Safety Tips from BRAC President

Road cycling season begins in just under a month! Here are some safety tips to consider before toeing the line at the kick-off event, the Frostbite Time Trial

March 4… from BRAC President Doug Gordon
https://www.coloradocycling.org/presidential-blog

Safety. We are almost inside 60 days to racing season, and it’s time to get Safety on your mind and in your Club Meetings. We all need to be talking about this.

We have some new groupings at crits that will mix up some folks who may never have raced together before. It pretty much happened across all categories, so we are all in the same boat. Let’s be safe. Specifically:

1. Be predictable in your trajectory.  Relax, no one wants undue risk because of a racer who is riding erratically.
2. Protect your front wheel.  Don’t overlap it with the person in front of you.  One small move as described in #1 above and several people could be on the deck.  Protect your space.
3. Be careful when passing lapped riders.  Those that lose contact with the group are fighting their own personal battle, their own personal race.  They earned it, they paid for it.  So, when you come by those racers, give them a lot of warning and let them know where you are and what you’re doing.  Make room for them and pass at a safe distance.
4. It’s your job to be a Mentor.  Yes, really.  We are bringing lots of new folks into racing who are not as experienced as you are.  That means it is up to the established racers to help educate the new racers on safety.  Don’t be a jerk about it, but when you see something, say something.  Try and help the new people grow in this sport that we all love.
   1. And on that note, be welcoming to newcomers, even if you don’t know them.  Cheer them on, congratulate them afterwards, give them a reason to come back.  You were a 4 once, maybe even a 5.
5. Attend a clinic.  We put on numerous clinics each year.  Women, men, juniors, everyone can attend a clinic designed to help them get more fun out of racing.  Sign up.  Tell your friends.
6. Above all, race hard.  Go forward.  Take chances with an attack.  String it out.  Live life in the moment, right then, right there.