By Barbara Jacobs, John O'Dowd and Andre Wolf

Making sure riders are prepared for the ride you are offering…

Okay, you think this is a no-brainer, but what happens when you offer a ride on the CRW calendar and a person shows up unprepared and unable to complete the ride?

In most cases CRW rides are local to the Greater Boston area, are reasonable distances (20-60 miles), and have conveniences like stores along the way. CRW offers rides for all levels of skill and fitness.

CRW is offering more and more rides that are challenging. These could be adventure rides away from the Greater Boston area (Vermont, Rhode Island, etc.), gravel rides that are local, but not near facilities, or Devo rides that are long distance rides in a limited time frame.

Rides on the calendar should be described appropriately. This includes (but is not limited to) the following:

• The ride distance.  If you are offering multiple ride distances, that should be clear in the description and include the appropriate Ride with GPS route.
• The ride pace. This should include the average pace you plan to ride. If you have other leaders helping, include what will their pace be.
• Total elevation gain. Is it 1,200 feet of elevation or 12,000 feet of elevation?
• Type of ride. Is this going to be a no-drop or led ride with a sweep?  How will your keep the group together, by paceline or human arrows?  If this is a show and go ride make sure riders know they are riding at their own pace and there might not be anyone behind them sweeping the ride.
• Specialty ride. If you are offering a long-distance ride – make that clear.  For instance, let people know the ride is 150 miles and must be completed in 10 hours.
• Drop/No-Drop ride. A “No Drop” should have an advertised pace and the time limit. Make it clear that if a rider cannot make the time cut, the rider will be dropped.
• Terrain/topography. Clearly describe the route – flat, rolling, hilly, etc. Gravel/mixed terrain might include gravel roads, rail trails, and single track with roots and rocks.
• Type of bike. If you are doing a Gravel/Mixed terrain ride you should include a recommended or required tire size and type (e.g., 32-35 mm with some tread). An Adventure ride might recommend a touring bike or gravel bike.

Many CRW rides have this information in the ride description, yet people unable to complete or ride at the designated speed sign up for a ride anyway. So, what do you do?

It is essential that you put as much information into your Ride Description as you can, to make it clear for a potential rider.

A Ride Description should include the above items. However, if you are leading a challenging ride you should include text similar to the following:

This ride is for experts only. You must have ridden several imperial centuries, and more than once ridden over 150 miles this year. The ride will last at least X hours and participants are expected to know how to manage their energy level, nutrition, and hydration. Also, it falls upon the riders to come up with a Plan B in case they must bail out at any point through the ride.

Planning ahead is the best strategy. Bring cash, credit card, and identification (health insurance card is also recommended).

If you are in doubt whether this ride is for you, it probably is not for you. Send a message to the ride leader if you want to be considered for the ride but question your ability.

As a final note: Please remember, on a difficult ride you can tell a rider that this is not an appropriate place for them. Ideally it is best to do this before they show up for a ride, as you do not have time to deal with this and get the ride moving.

You can also look up their stats on Strava (assuming they are on there).