You’ll have read in the separate article about the Cycle Winchester mass ride on Saturday May 12. We have a team of volunteers working hard to bring this to fruition. But more help is wanted! Please contact us via massride@cyclewinchester.org.uk if you are able to help. We have two main roles:
Ride stewards
To make the ride safe and welcoming, we will need a number of ride stewards on the day. Each of the three feeder rides will need a front and a back-marker, and several out-riders, providing a safe cocoon for the less-experienced. The ride will proceed at a very easy pace, ensuring the group remains together. We are liaising with police and authorities to ensure smooth running of the ride, and stewards are an important part of our risk management plan.
Rides start at 10:00, we anticipate the rides will finish by 11:15, and the closing activities will complete at around 12:00.
Ride stewards should be confidently able to ride in traffic. There may be situations where a ride steward will briefly block motor traffic to allow the whole ride to pass through a junction as one group. Given the short distance of the ride, we will not be able to stop to attend to mechanical issues unless they are very quick to fix, e.g. dropped chain. Ride stewards should ensure that the rider suffering a mechanical issue is safely off the road, and advise them to walk home or to the finish. We hope to have a bike doctor at the finish, who may be able to help!
In case of accident or injury, the ride stewards should ensure that all riders are safely removed from danger, and summon emergency services if necessary. First aid skills could be useful, so please let us know if you are a first-aider.
We don’t offer supervised rides back to the start location, it will be the riders’ own responsibility to find their way home.
Post-ride stewards
There will be a gathering in Abbey Gardens at the end of the ride, where we hope to have a bike doctor, and guest speakers, and take a celebratory photograph. We would like some non-riding volunteers to attend at the finish, for tasks such as: directing arriving cyclists to suitable bike parking spaces, handing out leaflets, signing-up riders for Cycle Winchester’s email list, etc. No special skills required, just a warm personality and desire to make Winchester better by bike.
Please consider me as potential steward of either sort, though I do not enjoy cycling among motor vehicles.
This seems a very worthwhile plan. Happy to join in.