Almaden Cycle Touring Club
ACTC Ride Leader Information
ACTC Ride Leader Information
Ride Leader Guide

The backbone of the Almaden Cycle Touring Club is its club rides. Any Club member may lead a ride. You don’t need any special training or skills. You do not have to be a bike mechanic or have first aid training. If you want more of your type of rides in areas that you want to ride: LEAD SOME RIDES!

How To Get Started With Your Own Ride Listing and a Quick Reference for Experienced Ride Leaders

Fill out and request your own Personal ACTC Ride Leader Account

If you haven't already, create a free RidewithGPS personal account Next, link your free RidewithGPS account with the club account: Using this link to join the ACTC club account. The Membership Coordinator will automatically be contacted to enable your access within 24 hours usually. If not, contact membership@actc.org .

To understand the different RidewithGPS account levels, check out the guide at Know your RWGPS Accounts

Create your own Route using RWGPS: Check out this short tutorial. A more detailed version is also available.

Find or create a route using the Club Account from RWGPS and provide a link to the route/cue sheet in the ride description. To learn how to use the club account turn-by-turn navigation using RidewithGPS, check out the tutorial Route Navigation Using RWGPS

Before saving your route, click on “Show More Options” and create a “Tag” for yourself. If you ever want to find your ride again, this is very important. Suggested tags could include your initials, the start location, Billy Goat Code or Grizzly Bear Name.

On hot days plan for water stops: Switch the RWGPS from map to OSM and zoom in to the closest level. Water fountains will show as a faucet going into a glass.

Ride Submission on the ACTC Calendar: Ride descriptions should be posted 2 days ahead of time using the Ride Entry form. Or from the Home Page click on “Submit New Ride” on the left sidebar. You will need to access the information you created on your RWGPS route.

There are a lot of “moving parts” here so definitely check out our tutorial for more assistance under “Creating Ride Entries”

  1. Use the links on the left side panel, “Ride Classification,” “Grizzly Bear”, “Billy Goat” and “Mountain Goat” Lists for more clarification and to access “Ride Leader Style.”
  2. If you are unsure of the mileage, estimate on the higher side.
  3. Have an easy-to-find start location, preferably near water and restrooms.
  4. Be sure that it is safe for people to leave their cars there for the ride duration.
  5. To add a co-leader, enter their ride leader sign-in name, which is usually “FirstnameLastname”: both names without a space. If that doesn’t work, contact the ride coordinator for help.

Prepare for the ride:

Print and carry extra Ride Leader Sign-in sheets:

Print and carry the two insurance forms located below, just in case: In the case of a serious incident, the ride leader should complete the First Report of Accident. Submit the form to insurance@actc.org

If the injured person needs secondary medical insurance, the ride leader should complete part 1 of the HSR form i with as much information as they have, sign it and give it to the injured person along i with the Claim Filing Instructions. The injured person will complete part 2 and 3 and submit it to HSR, the email address is on the form. If the ride leader is hesitant to sign this form, they can send it to insurance@actc.org or any board member to sign.

Day of the ride:
  1. Show up at the ride start location at least 15 minutes early with all necessary forms.
  2. Make sure that all riders print their name and emergency numbers legibly on the signup sheet. PLEASE make sure that any non-members also sign their names in the bottom section.
  3. Introduce yourself and pass out route sheets or assist riders in using the RWGPS Navigator tool on their phones.
  4. Point out possible hazards, water and bathroom stops.
  5. On longer rides you should point out available food stops on the route.
  6. If your group is large, assign a capable rider to act as 'sweep', preferably one who knows the route and can help other riders who may run into problems

After the ride: The ride is not over until all riders have returned to the start location or have been accounted for.

When the ride is complete, enter the riders’ data into the club stats database. A tutorial on how to enter stats is available.

When finished entering the stats, review the Ride Entry form to make sure all the names are legible. Scan or take a photo of the signup sheet and email it to the actc-ride-stats@googlegroups.com Ride Stats Archive. BE SURE TO INCLUDE THE DATE AND TITLE OF YOUR RIDE IN THE SUBJECT LINE. In case of any incidents on the ride, a copy of the filled-out form should be sent to the Club Insurance Representative.

NEW! Use the QR code on stats entry page to photograph and email your route sheets directly from your phone!

After you've emailed to the Ride Stats Archive, you may throw away the sign-in sheet.

Ride Modifications and Cancellations: Ride Leaders may need to update, cancel or postpone a ride.

  1. To cancel, update or modify a ride, or request a new Ride Leader, send a note with adequate notice to the ride-bulletins-list actc-rides-bulletins@googlegroups.com
  2. A ride can be canceled or rescheduled for a later date by contacting the Ride Coordinator to update the calendar.

Ride Leader Notes: People like to ride in groups for camaraderie, safety, encouragement of fitness goals and to access the knowledge of other cyclists. As Ride Leader, people will tend to look to you for direction and guidance so always use your best judgment. Understand that you might be on a “learning curve” but your skills as a ride leader will improve with time and experience. The safety of the group should be your highest concern but don’t forget to promote the social aspects of the ride. Introductions at the ride start, regroups at the summits, water and lunch breaks make this more of a social experience. Of course, fitness is “baked into this cake” so be aware that sometimes, people may have their own priorities. Always remember that riders will appreciate your efforts in leading a ride.

Final Note: If this seems too complicated, other ride leaders are usually more than happy to help you out. Don't hesitate to ask someone! Also, you can gain confidence (and Ride Leader Credit) by requesting to be added as a Co-Leader to their ride. They can always use someone to assign as Ride Sweep, or to ride ahead if you're faster.

Ride Leader Forms

Insurance forms need to be carried by each ride leader and used to report accidents on rides. Contact the Ride Coordinator if you have any questions.

Where to Go ? Some helpful tutorials What to Include ? What Terrain and Pace ? Ride Schedule Preview Other
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