Members

Rider’s guide

Meeting point

All club rides start from Countess Wear Beefeater, Topsham Road, Exeter EX2 7AY. There is parking on site. Sunday rides leave at 8:30am sharp. Thursday rides leave at 5:30pm.

Before you ride

Check the route before you leave home. Routes are posted to Facebook and the website at least 48 hours ahead of each Sunday ride. Load the GPX onto your device if you have one — it’s useful if you get separated from the group on descents.

Bring enough food and water. Even on shorter rides, carry at least one gel or bar and a full bottle. On Dartmoor routes there can be long stretches without anywhere to stop.

Carry a puncture kit, tyre levers, and a mini pump or CO₂. The club will wait for mechanicals, but you should be self-sufficient for the basics.

On the ride

We ride in a group. Hold your line, don’t overlap wheels with the rider in front, and call out hazards (potholes, gravel, parked cars) for the riders behind. If you’re on the front, ride at a pace the whole group can maintain.

At junctions we regroup before moving on. If you need to stop for any reason, signal and pull over safely — don’t just brake suddenly.

Communicate. If you’re struggling, say so. If you have a mechanical, call it out. If you need to turn back, tell someone — never just disappear from the group.

The no-drop rule

BG&E is a no-drop club. We leave together and finish together. If the group is going too fast for you, say so — we will adjust. If we need to split into ability groups to make it work on a long day, we will, but everyone makes it home safely.

Coffee stops

Every Sunday ride includes a coffee stop. Location varies with the route — it’s usually printed on the route card or announced on Facebook. Bring cash or a contactless card; most cafés in rural Devon are not set up for anything else.

Club rules

Kit and visibility

Club kit is not mandatory for guest rides or new members. Once you join, you’re expected to wear club colours on Sunday rides. Kit is available at cost price — contact the kit secretary.

Be visible. On evening rides and in poor weather, front and rear lights are required. A reflective jacket or vest is strongly recommended for Thursday rides between October and March.

Helmets

Helmets must be worn on all club rides. This is not negotiable.

Road behaviour

Obey the Highway Code. Stop at red lights, give way at junctions, and don’t run stop signs. We ride in groups that attract attention — poor road behaviour by any one member reflects on the whole club.

Be courteous to other road users. Wave to drivers who give you space. If someone shouts something unpleasant, don’t engage — ride on.

You’re welcome to post about club rides on social media. Please don’t post anything that would embarrass the club, other members, or the landowners on whose roads we ride.

Conduct

BG&E is an inclusive club. Behaviour that is discriminatory, bullying, or otherwise makes other members feel unwelcome will not be tolerated. The committee has the right to ask any member to leave who persistently fails to meet this standard.