Club Rules & Policies

Club Rules and Etiquette

 

When riding either solo or in a group it is essential to respect certain rules, both for your safety and the safety of others.  Marble City Cyclers (the ‘club’) want our members to gain maximum enjoyment from our club spins whether highly energetic or sociable. All members take part in club spins at their own risk.  Those risks can never be completely eliminated, but we can create the safest possible cycling environment by following the rules of the road and the outlined club rules.

  • First and foremost, The Rules of the Road are for all road users including cyclists and must be obeyed at all times. See RSA Rules of the Road (rsa.ie/Documents/Learner%20Drivers/Rules_of_the_road.pdf) for full details paying particular attention to Section 17 Rules for Cyclists.
  • The club is affiliated to Cycling Ireland and as such the club and all members adhere to Cycling Ireland policies as outlined on their website www.cyclingireland.ie.
  • It is important to be on time for club spins, be there 10 minutes before start time
  • Respect the direction and advice of senior riders and the group lead
  • Wearing a helmet is mandatory
  • Be Safe Be Seen – wear bright clothes so that you can be seen
  • Where possible wear the club kit on club spins and when representing the club at sportives of any kind
  • Lights should be used all year around – white for front, red for rear
  • Headphones are not permitted on club spins – If you can’t hear other riders, calls and traffic a fall is inevitable.
  • Aero-bars are not permitted on club spins, as they make it unsafe
  • Respect other cyclists by using at least a rear mudguard during winter club spins
  • Always carry the tubes, pumps, food and tools you need to look after yourself and your bike
  • Bringing a phone is always a good idea, however mobile phones should not be used whilst riding in the group.
  • Maintain and clean your bike – It prolongs drive-train wear and reduces the likelihood of mechanical problems. Your brakes should work proberly your tyres should be inflated to the right pressure and be in good condition.
  • Share the road wisely. Ride a maximum of two abreast and single file when less space. Never take up more of the road than is needed and never cross the middle lines. Keep left and ride immediately behind the rider in front.
  • If the group needs to single out, the rider on the front right will cycle in front of the rider on their left and then pull into the left in front of the rider. This will be the same the whole way down the bunch.
  • Remember everything you do has a knock-on effect on everyone behind and beside you. Be predictable with all your actions and communicate.
  • Point out and call hazards ahead. These include potholes, drains, stray animals, opening car doors, parked cars, broken glass or other dangerous debris. Use “car up” or “car down”, for example, or “slowing” or “stopping” if you or the riders in front of you are slowing or stopping. The call should be passed down the group. Do not break rashly upon hearing the call.
  • Ride steadily. Keep a steady line and constant speed while in a group. Maintain the same speed as the rest of the bunch without constantly surging or braking. Club spins are not races!
  • Do not half – wheel. When on the front keep the bikes handlebar to handlebar. When you come to the front of the group, keep the pace consistent and match to your riding partner.
  • When approaching a hill anticipate the gradient and change gear in good time. Missing a gear change on the steep bit can bring you to a sudden halt – not a good thing for the riders behind you!
  • When climbing hills, avoid following a wheel too closely. Many cyclists often lose their momentum on a hill which can cause a sudden deceleration. This can often catch a rider who is following too closely, resulting ‘crossed wheels’ and a fall.
  • Roll Through – the frequency of rotation will depend on the size of the group, the weather, pace etc. The rider on the front right will signal/call ‘change’, cycle in front of the rider on his left and then pull in to the left in front of the rider. This will be the same the whole way down the bunch. When you come through for your turn do so smoothly and close to the rider you are taking over from. Rider on inside should ease the pace slightly to let another rider through. Follow the wheels and don’t let gaps open when the formation is changing. If you are struggling to close a gap, wave the rider behind you through.
  • Do your fair share of work at the front. However, if you are suffering at the front of the group call ‘change’ yourself. The group will not be annoyed if you call early and the effort will be appreciated.
  • Mistakes happen when cyclists are tired and under pressure. So, if you’re getting tired then you are better sitting on the back of the group. Signal that you are the last in the group, or if you are sitting out a turn.
  • When turning right or left and you are heading the bunch, shout “turning left, or “turning right” and put out your hand to signal. The others behind you should do the same all the way down the bunch, in order to let traffic behind the group, know of the groups intentions.
  • If someone is repeatedly making mistakes, tell them discreetly towards the end of the ride. If it is you being given constructive criticism then try to learn from it. Do not take it personally. Everyone is looking after their own and your safety.
  • Keep an eye on fellow club members. Ensure nobody gets dropped from the bunch. Should a rider(s) go out the back of a group, do not ride on and leave people on their own. Riders are safer when part of a group.
  • If there is a puncture/mechanical issue, call it out loud enough for the group to hear. The whole group should find a safe place to pull in and stop. Always wait and keep the group together.
  • When leaving a coffee/puncture/mechanical stop make sure everybody in the group is ready to leave. Do not ride of in 3’s or 4’s and have others playing catch up.  Again, riders are safer when part of a group.
  • Treat members of the group and other road users with courtesy and respect.
  • Do not react to bad driving incidents with gestures or provoke retaliation. Remember you are representing the club when you are out there!
  • Social media is a great way for club members to connect with each other and to promote club activities and achievements, sharing ideas and having fun. Marble City Cyclers embraces these communication channels through a WhatsApp members only group, Facebook page, Instagram, Twitter and Strava. All social media platforms that use the name of Marble City Cyclers (MCC), or its derivatives, will promote the ethos and rules of the club.
  • As a member of the club your picture may be taken while on a club spin or club supported sportive. These pictures may be used to promote the club activities on our social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Strava, WhatApp and on the clubs website.
  • Social media communication must not offend, intimidate, humiliate or bully another person. It must not be misleading, false or injure the reputation of another person.
  • Do not share grievances on the clubs social media platforms. We all get annoyed every now and then but sharing our grievances on social media is not a place for them. If you have a genuine grievance, please discuss directly with the Chairman of the club or any committee member.
  • The use of the clubs social media platforms should not bring the club into disrepute.
  • All social media postings are treated as public ‘comment’. A good rule of thumb is to think twice and post once. Use courtesy and respect!! Once it’s in cyberspace it’s there forever!
  • Disparaging comments on our social media platforms as determined by the committee will be deleted and poster removed/banned from the platform.
  • Marble City Cyclers uses the WhatsApp group messaging app as a primary means of communication among its members. The purpose of the members only WhatsApp groups is to share information relevant to cycling and the club. Everybody is welcome to participate however with more than 60 members in the club WhatsApp groups, it becomes extremely important to ensure that the group discussion is focused, and we do not get overwhelmed with too many messages.

