Group riding

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MichaelM

Guru
Location
Tayside
Just ordered a shiny new bike, which has got me musing.....

I was out on a club run a few years back (not a member, was invited along to try the club ride thing-riding in a group was not a new experience), a guy up front went down causing a bit of a pile up (including me). It cost me £100+ for the repairs to my bike.

On the one hand I was a bit peeved that I had to fork out as a result of someone causing the fall, and in the back of my mind I felt the guy who caused it all should have paid. On the other hand riding in a group carries an element of assumed risk.

These days I'm out riding with people on up to £5000 worth of bike, I'm on a steel frame with 105/Ultegra mix (relatively cheap and easy to repair). If I were to cause a bit of pile up, I'd feel responsible for having done so, but I'm not sure I'd feel responsible enough to want to pay for some of the bikes that are out on the club midweek rides!

So, who would/should foot the bill if there was such a pile up?

It doesn't get brought up much - and probably not untill it's too late!

I'm thinking of joining British Cycling - not sure if the liability insurance would cover such events.

Any thoughts? Experiences?
 
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yenrod

Guest
I been on chain gangs and there have been some massively close calls a few skirmishes and crashes and have caused one myself...thru lack of attention.

In one way the person who causes it should be responsible BUT its not mandatory you turn up !

Its part of the ‘ un-written rule’ riding in a group could cause you to crash…

1st rule to group'riding is that you could crash then you look for any danger then rely on others to keep their place and not crash..if you ride with the same people week in week out you respect yourself enough to look after and out for the group and vice-versa!
 
andy_wrx

andy_wrx

Über Member
Location
Cheshire, soft underbelly of The North
Well, if you were to drive your car into the back of someone else's car because they stopped in front of you then the law would say it was your fault, you were either driving too closely or weren't paying attention.
You need to drive in such a way that you can safely stop in the distance you can see to be clear - the 'the car in front stopped suddenly so it's his fault' argument doesn't hold.

Similarly I guess if you were out riding alone and came up closely behind someone else who then stopped or crashed or fell and so you crashed into them, that would be your fault.

But if you're riding in a group, I think you're accepting the risk to yourself by riding closely with other riders, and also they're accepting the risk to themselves by riding closely with you.
If they crash or fall and cause you to crash into them - any damage to your bike or injuries to you are your problem, any damage to their bike and any injuries to them caused by you crashing into them are their problem.
 
Jacomus-rides-Gen

Jacomus-rides-Gen

New Member
Location
Guildford / London
As I understand it, and the way it works in my club, is that in a group pile up everyone sorts themselves out.

Thats the deal - by riding in a tight group, you accept that if something goes wrong, you are very likely to get caught in it. If you can't accept that, always ride the front, or ride so that you can stop.
 
gavintc

gavintc

Guru
Location
Southsea
BC membership affords 3rd party insurance. However, as others have stated their is a degree of individual accepted risk in group riding. I have certainly never blamed anyone else for any bumps I have been involved in. But, thankfully the worst I have had is a minor bump when the rider in front slowed unexpectedly.
 
Tim Bennet.

Tim Bennet.

Entirely Average Member
Location
S of Kendal
Whatever the 'local agreements' might be in a group, it's still wise to have third party insurance. (CTC or BC, etc)

In fact you are crazy to be out at anytime without it. I was in collision with a car that was entirely my fault, and the CTC paid out about £600 in damages without blinking. Now I could have paid it out myself, but what if someone had been injured?

I would think that if someone was seriously hurt and left permanently disadvantaged, then any 'gentlemen's agreement' would go out the window. It would be a little unjust for the guilty party to say "well I'll pay for my new shorts and you'll have to cover the costs of being crippled for life". It would be reasonable for blame to be apportioned and the injured party to seek damages. That's why third party cover runs into millions. That's how much you might have to find if you're not covered.
 
Will1985

Will1985

Über Member
Location
South Norfolk
Cycle insurance should cover these eventualities...I've covered all my bases with CTC and BC membership plus ETA insurance.

As others say, it is an understood risk you take when riding in a group.
 
Tim Bennet.

Tim Bennet.

Entirely Average Member
Location
S of Kendal
Sure, the risk is understood, that is why in a serious incident blame would be 'apportioned'.

But don't think for a minute, that if you had failed to do up your quick release properly (or were similar neglegent in any of your actions) and as a result caused a pile up where someone was disabled, that it would all be settled with a shrug of the shoulders and a quick chorus of "c'est la vie".
 
G

girofan

New Member
Location
Oswestry Shropshire
Jacomus-rides-Gen said:
As I understand it, and the way it works in my club, is that in a group pile up everyone sorts themselves out.

Thats the deal - by riding in a tight group, you accept that if something goes wrong, you are very likely to get caught in it. If you can't accept that, always ride the front, or ride so that you can stop.
Click to expand...

Absoloutely right Jacomus!
There is a group of cafe racers who come down to our Sunday run from Wrexham occassionally. They take blind downhill bends at 25mph in the middle of country lanes which are only wide enough for a large van. Imbeciles! I usually drop off the back when they start this sort of game as I have no wish to be part of one of their stack-ups.:smile:
 
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