Grand Touring Ride Leader Guidelines
Grand Touring Ride Philosophy: To emphasize the enjoyment of bicycling as a group and social activity, and as a method to explore and discover Indiana and other destinations.
The ride should be a one-day event. Directions, including approximate driving time to the start, need to be provided for the CIBA website and the CIBA ride schedule.
The following is an example of ride information required for the ride listing:
Eastern Brown County Dogwood Meander
Date: Saturday May 2, 2009
Start time: 9:30 am
Ride Leaders: Randy and Connie Schmucker, 317-257-5607, rsdesign@ieee.org
Route Length: 50 miles - hilly terrain
Start Location: Columbus, IN: Jay C Food parking lot - SR 46 & Goeller
Rd
Directions to start: I-65 South. Exit west on SR 46, go 0.5 miles, turn right
at light, Goeller Rd, into parking lot
Description of ride: Enjoy a nice spring day with the dogwoods and spring flowers in full bloom in the hills of western Bartholomew County and eastern Brown County. This ride will meander through Grandview Lake, Pikes Peak, Hoosier National Forest, other Indiana back road delights and a stop at Crouch’s market for lunch.
Contact information and inclement weather cancellation policy should be listed on the web page and in the ride schedule. Due to travel distances involved for all riders, the rider leader may cancel the ride if they deem the weather to be too bad to ride in.
The ride should center around some other event or activity, i.e. to visit a historical landmark, site, state park, museum, street fair or festival and/or meeting someplace afterwards to eat at a special restaurant. (The last is very popular.)
There should be one basic route of at least 25 miles and not more than 50 miles. This depends greatly on the time of year and geography. To encourage the social and group aspect of these events only one route should be used.
Grand Touring rides are not marked and you should not mark them under any circumstances. A cue sheet and/or map needs to be provided to each rider. Arrangements for an experienced bicyclist or the ride leader need to be made to ride with the slowest rider(s). No one gets left behind on a Grand Touring ride and no one should feel that they are holding up the group. Vehicle SAG support is not required and is discouraged. Riding as a group is encouraged. This means the ride leader rides with the group.
Ride Leaders provide SAG support from their bicycle. If a rider stops beside the road, the ride leader needs to stop and help in whatever way possible. Help can mean changing a flat tire, fixing a chain or sometimes just providing moral support. Do whatever you reasonably can to help out.
Everyone should be encouraged to ride together or at least in compatible groups. Make sure you have enough maps for everyone. If someone you expect does not show by the start time, leave a map for them under the windshield wiper of your car.
Most Grand Touring rides will have 10 to 20 people attending. To encourage socializing introduce everyone at the beginning of your ride. Starting with the ride leaders have everyone introduce themselves.