Chapters
End
Sunday Rides ยท Marshal & Ride Leader guide
Windsor & Thames Valley, and Explorer. More informal than Saturday, but the marshal still carries the ride. Here is what that means.
Time
About 4 minutes
Audience
Sunday marshals / ride leaders
Rides
Windsor ยท Explorer
Informal is not the same as unled. Sunday rides are more relaxed than Saturday, but as the marshal you are still responsible for the whole group, and you are the leader of the non-drop group. Take both roles seriously.
What you’ll cover
Chapter 01
The marshal’s job starts by Wednesday. A route must be chosen and announced, or the ride does not happen.
01
Deadline
Pick a route from the London Dynamo Route Book. This is a hard deadline. Leaving it to Saturday evening is not acceptable.
02
Announcement
Post on the Members Forum AND in the Sunday Rides WhatsApp group. Both. Riders rely on these channels to decide whether to turn up.
03
Bike computer
You cannot lead a ride if the map is not on your Garmin or Wahoo. Check it loads, check it routes, check the turn prompts fire. Do this the night before, not in the car park at 8:31 am.
04
Latest version
Routes get updated regularly. The version sitting on your device from a previous ride may be out of date. Delete the old file, re-download from the Route Book, and re-upload. It takes two minutes and saves you leading the group down the wrong road.
05
Backup navigation
Before you roll out, ask the group if other riders are also following the map. Other riders mapping the same route is a real safety net if yours drops the signal, runs flat, or you take a wrong turn.
Chapter 02
You are responsible for the whole group, not just your non-drop bunch. Get the departure right.
01
Group size
Check the size of the assembled riders. If too many have turned up, encourage a split into two manageable groups before anyone rolls out.
02
Departure
Fastest first. No overlapping departures. No chaotic rollouts. As marshal for the whole ride, this is on you.
03
Head count
Know your number before you roll out. You need it at every regroup to know whether you are waiting for someone or everyone is accounted for.
Chapter 03
Non-drop means non-drop. The ride must be manageable for the slowest rider in the group, without exception.
01
Non-drop rule
The ride must be manageable for the slowest member of this group. No one is to be left behind. No one is to be forced to ride at a pace beyond what they can manage for a sustained amount of time.
02
Hills
Wait at the top. Make sure everyone is accounted for. Wait for the last person up to have recovered before setting off again. Not just arrived, recovered.
03
Attentiveness
You are not only a rider, you are the leader. Check your mirrors, check over your shoulder, drop back to ride alongside anyone struggling. Silence from the back is not the same as everyone being fine.
Chapter 04
Group composition changes over the course of a ride. Be ready to act on it.
01
Split protocol
If a wide pace gap has opened up, raise it at the next stop. If a majority agrees, split into two groups of similar size. Do not spring this on anyone mid-road.
02
Fair splits
Not one group of 10 and one of 3. Balance them so both remain viable. This is a Sunday ride, not a dropping exercise.
03
Your role
Your role is the non-drop leader. You go with the riders who need you. Someone else in the faster group can lead themselves, the slower group cannot.
04
Growing groups
If the group grows because you pick up riders dropped from a group in front, re-assess. Too many is too many, whoever they are. Split again if needed.
Chapter 05
Sometimes a rider decides they want off the group. Do not just let them go without a word.
01
Step 1
If a rider says they want to leave the group and ride alone, do not just wave them off. Clarify: would they prefer we rode at a slower pace so they can stay with the group?
02
Step 2
Confirm they have genuinely chosen to leave rather than felt pressured out. Then let them peel off. Make sure they know where they are.
Chapter 06
Final duties. Two rules that are non-negotiable throughout the ride.
01
Safe riding
Wet roads, heavy traffic, loose surfaces, short-sighted descents. You set the standard. If someone is riding badly or dangerously, pull them up about it at the next stop.
02
Incidents
If anyone has a mechanical issue or an accident, make sure they have the means to get home safely. Cash, phone, a train station, a buddy to stay with them. Do not leave them stranded.
Module summary
Post your route by Wednesday. Keep groups at a sensible size. Lead the non-drop group at the pace of the slowest rider. Nobody gets left behind.
Chapters recap
Chapter 01
Chapter 02
Chapter 03
Chapter 04
Chapter 05
Chapter 06
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