November 2024 Top Talk
A crash course in safety. Friends, we have had a few crashes on club rides of late, and we’ll try to share some safety tips soon as a result. I know I always like to know what happened in hopes that I can learn and then avoid the same situation.
If you crash on a club ride, it’s been my experience that fellow riders will stop and help as best they can. Most of our cycling friends want to help, have good hearts, and try to be Good Samaritans. Some are more prone to assess the crash victim and render aid. Others are more likely to yank out their phone and dial 911. A handful hang back and will help if instructed but aren’t comfortable offering assistance without direction. ✎
Over the years I have been with the club, the waiver/ride sign-in sheet has been modified multiple times. Changes involved the waiver itself to try to protect the bike club. Other changes were to try to address crashes and how to best support our fellow riders if they are injured.
If a crash occurs, the rider has presumably provided emergency contact information via the ride sign-in sheet. Please don’t leave that space blank. Others, against advice, write 911. The purpose, though, is for you to share the phone number of someone you want to be advised if you are injured…perhaps going to the hospital. They may not live in the area but may have to assume a role of advocacy for you.
Printed
Ideally, for those of you unfamiliar with ride leader protocol, ride leaders have the emergency contact information you provided on the ride sign-in sheet; remember they have it; can read it; and rain isn’t pouring down to make the ink run!
Paperless
Ideally, our “senior” ride leaders are technologically proficient and can access the website on their smartphones, log in, know how to go to Ride Leader Info in the members-only pulldown menu, and use the link to “search for a rider’s contact and emergency information.” (This option may even still be available on a ride that uses a manual sign-in sheet on any given day. For example, members who have attended previous rides and/or who have updated their emergency contact online will have info available to any ride leader attending the ride. This is good news because if the one who has an emergency is the official ride leader of the day, and is unconscious, what if you can’t find the paper ride sheet?) Members, please, provide your emergency contact info at PBC Confidential Emergency Contact Info.
Precaution
Ideally, no one gets injured on a PBC bike ride.
But, that pesky “imperfect human” factor comes into play. One unfortunate rider who fell and was injured had not signed in for the ride. The ride leader felt terrible. It was an oversight. This was an anomaly; the ride leader almost always doublechecks, “Has everyone signed in?” He hadn’t that morning. Another ride leader I was with accidentally forgot to bring along the ride sign-in sheet. Fortunately, it was not needed during the ride.
As riders, we need to assume at least partial responsibility for ourselves. We should have contact info on our person. That might be on your phone. However, can others access it there? What if you can’t share your password? Should we grab your hand and place your finger on your phone’s fingerprint sensor and try to get into it? Other old-school options are “Road ID” bracelets that can provide a solution. Additionally, Dave McQuery, our membership secretary, includes an emergency contact card for members to fill out and carry. I’m asking him to bring them to meetings as well.
A lot goes through our heads when a rider is down. Most of us are not professionals, and we are not trauma experts. We try to do our best. But each of us should carry identification and medical insurance information just in case – something that can be accessed on your person.
Dave McQuery and I have discussed having a first aid/emergency presentation at a club meeting. That will help more of us know some basics. But please give thought to how YOU can assist potential Good Samaritans should you be the victim of a crash.
Oh, and what about your BIKE? It’s usually on a case-by-case basis, but your friends will look out for your bike and not just leave it lying there on the side of the road. Maybe they lock it up and come back for it. Occasionally, if the fire department comes, I know they have taken bikes back to their fire stations. Again, we will try to help as best we can.
Ann Morrow, President
To read the Quick Releases newsletter associated with the November 2024 Top Talk, go to Table of Contents.