The ad-hoc division seems to relate to the character of the rides, not their formality. Ian Rauk and I both advertise rides that are formal, in that they are club events, on the 'Events....' board. They're definitely going to happen, and they have the benefit of the insurances that the CTC and LCC offer to Rides Leaders. They're also very formal indeed in that they are group rides, with registered riders taking a degree of responsibility for others, and on roads that have been thoroughly checked out (I'm sure this is as true of Ian's rides as it is of the FNRttC). They would, however, sit uncomfortably with the Audax rides.
I'd steer clear of the word 'Informal', but I do think there is a general point to be made, and that is this. Rides that are simply organised on Cycle Chat, those not on any kind of club calendar, do not have any kind of insurance. Now, I'm asking people to join me on rides out to Kent. If somebody joins, and they get run over, and their grieving relatives believe that this is because I am negligent, then they might want my house in recompense. If someone is run over on an FNRttC then the relatives will doubtless look to the CTC's five or ten million pound insurance policy. That's something that those organising rides might want to think about, but also, and I mean this in a very positive way, they should consider the risks involved in the ride. I'm sure this happens to a great extent already (pace Steve's intro to the Herts ride) but I think that it does no harm to sound a little warning bell. The 'classified' section has a 'disclaimer'. In a more positive way the 'Events...' board might have a few words of advice about marrying routes to riders and so on....
Some of you have got to the bottom of the paragraph above and thought 'this is bollocks - nobody ever sues'. Well...they do, and once m'learned friends get on the case good sense goes out of the window. My main point, however, is that there is a fund of good advice on organising bike rides that can be drawn upon.
I'd steer clear of the word 'Informal', but I do think there is a general point to be made, and that is this. Rides that are simply organised on Cycle Chat, those not on any kind of club calendar, do not have any kind of insurance. Now, I'm asking people to join me on rides out to Kent. If somebody joins, and they get run over, and their grieving relatives believe that this is because I am negligent, then they might want my house in recompense. If someone is run over on an FNRttC then the relatives will doubtless look to the CTC's five or ten million pound insurance policy. That's something that those organising rides might want to think about, but also, and I mean this in a very positive way, they should consider the risks involved in the ride. I'm sure this happens to a great extent already (pace Steve's intro to the Herts ride) but I think that it does no harm to sound a little warning bell. The 'classified' section has a 'disclaimer'. In a more positive way the 'Events...' board might have a few words of advice about marrying routes to riders and so on....
Some of you have got to the bottom of the paragraph above and thought 'this is bollocks - nobody ever sues'. Well...they do, and once m'learned friends get on the case good sense goes out of the window. My main point, however, is that there is a fund of good advice on organising bike rides that can be drawn upon.