T R A I N I N G R I D E S Turn Sheets turnsheet template download submit Waiver of Liabiltiy MS Word Format PDF Safety Speech EmergencyInfoCard.html Answering Machine Script Lunch Order Sheet [xl] what to bring to a trainingride Heat / Cold Index creating community C A L E N D A R upload new calendar E D U C A T I O N so you're leading your first ride Route Planning Turnsheet Template (excel 98) TRL equipment Bike Anatomy 10Commandments.htm r i d e r - t i p s h e e t s carbo.html ElementalEating.html FirstAidKits.html FluidIntake.html Group Riding.htm HillClimbingTurnBack.doc Pedal Circles.html Stretching.html TimedividedbyEffort.html WHATHILLS.doc C O M M U N I C A T I O N S send e-mail to all TRL's list of all TRL's name / phone / email meeting minutes disclaimer	So, You're Leading a Training Ride Today ARE YOU READY? -If it is raining, or the temperature is too low, you may have to cancel your ride. Leave an outgoing message on your answering machine telling riders that your ride is cancelled. You then have to have one person from your TRL "team" go to the start location to tell any riders who do show up that the ride is cancelled. (And there is always someone who will show up.) -Check out your riders. See how they are dressed, what kind of condition their bikes are in, what kind of equipment they brought (tubes, pumps, etc.) The weather may be reasonable for you to lead a ride, but your riders may not be properly dressed. They may see 55 degrees as a high for the day and show up in shorts, or just one layer of clothing. They may not have gloves or may not have worn enough layers on their feet. (Fingers and toes feel the cold first.) A lot of heat is lost through the head, and most new riders typically won't have warm headgear on under their helmets. (And if they don't have a helmet, they're not going anywhere!) At the start of a ride, it may only be 40 or 45 degrees and then the winds created by riding kicks in a wind chill to make it feel even colder. Add moisture to this mix and the recipe is right for hypothermia. It does not take long for this to become a serious condition. Don't think you can take a shot at getting 25 miles in when your riders aren't properly dressed for the weather. When in doubt about riders who did not show up in warm attire on these early season rides, be prepared to adjust and/or modify your training ride.
	-You should always ride the route you are leading before you lead a group of riders on it. Have you got a ride going to the Alpine police station and back? Are you going to Piermont for the 100th time? Well, make it 101 times, because you must ride this route at least once THIS YEAR. Do not assume that because you did it last year, you know it. A lot could have changed. Construction can block roads and close off parks and there many, many other reasons a route cannot be ridden. RIDE IT BEFORE YOU LEAD IT. -Do you have a back up plan? There are some rides on the calendar for April and May which are 50-60 miles long. Depending on the group who shows up for your ride, this may not be reasonable mileage. Think back to your first ride. Could you do 50 miles on your first ride? You will see riders who haven't been on a bike in years; who are wearing cotton t-shirts, a light jacket and shorts in 50 degree weather; who had a tough time cycling the 15 blocks to get to the start point; who are beginners, going on a beginner's ride which may in fact be a little too ambitious for early spring. Even after a beginner's series, a tough 70-75 mile ride may be too much. In the past, these longer rides were left off the calendar until June, July and August for a reason-they require a certain speed and ability to get riders home by dark. Even in the middle of July, a Little Tor ride leaving at 7am from the GWB would get back to the bridge by 6pm. There is no way home from a ride like this except to ride your bike-or take a very expensive cab ride. You can't assume a bus will come along, and if one does, they don't all allow bikes. Overestimate what your riders are capable of and you could find yourself in a mess with riders unable to get home by dark. So, DO YOU HAVE A BACK UP PLAN? Do you know the route well enough to go off it to that deli where you can all warm up, or to the Starbucks when it starts to rain, or even a bike shop when someone breaks a spoke? If you do get out on 9w, or Rt. 501-away from mass transit, do you have specific places on your route which would work as a turnaround point? Do you have the names and numbers of several taxi companies in the area in case someone gets out on the road, gets in trouble because of mechanical problems, or has health issues, or weather issues due to poor clothing choices? Do you have a map of the area with you? Can you trust yourself to judge the abilities of the riders in a beginner's series to know that the longer rides you had planned towards the end are not appropriate? Are you prepared to offer a more reasonable ride-which you have also ridden beforehand-as an alternative? It is your responsibility to get all of your riders home safely, so don't get into a situation where this is impossible.
