the handlebar at all times!
•You must wear a helmet.
•Headphones, speakers, and any form of music is not allowed.
•Call out road hazards loudly so others will hear you.
•Loudly call "SLOWING" if cyclists ahead of you
slow down unexpectedly.
•Please note: left is anything under the handlebars or to
the left of the left column; right is anything under the handlebars or to the
right of the right column; and middle is anything between the left and right
columns.
•When the ride leader calls out "Prepare Left",
the sweeper (last cyclist in the left column) is responsible for initiating group
left lane change(s) when safe to do so by loudly calling out "Take
It" and taking the lane first or holding the current lane while loudly
calling out "Car Back".
•Ride a straight line and do not overlap the wheel in front
of you.
•Loudly pass all messages pertaining to the group up to the
ride leader, e.g. "Gap" if the group starts to separate, "Riders
Back" if members get separated at a stoplight or similar,
"Mechanical" if ANYTHING occurs that requires the group to stop, and
"Rider(s) Down" if needed.
•I strongly recommend blinking lights even during daytime
rides. The added visibility may save you from injury or worse!