Safe Riding on Saturday

By Joel Zanatta, Helpforme, Personal Legal Services

Getting ready for Saturday? It’s going to be a beautiful, challenging ride, and with dedicated lanes and traffic-free zones the RBC GranFondo Whistler is one of the safest Gran Fondos in North America. It’s a great combination of physical and social activity – and just as importantly, it’s safer than riding alone.

Here are some common sense tips which are key to a safe ride.

The basics.
The most important technique in group riding is keeping everything as smooth and controlled as possible, due to the proximity of the group around you. Grabbing a handful of brake or putting in a hard acceleration could cause a crash, or break up a group. Keep your head up and ahead, even when talking to the rider beside you.

Spacing.
You’re already watching spacing between the group and traffic diversions: it’s just as important to watch spacing between you and the other riders in the group. Keep at least one wheel length away from the rider ahead of you, and keep pace with the rider beside you. Pace corrals keep you among people who match your speed, which aids spacing.

Rider communication.
This is a key safety factor, and it’s the responsibility of the front riders to warn the rest about any hazards, corners or junctions. Everyone in the group, all the way to the last rider, should repeat the call or gesture. You can use a combination of simple hand gestures or vocal gestures to communicate to signal holes, vehicles and other “road furniture” such as manhole covers.

Keep your head up, keep your pace even with the rider beside you, participate in and listen to rider communication, and you’ll be a welcome addition to group rides the world over.

Stay safe and strong.
By optimizing your bike “etiquette” you can prevent injuries and be stronger through the course of the ride. I spend a lot of my life helping people who’ve been injured. If you’re ever in need of personal legal services, including personal injury law, I suggest you have a look at Helpforme. Our personal legal service is the result of nearly 20 years helping people. With it, we get to work more closely with you to empower you when you need it most.

This year, Helpforme is an official sponsor of RBC GranFondo Whistler. Check here for more insights on how to prevent injuries on your way to a great finish.

I hope every rider enjoys all 122 kilometres – see you at the finish line!

Joel Zanatta
Helpforme Personal Legal Services

You can contact Joel and his team at [email protected]