	-You may have a ride to Piermont leaving from 72nd Street, and by the time you get to the bridge, you've had several mechanicals and the riders are so spread out that it's 30 minutes or more before your sweep joins you. The bridge is a good place to regroup and assess. Talk with your sweep. See how behind they were. This is where the sweep really has to be on the ball. If your group isn't ready to go to Piermont, you'll know by the time you get to the bridge. Beginner rides are just that-beginner. My personal opinion about this level ride is that no one should be turned away. If you have a group on a beginner ride, and you see that a ride to Piermont is not going to be feasible due to weather, the overall fitness of your group, or poor equipment, one solution may be to refer to your calendar and to perhaps discreetly direct some riders to another beginner ride with less mileage if there's still time for them to meet up with that ride. If there are no other rides available, or if there's no time to get to the other ride's meeting place in time, or if the majority of your group is not prepared for the ride you have planned, the solution is not to ask people to sign out of your ride. The solution is to MODIFY YOUR RIDE. -Using a Piermont ride as an example, you may turn people around at the bridge and suggest they get some more miles in by doing a couple of laps in the park. You may bring them down Hudson Park Terrace to Palisades, cross 9W and gather at the Starbucks at the bottom of the hill to warm up. (If you do this, you should know another back way home so as not to have riders going back up Palisades. It's full of traffic and can be dangerous for new riders.) You may cycle up 9W and stop in the Alpine police station and turn around. (Since there have been problems with road conditions in Alpine Park itself, would you know ahead of time if this road is an option, or if it's been closed, or has too many potholes, etc?) On all alternative routes, do you know the nearest bathroom stops? The point is, be ready to change your ride to meet the needs of beginner riders. -When you have discussions with your sweep-and you should be communicating throughout the ride-make them discreet. Walk a short distance away from the group and have your conversation. No one should be able to hear you discussing concerns about abilities, attitudes and other problems. If you and your sweep disagree about the course of action to take, the best option is the safer, more conservative one. You may be able to do 50 miles in April, but it's the rare novice cyclist who can handle that mileage. Until you and your sweep have come to an agreement, keep your voices low and be discreet. You've got more than a few eyes and ears looking to you for guidance and for responsible decisions. Don't let a flip comment or bad display of attitude on your part undermine your authority as a leader. -The goal is not to strictly adhere to the original ride description or to the mileage advertised. The goal is to get the riders ready for September. Be ready to change your ride accordingly-especially beginner rides. Your face is the first face these riders will associate with the Ride. When informing riders as to your decisions, treat them as adults and with respect. Tell them about your concerns with the day's weather; let them know that if you went further on the route, you would be too far from mass transit if it rains or if the temps drop; tell them the mileage may be a bit too much this early and you don't want to risk getting home after dark (This may sound ridiculous-of course you'll be home from Piermont by dark, right? WRONG. A fifty-mile ride can take 8 hours. Do not assume you'll breeze through the ride without any problems. The first few rides of the season can and will be fraught with problems of all kinds.) Tell them that you don't want to create a dangerous situation by going further, that you are making a judgement call so that they are safe. There is plenty of time to get the miles in. We're not out to break any mileage records in April or May. Remember-THIS RIDE IS NOT FOR YOU. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WELL-BEING OF YOUR RIDERS AND SHOULD ACT ACCORDINGLY. DO NOT TAKE CHANCES WITH SOMEONE'S HEALTH. Your riders may be disappointed, but they will respect your decision when you tell them it was made with their well being in mind. So, ride your route at least once before leading it; be ready to change, shorten or modify your route depending on the weather, your rider's abilities and how appropriately they are dressed for the day; be discreet when discussing individual rider's problems or issues; be responsible in your decision-making; be friendly and welcoming, but keep control of any situations that come up; act like your favorite training ride leaders from last year and incorporate their attitude and willingness to help and listen into your demeanor as a training ride leader. Lead the kind of ride you would want to go on again.