Tellico Riders Rides
Club Rides are monthly group rides that are posted and detailed on the club calendar. Click on the event for more details. In addtion to the club rides, we have one dinner ride per month and impromptu rides called "Show Up and Ride" rides, which are scheduled beginning March on the seconds Tuesday and the fourth Thursday of each month, weather permitting. A reminder email is sent prior to the ride communicating the time and place to show up. "Show Up and Ride" rides have no planned routes or ride captains. Those who show up pick a ride leader and enjoy the day. As always ride safely!
Responsibility of All Tellico Riders
- Notify the Ride Captain 24 hours in advance—via email—about your intentions to ride in the upcoming ride.
- Show up on time with a full tank of gas.
- Make sure your bike is serviced and road worthy. See the T-CLOCS-Inspection
Checklist.
- Review and understand group riding dynamics, located on our Website under Safety, including hand signals. And remember to pass the hand signal back to the rider behind you.
- In the event of an accident or if a rider pulls off, all riders should continue on and follow the Ride Captain. The riders should begin flashing their headlights to notify Ride Captain of a problem. The Ride Captain will find a safe place for all bikes to pull off and await a call from the Sweep or send a rider back to assess the situation and advise the Ride Captain. The rider immediately in front of the Sweep should consider stopping to assist the Sweep if it appears help would be needed.
- Use stop lights or stop signs as an opportunity close up ranks to double file.
Ride Captains Responsibilities (Rev. 11/11)
Safety Is the First Rule
The first rule in being a Ride Captain is to lead a safe ride. We should try to keep to the speed limit plus or minus five. Some Tennessee roads are a challenge for some riders to ride the speed limit. The ride-to-ride type rides are more spirited, and we should discourage riders with lower skill levels from attending these rides. The club rides however are slower paced and most individuals should be able to maintain the speeds.
Place the slower riders directly behind the Ride Captain and adjust your speed accordingly. If a rider does not have the skill level for the proposed ride, suggest they sit that ride out.
We have stated that the number of bikes per group should not exceed 8 bikes. It is, however, up to the Ride Captain to make the ultimate decision on how many he/she is comfortable leading.
If a Ride Captain observes a rider in the group who is not riding in a safe manner, he/she should talk to the rider and, in worst case, ask the rider to leave the ride.
All Ride Captains and Sweeps should carry cell phones and exchange numbers in case of an accident.
Use the Ride Captain's Checklist (in PDF) to organize your ride.
Understand Group Riding Dynamics
All Ride Captains should be familiar with group ride dynamics, which can be found on our Website under Safety. This includes the use of hand signals to communicate intentions to the group.
Experience and Riding Skills
All Ride Captains should be proficient riders and are encouraged to take the Experienced Rider Course every three years. Ideally, they should also take the CPR course offered in the Village by the Fire Department and carry a practical first aid kit.
Plan the Ride Route
Select the date of ride and rain date, then post on the Gmail Calendar. Instructions will be provided to all new Ride Captains on the use of Gmail. Identify the type of ride. A club ride has a more leisurely pace. A ride-to-ride is more aggressive and not recommended for riders of lower skill level. Pre-ride the route to check condition of roads, and availability of comfort stops. Allow for adequate comfort stops, which is especially important after the first hour in the morning and after lunch.
Communicate With Club Members via Email a Week Before the Ride
Notify the Club members of the intended meeting place, time, KSU, route, and approximate return time. Request an email confirmation from attendees, which will help determine whether you want to break the ride into to smaller groups.
Choose a Sweep and other Ride Captains to assist if you need them; solicit their support before the day of the ride if possible.
If you decide to break the group, you need to contact other Ride Captains and Sweeps and solicit their support and explain ride details. Identify which riders are assigned to each group. You might consider breaking groups based on skill level after consulting with the other Ride Captain and Sweeps. You should also provide the other Ride Captains with ride route details
Day of the Ride/Pre-Ride Instructions (Riders Meeting)
Explain the route and expected comfort stops, and assign riders to groups if needed. Review any confusing turns, expected hazards along the way, etc. Review the hand signals, importance of maintaining proper intervals, and the importance of riding at their comfort level. Don't get into group think. Even though we are riding as a group and all need to understand group riding dynamics, each individual must make his or her own decisions and handle their bikes accordingly.
Sweep Responsibilities
The Sweep ideally is another Ride Captain or experienced rider, and, again ideally, is familiar with CPR, carries a first aid kit and cell phone. Sweeps should assist the Ride Captain in the pre-ride meeting, getting signatures of attendees, helping align the bikes in groups or order, and giving the okay that all riders are prepared to go. In the event of breakdown or accident, the Sweep will stop and attend to the stopped rider.
- Secure the area and make sure the downed rider is safe from further injury.
- Call 911 if needed.
- Solicit help to control oncoming traffic and assist the downed rider.
- Call the Ride Captain and assess him/her of the situation.
- If you are in an area with no cell phone reception, solicit help from others to go find 911 access and direct someone to report to the Ride Captain.
Post Ride Reports and Pictures
Fill out the Post Ride Report (in PDF) and forward to the Club Historian, along with any pictures of the event.
2012 Ride Captains
| Ride Captain | Cell Phone | Home Phone | Email Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Brazelton | (865) 548-1249 | (865) 458-8630 | dcb1@charter.net |
| Bill Brown | (865) 566-5988 | (865) 458-0855 | bill306brown@gmail.com |
| Dennis Desserich | (865) 293-1902 | (865) 657-9030 | desserich@charter.net |
| Rich Gruber | (865) 271-8610 | (865) 271-8610 | richg03@yahoo.com |
| Jim McAlister | (865) 385-0939 | (865) 657-9053 | jandjwoods@charter.net |
| Roy Moore | (865) 271-8304 | (865) 271-8304 | moorerp@charter.net |
| Paula Moore | (865) 271-8305 | (865) 271-8305 | moorerp@charter.net |
| Warren Parthen | (865) 405-4102 | (865) 458-1874 | WjParthen@aol.com |
| Gary Rhodes | (865) 207-1828 | (865) 408-3073 | gary.lova@charter.net |