Rides · Guidelines

Our riding guidelines.

At MC, your safety and enjoyment are our number one priorities. Please read and understand these important bits before you join us on your first ride.

Introduction

Cycling in an organised group is a great way to train, stay motivated, and make friends. It is not, however, without risk.

To make group riding as safe and enjoyable as possible, cyclists have developed a relatively standard set of rules that all riders should follow. Crashes still occur — most often the result of a lack of concentration or riders not following the basics. Please read what follows before joining a bunch ride.

We've all been new at some point. Your first time in a bunch can feel intimidating, but with a little practice it soon becomes natural. Please be patient with riders of all abilities.

If you're new and unsure of your skill level, coaching is a great way to improve. Sydney City Council offers free city-riding courses at Sydney Park, run by Bike Wise — sydneycycleways.net and bikewise.com.au. There are also professional coaches who can help you gain skills and confidence quickly. Get in touch if you'd like recommendations.

Ultimately, we want you to have fun, stay safe, and look out for each other. Enjoy your ride with us — we look forward to seeing you on the road.

What is a group ride?

We organise regular group rides from the MC store, open to all. They follow set courses and run daily or weekly, designed to deliver both a physical challenge and social interaction — and to show off some of the best parts of Sydney.

Information on each ride (distance, climbing, average speed) is published so you can gauge whether it suits you.

We do not have first-aid support on group rides, nor do we directly insure cyclists on any of our rides. We are here to help — please don't hesitate to ask your Ride Leader if you have questions.

What to bring

A bike in good working order.
AU standards approved helmet. No helmet, no ride. No exceptions.
Front and rear lights if riding at night or early in the morning.
Spare tube, tyre levers and pump or CO₂ inflator.
Adequate hydration and food.
ID and emergency contact information.
Sunscreen for hot starts and longer rides.
Money for coffee.

At the start

Introduce yourself to the Ride Leader if they haven't introduced themselves to you. Let them know if you need to leave the ride early, and especially if you're relatively new to cycling. Ask questions if you're unsure of the route or any other aspects of the ride.

The Ride Leader will introduce the Sweeper (or "Sweep") who is responsible for the back of the ride, and — for rides of 20+ wheels — the Ride Captain who sits mid-bunch and relays calls between front and back, and helps keep gapping to a minimum.

Clear communication is vital to safe group cycling. It is every rider's responsibility to listen for and act on calls. For this reason, headphones or earpieces are not to be worn on rides.

On the road

Follow the instructions of the Ride Leader.
Never cross lanes or move 'over' until you have heard a call to do so from the Sweep or Ride Captain.
Do not make direction calls within the bunch unless you are one of the designated parties (Sweep, Captain or Leader) — this can be very dangerous.
If you haven't heard a call, please don't take it upon yourself to make one. There will be a reason why the Ride Leader is waiting to ask for a call or the Sweep is waiting to give it.
Obey all road rules and observe red lights.
Be courteous and respectful of all other road users.
Stay together. The bunch should act as one vehicle. A spread-out bunch is harder for other vehicles to overtake and encourages cars to split the group.
When stopped at lights, be ready to go again when the lights change so the group is not split.

Roadcraft and skills

Stay as close to the rider in front of you as you feel comfortable, but without 'gapping'.
Don't overlap your front wheel with the rear wheel of the rider in front of you. OVERLAPPING OF WHEELS IS ONE OF THE MAIN CAUSES OF CRASHES. Stay behind the rider in front of you, or move up beside them.
Maintain a straight line. Taking your bottle out of the cage and food out of your back pockets is a skill all riders should practise. If you are not comfortable doing this, wait for a break or move to the back of the group.
Keep your head up and watch the riders in front of you, not the wheel in front of you.
Minimise looking behind you — this often causes riders to swerve or veer from a straight line.
Avoid surging — use a gear that lets you pedal smoothly and maintain an even pace and cadence.
Don't brake suddenly. Stay alert for hazards ahead and brake with control. Often moving slightly to the side and out of the draft of the rider in front of you is enough to slow you down and eliminate the need to brake.
ANTICIPATE — Sudden movements create problems for riders around you. Keep your head up and don't stare down at the wheel in front of you. Regularly glance 3–5 riders ahead, and up the road, to see problems before they occur.
Pass on the right, not the left.
RELAX — keep your upper body relaxed and loose. Any bumps on the road will be absorbed. Hitting a pothole with rigid arms could cause an accident. Think "firm grip, relaxed arms".

Calls and signals

A glossary of typical terms used by Ride Leaders, Captains and Sweeps. Please act on all calls.

Stopping: When approaching a red light, stop sign or other.
Clear: When entering a roundabout or intersection and it is safe to proceed.
Rolling: When approaching a set of lights or intersection that may require stopping.
Car up: When a car ahead may require single file or keep-left.
Car back: When a car behind that may attempt to overtake.
Car right / left: When a car is approaching an intersection.
Lights: When red light.
Glass, hole, stick: And pointing it out — when an obstacle is on the road.
Slowing: When slowing down significantly or preparing to stop.
Wait / Hold: Sweep at the back indicating that it is not safe to change lane, or Ride Captain mid-bunch relaying that call.
Over: Sweep at the back calling the bunch across a lane when it is safe to do so. Or Ride Captain mid-bunch relaying.
Single: Group adopts single file to deal with a hazard or narrow lane while passing parked vehicles etc. This may have to be done quickly. If the Ride Leader can't visually confirm it's safe to resume two-abreast, they'll ask for a call from the Sweep.

In moderate to strong headwind or crosswind, calls for obstructions and hazards often won't carry beyond 2–3 wheels — watch for clear hand signals (rather than shouting) and in good time, well before potholes, other obstacles, or when slowing or stopping.

See you on the road.

All MC rides operate under a no-drop policy. New riders welcome — turn up five minutes early and introduce yourself to whoever's leading.

Back to rides Ask us a question