Recently the Sunday recreational ride organisers and some of the board got together to discuss issues and improvements to the Sunday rides.
Minutes below
Commenced: 5:33 pm
Present: Michael Craine, Keryn Paekau, Tim Lloyd, Michelle Turner, Andrew Ward, Mike Keenan, Garry Buys, Colin Anderson
Virtual – Google Meeting: Vaughan Hunt, Ken Young
- Welcome and thank you to everyone who attended
- Mike mentioned that the board have received several complaints around our Sunday Rides and we need to hone on in on our cycling etiquette and the perception this is having on us as a club.
- Although many riders of the Sunday rides are not members of Bike Manawatu, member or not anyone attending a Bike Manawatu organised ride is a reflection on our club as a whole The board needs to be assured that things will improve.
- Garry would like to be know when a complaint is received – Ride Coordinators to be given a copy of the complaint when received by the board
- A couple of the major complaints being toilet etiquette e.g when a rider used a fence instead of a bathroom, and when sexist / derogatory abuse was hurled at a group of young triathletes – these are not acceptable, and we need to be careful how we are “seen” by the
public. - A big issue that was identified was the race to the coffee shop and the break down of etiquette.
- Garry suggested that we need to introduce from the 50km sign – to neutralise the bunch.
- Our riders need to have some pride and be aware of how they ride their bike Mike K, said Ride Coordinators can reinforce the expectations at the start of the rides to the groups about the need to improve their etiquette and obey road rules but an issue faced is the lack of respect of our riders in attendance to the coordinators.
- Currently have a group of fast of A grade riders who have terrible etiquette
- Need to:
- o Change the behaviour – Cycling etiquette
o Remember the ride / and cyclists are a reflection of the club as it is a Bike Manawatu ride
o Acknowledge how we are perceived by the public
o Neutralise from the 50km sign
o Need riders to feel safe (not dropped)
o Make riders aware member or not that either way they are representing Bike
Manawatu - Mike K, presented the original Manawatu Masters green cards – bunch riding – basic guidelines for safe riding cards which originated from the likes of Ian Gray, Garry Buys etc
- We don’t want to have to enforce membership but enforce SAFETY.
- Vaughan said that as it’s a public bunch ride without traffic management etc, there is only limited control Bike Manawatu can have over the some aspects of riders behaviour so we should set our expectations for change accordingly and focus on being clear about what our bunch etiquette at the start of the ride. This isn’t an new issue and it has been happening since way back in the Manawatu Masters days.
- Break it down – to needing to: Get the bunch out of town safely – Back to town and to the coffee shop safely.
- Keryn spoke about the clubs liability and insurance side of things and how we as a club need to be doing our utmost best by doing our due diligence by offering a safe ride, as if something was to happen at a ride and we are found to be negligent in areas it could have implications to our club.
- Garry suggested that if the Sunday Ride becomes too much of a liability to the club there may have to come a time that Bike Manawatu may just want to wash your hands of it. The ride will still go ahead either way but without the BM name.
- It was suggested that we trial over the winter months publishing which ride the bunch will go on and allow the ride coordinator to pick a route appropriate for weather on the day. This may also mean bunches need to follow the ride coordinator not speeding off out of control, Vaughan voiced his concerns about not publishing ride routes as structure is good course variety is good.
- It was agreed that a trial period over winter will go ahead where ride routes wont be published however ride coordinators can access all course routes on the website https://bikemanawatu.co.nz/recreational-ride-routes/ and Vaughan will pop a generic statement on the website outlining the trial with routes weather dependant and subject to the ride coordinator on the day – Rides to go ahead as planned published this weekend and trial to start 26.06.22
- Keryn to work on a article for the website, newsletter and social media to outline our expectations / etiquette to remind cyclists. This may help push the message out to riders and help our coordinators get their safety message across.
- There is a need to recruit more ride coordinators, some suggestions were Dennis Nieuwkoop, Sid Cuff, Murray (sorry I didn’t get Murrays surname) Keryn did raise the issue around many names suggested are not members of Bike Manawatu.
- Garry said he thinks that riders find the electronic membership form too difficult they need a paper form and eftpos at the coffee shop.
- Keryn will send Garry a copy of paper membership form and Garry has offered to take his eftpos machine to the coffee shop and round up the riders and forward to Bike Manawatu. Thanks Garry.
- The group may look to get back together to discuss things again in a month or so.
Meeting closed at 6.45pm