Here is the important stuff you should review when joining as a club member.
We wish we could just post “No a$$holes” and be done with it but, unfortunately, it’s not that easy.
Read the 2024 HCC Club Guidelines and HCC Bylaws – wordy, but necessary. If you’re unable to open the documents, please email us for a copy.
Use Tail Lights (manditory) – flashing red for daylight. Solid red for night. We encourage the use of a headlight for all riding. If you have one, please use it.
Move as One – When you ride in a group, it’s like joining the Musketeers: all for one and one for all. For the safety, the whole group needs to move as a group. Think like a group and not as an individual. Can the whole group get through the green light? Can the whole group make the left turn?
Use Hand Signals – For slow, stop, left, right, debris and gravel, there are very easy signals. Signals travel from the front of the group to the back so if you’re at the front, you’re the eyes for the whole pack. If you don’t know them, please ask.
Stay Off the Brakes – Obviously, you’re going to need to use your brakes in a group ride but don’t use them aggressively. We compare riding in a group to driving on Deerfoot in Calgary. Think about this: When driving on Deerfoot and you come up behind another vehicle, you don’t slam on your brakes and shove your vehicle into neutral expecting to back off effectively. In the bike world, this is the equivalent of braking hard and stopping pedalling. When you come too close to the bike ahead of you, apply pressure lightly and continue to soft pedal. Gentle does it, friends.
Learn How to Blow Your Nose…or Spit – OMG, we wish we were kidding. Get out of the pack. Check for riders behind you. Go to the back. Aim down towards the road and not out to the side (almost like you were aiming the the end of your bar). Pay attention to the wind direction. No one likes to get hit or sprayed.
Be On Time and Be Ready – We’re all late occasionally but don’t be “that guy”. Rides start at 9 am and 6 pm. Pump your own tires and bring your own fuel. If you’re running late, make sure to let someone know. Ridley’s is open so if you need tech support, please make sure you arrive in plenty of time to get your bike checked out.
Pace Lines – The rule is to pull at the group’s pace. Take your turn but don’t blast out in front when you get there. Keep the pace consistant, take your turn and head to the back. There’s not a set time to pull so gauge your effort and keep the pace consistant. Don’t stay so long in the front that you’re wrecked and you drop off the back. Keep pace lines limited to 5-6 bikes with a gap between the groups so vehicles can safely work with your group. When you’re in the middle of a pace line, remember the Deerfoot rule…soft braking and soft pedalling.
Finally, our favourite. No a$$holes. Be nice. Ride nice. Do not use your middle finger. Avoid yelling back. Follow road rules. Share the road.