Don’t rely on others – make your decisions on the road/trail. Keep your eyes on traffic, turnings and other cyclists as if you are cycling on your own. Pay close attention to the road/trail surface and immediate environment at all times.

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Smooth movements – be cool. Be predictable and smooth in the group. Signal intentions to fellow riders and don’t make unexpected changes of speed or direction.

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Braking – brake smoothly and call ‘stopping’ or ‘slowing’ first if necessary. If you have to brake heavily, try and leave the maximum room for those following you to react and stop.

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Standing in the pedals – be aware that if you stand up out of the saddle (when going up a rise) your bike can ‘lurch’ behind you. Make sure you are well clear of the rider behind in this case or ensure you keep pressure on your pedals. When leading off from a standstill, e.g. Junctions or red lights, ease the speed up slowly so that the group can stay together.

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Maintaining the Group – riders at the back should call ‘on’ or ‘all up’ to indicate when the bunch has regrouped and is ready to increase the speed. Keep pedalling on the front of the group, especially when going downhill, so the bunch is not forced to brake.

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Look forward – don’t look back (unless to pull out), down or sideways. Things happen fast and a moment’s lack of attention can be all it takes. Calls for lane changes should come from the back of the group. If you’re at the front, make your call clear when it is needed.

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Hands on bars – keep both hands on the bar with at least one finger hooked under the bar to avoid being dislodged if hitting an unexpected hazard (bumps, holes). Never take both hands off the bar when in the bunch. You might think you look like Eddy Merckx but it can make the people around you very nervous (and we don’t like that).

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Drinking – when you need to take a drink, do it when conditions are predictable. Signal that you are drinking, and do not have both hands on the bars by sticking your bidon out to the side. If you’re not confident replacing a bidon whilst riding, wait until the group has stopped to take a drink.

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Wet roads – are slippery. Slow down, watch out for painted surfaces and metal plates (otherwise known as black ice).

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Safe Place – don’t stop where it is dangerous to do so. Fix flat tyres etc. in a safe place. Be prepared to remind others who may be preoccupied with the events at hand, to notice the danger they are in.

Fatigue – concentration levels are reduced, handling compromised. Leave more room between riders when tired. Firstly, choose a ride within your capability. Don’t push beyond your limits and if you’re having trouble ask for a pace to be slowed by calling ‘steady’.

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Nature Stop – call out, so the group will slow down, or better stop, to allow you to keep together. Choose a spot considerate for all road users, ideally out of sight.

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Home run – crashes often happen close to home – don’t become complacent.

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Riding off the front – some of the fun of a group ride can be testing yourself against others. Sometimes near or after a café stop the ride grouping may be a little less rigid. f you’ve got anything left in your legs at this point, give it a go, bearing in mind that you or others around you may be tired, and don’t want to get involved in a sprint – do it safely. Learning to race like this is a great way to mimic your heroes and to learn the fine art of timing your sprint. If you get dropped at this point, don’t worry. It’s not something you said. There’s always next time!