Rules of the Road

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="11c785a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>UTAH VELO CLUB</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="UTAH VELO CLUB"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About the club"><U>About the club</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id56.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cyclist Progress Log"><U>Cyclist Progress Log</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Event information"><U>Event information</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id51.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ride Leader Information"><U>Ride Leader Information</U></A>   |   <B>Rules of the Road</B>   |   <A HREF="id40.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Club Jersey"><U>Club Jersey</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ride and Race Maps "><U>Ride and Race Maps </U></A>   |   <A HREF="id36.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Training Corner"><U>Training Corner</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id37.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Photo Gallery"><U>Photo Gallery</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id44.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="For Sale or Wanted"><U>For Sale or Wanted</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id30.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cycling Links"><U>Cycling Links</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id35.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Archived Information"><U>Archived Information</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Utah Velo Club</I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Rules of the road for the Utah Velo Club</B>. </div> <div> 1- When biking on a highway with a white line on the side, stay on or outside that white line on the shoulder of the road. Do not ride side by side unless the shoulder is wide enough outside the white line. </div> <div> 2- While on a bike trail or out on the open road <B>NEVER CROSS THE CENTER LINE</B> on blind corners. Don’t cross the line except to pass when you can see far enough to make the pass safely. </div> <div> 3- If you have <B>aerobars</B> on your bike DO NOT USE THEM unless you are in the lead or there are at least 3 bike lengths between you and the rider in front of you. Please stay close to your brakes. </div> <div> 4- We need <B>DESIGNATED WAITING SPOTS</B> along our route to give people a chance to get back into the group. We will discuss them as we go through each ride since they will depend upon the mix of the group. </div> <div> 5-<B> No earphone devices</B> are allowed unless you are hearing impaired and use hearing aids. All of us need to be able to talk to each other and hear warning signals. </div> <div> 6- When approaching the <B>speed bumps</B> in Saratoga Springs hold your line and either bunny hop them or just ride straight over them. Do not swerve across the road and do not cross the center line of the road especially on the blind corners. <B>Do not go to the edge of the bump where the curb is</B> because there is a crack just wide enough for your tire to slip into if you hit it wrong. The bump is safer by going straight over it. </div> <div> 7- <B>Communicate your intentions</B> by hand signals and/or by voice if you are approaching a corner, encountering a road hazard, pulling out of the front of the pace line, slowing down, have a mechanical problem, or in any way cause someone behind or to the side of you to have to make a change of direction or speed. </div> <div> 8- Trail speed with traffic: When approaching other people/animals on the trails PLEASE slow down to the point that if they don't see you and suddenly step into your path you can safely stop. Be courtious and thank them for letting you go by and for holding their dog. <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B><U>Cyclists do NOT own the trail</U></B></FONT> and we must safely share it with <B><U>everyone</U></B> who uses it. The general public does NOT understand what "on you left" means or even what "passing on your left" means. Just because you call out to them, do not assume that they hear you unless they stop and move to the side for you to go by. Go slow enough to avoid them or stop as needed. One of the worst things that could happen is for a cyclist to hurt someone walking on the trail. Especially if you hit them from behind.</div> <div> 9- If you gotta go and can't wait, be discreet and find a bush or less public place. </div> <div> 10- When you are relinquishing the lead of a pace line, indicate by voice or hand signal that you are coming out of the lead and (generally) pull out to the left permitting the line to continue without swerving around you. It is the lead rider's obligation to ensure that others are not put in a position of reading your mind as to your intentions. </div> <div> 11- A pace line runs smoother and faster when everyone takes relatively short (no longer than one minute) pulls. Try it: you'll like it! </div> <div> 12- When you jump on the end of a passing pace line and you are tucked in, announcing "On your wheel" lets the rider in front of you know that he is no longer the last man in line. </div> <div> 13- In a long pace line, if you are the last man in line, inform a rider dropping to the rear that you are the "last man." Since the line is moving faster than the rider coming off of the front, the warning enables the rider to start picking up their speed to match that of the line.</div> <div> 14- When riders have to stop on the road, raise an arm high as an alert to other cyclists and motorists.</div> <div> 15- Basic hand signals help other riders and motorists (especially in conjunction with verbal warnings). Left, Right and Slow should be known and used by all of us.</div> <div> 16- Pointing to objects such as glass, rocks bottles, etc. as you announce them assists close riders.</div> <div> 17- Pointing to your intended change, as you shift position left or right in a group, can help riders back to make room or to increase effort to catch a wheel you may be leaving.</div> <div> 18- Not exactly group riding etiquette, but trails are shared resources. Hammering past pedestrians is intimidating. Announcing "passing" and slowing slightly will improve their attitude toward cyclists and your fitness (you will have to accelerate back to pace, right?)</div> <div> 19- Help a stranded cyclist. Asking a person if they have what they need for repairs can be done on the roll. If a person isn't head down doing repairs, chances are they need something. Who hasn't had a spare fail, forgotten to replace a spare, or just been unprepared for a problem? Loaning tools or experience costs a few minutes, tubes are cheap enough to give one to a stranger. It's usually a long walk home, and we all hope someone would stop for us. Consider helping others insurance that improves your odds of getting help when you need it. Thankfully, most cyclists are very generous toward fellows in need.</div> <div> 20- If you've chosen to ride with a group, it shouldn't be with the intention of trying to drop everyone. The whole philosophy behind joining a group is realizing that faster riders sometime have to ride slower than they'd like and slower riders sometime have to ride faster than they'd like. Stick together! If you're too fast for that group to hang with, join a faster group!</div> <div> 21- If you must pass on the right be sure the "passe" gets plenty of notice.</div> <div> 22- When riding in a group, communicate with other riders. Let everybody know your intentions and what's going on around you: Yell, "BRAKING" when brakes are applied. Yell, "HARD BRAKING" when brakes are applied hard. When coming up behind someone, say or yell "ON YOUR LEFT" or "ON YOUR RIGHT". Yell "CAR UP" or "CAR BACK" when cars are approaching.</div> <div> 23- If you see something in the road, let everybody know behind you, yell: "BOTTLE DOWN", "PUMP DOWN", "RIDER DOWN", "BUMP", "ROCKS", etc...</div> <div> 24- ALWAYS: Hold your line. Pull your own weight, whenever possible.</div> <div> 25- Look behind you when you pull out (or around) others; there's always a chance that someone will be rapidly approaching from behind. </div> <div> 26- If you have to stop while riding in a rally, <B>get off the road!!!!</B>! On coming bikers are not expecting any manmade obstacles like you or your bike. </div> <div> 27- Ride single file on tight shoulders! When cars want to go around you, and you're riding 3-4 side by side, fall back into one line and let the car pass. Even if the cars cannot pass, you will have least made an effort, they may not be as mad.</div> <div> 28- When riding with a group on a narrow road and the cars pile up behind. Think of all the good will you will generate if the group pulls into a wide spot or a driveway to let the cars pass. <B>OR </B>think of your self being dead when the last hothead in line decides to pass everybody.</div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>