This was forwarded to me from a member of  Port Macquarie Cycling Club and covers some good bunch riding tips.

Suggestions & guidelines for safe bunch riding

As Port’s road cycling & racing club PMCC has put together some basic suggestions to assist you in enjoying a safe bunch riding experience with the peloton. Think about this, when any of us buy a musical instrument we normally take lessons but in most cases when we buy a road bike there are usually no lessons taken, so any lessons learnt should not be from hard knocks. If you are bunch riding and another rider makes a suggestion about your riding don’t be offended as it will be advice offered for your safety and that of your fellow riders in the peloton. We have all received similar “advice” in our time and we are still here and better for it.

This inforormation is not an exhaustive training manual; it aims to give some basic suggestions on safety and etiquette for road riders. If you want coaching for fitness or competition the club has a number of Australian Sports Commission & Cycling Australia accredited coaches and they would be willing to assist you.

As a club we are committed to:

- SAFETY above all else. The safety of riders of all abilities and that of all other road users is our major concern.

- Assisting riders to attain riding skills to enhance their safe enjoyment of cycling at all levels.

- Being aware of our own actions and those of other riders in the peloton. So please take note of the following:

•    “Call out” hazards (left/right/middle) such as potholes, sticks, glass, etc as soon as you see them.

•    The front riders should slow or stop the bunch if necessary at junctions etc and “call out” slowing or stopping.

•    Do NOT look over your shoulder unless on the front of the bunch, you may touch wheels & fall.

•    Do not “half wheel” (overlap the wheel in front) as you may touch wheels & come down.

•    Keep abreast of the rider next to you when in two lines. Do not drift back, it extends the whole bunch.

•    Maintain safe even spacing in the bunch. Not too close to or “drifting off” the wheel in front.

•    Brake gently not sharply and call out “slowing” if necessary. Just stopping pedalling may be enough.

•    There may be nominated sprints or climbs on some rides, find out where they are, well before hand.

•    Don’t try to prove yourself in the bunch, that’s what racing is for. You don’t have to join in the sprints.

•    “Roll over” / “swap turns” safely. You may be used to a different method to ours, so check if you are not sure.

•    Stop and wait to assist riders who puncture or experience a “mechanical” or who get dropped.

•    Obey ALL road rules, lights, crossings, stop signs etc. A bike is a vehicle in law & subject to RTA/Police fines.

•    It is legal to Ride two abreast but common sense dictates that in some places single file is safer.

•    Racing on a public road requires a Police & LGA permit, this can be interpreted to include bunch sprints.

•    The “last wheel” should look for following traffic and call “clear” or “over” for lane changes, then relay the call.

The training needs of some riders do not always accord with the requirements of the peloton so riders in training must be conscious of this and may need to make separate training arrangements to the usual bunch rides.