A copy of the club’s rules and etiquette can be downloaded here.

 

Club Privacy Policy

Marble City Cyclers (the club) are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. For any personal data you provide for the purposes of your membership, Marble City Cyclers in conjunction with Cycling Ireland is responsible for storing and otherwise processing that data in a fair, lawful, secure and transparent way.

 

 

 

What personal data we hold on you

You may give us information about you by filling in forms at an event or online, or by corresponding with us by phone, e-mail or otherwise. This includes information you provide when you register with the club. The information you give us may include your name, date of birth, address, e-mail address, phone number, gender and emergency contact name, phone number and relationship.

Why we need your personal data

The reason we need your data is to be able to administer your membership and provide the membership services you are signing up to when you register with the club. Our lawful basis for processing your personal data is that we have a contractual obligation to you as a member to provide the services you are registering for.

Reasons we need to process your data include:

For training and competition entry

  • sharing personal data with club coaches or officials to administer training sessions;
  • sharing personal data with club team managers to enter events;
  • sharing personal data with facility providers to manage access to the track or check delivery standards; and
  • sharing personal data with leagues, county associations (and county schools’ associations) and other competition providers for entry in events.

For membership and club management

  • processing of membership forms and payments;
  • sharing data with committee members to provide information about club activities, membership renewals or invitation to social events;

Marketing and communications (where separate consent is provided)

  • sending information about promotions and offers from sponsors;
  • sending information about club spins;
  • sending information about club trips to sportives in Ireland and abroad;
  • sending information about club updates and notification of the clubs Annual General Meeting (AGM);
  • sending information about selling club kit, merchandise or fundraising.

We process this data on the lawful basis of consent. Therefore, we will also need your explicit consent to process this data, which we will ask for at the point of collecting it.

The club has the following social media pages Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram.  All members are free to join these pages. If you join one of the Social Media pages, please note that provider of the social media platform(s) have their own privacy policies and that the club do not accept any responsibility or liability for these policies.  Please check these policies before you submit any personal data on the club social media pages.

Who we share your personal data with

The Club shares this data with Cycling Ireland only as the Club is affiliated and governed by Cycling Ireland. The Club does not supply any personal data it holds for this purpose to any other third party.

How long we hold your personal data

We will hold your personal data on file for as long as you are a member with us. Member data is updated every year on annual membership forms and in conjunction with Cycling Ireland. Your data is not processed for any further purposes other than those detailed in this policy.

Your rights regarding your personal data

As a data subject you may have the right at any time to request access to, rectification or erasure of your personal data; to restrict or object to certain kinds of processing of your personal data, including direct marketing; to the portability of your personal data and to complain to Irelands data protection supervisory authority, the Data Protection Commissioner about the processing of your personal data.

As a data subject you are not obliged to share your personal data with the Club. If you choose not to share your personal data with us we may not be able to register or administer your membership.

If at any point you believe the information we process on you is incorrect, you can request to see this information, and have it corrected or deleted. If you wish to raise a complaint on how we have handled your personal data, you can contact our Data Protection Officer who will investigate the matter.

If you are not satisfied with our response or believe we are processing your personal data not in accordance with the law you can complain to the Data Protection Commissioner (DPC).

As a data subject you are not obliged to share your personal data with the Club. If you choose not to share your personal data with us we may not be able to register or administer your membership.

A copy of our Privacy Notice can be obtained from info@marblecitycylers.com