Pre 1950s rides of LFGSS: old bikes, vintage rats, classic lightweights

Future Old Bike Rides

Last Sunday's ride was a success for the three who completed it, but we could have done with more support. It seems that a few others would have liked to come but couldn't make that particular day. How keen are we to have another similar ride?

How might numbers be increased?

1. A future ride should be in the Rides and Races thread.
   
2. Perhaps we should invite riders with more modern bikes - but they would need to be fairly basic, and this could be defined as fixed or single free. We don't want people turning up with modern superbikes and disturbing our moderate pace.
   
3. Is Staines an inconvenient starting point? I know it's a long way for some people to come. I could suggest somewhere to the North with reasonable roads a stopping points, but I personally have not got the energy to go to the opposite side of London to start, and I'm not keen on going South (Surrey is too crowded with both huge cars and large numbers of bikes - a bad combination).
   
   

Risks and accidents.

We had a clear demonstration on Sunday that accidents happen; we were lucky the outcome wasn't a lot worse. Obviously we're all relieved that no one was hurt, but that could very easily have happened -for example if there had been a passenger in that open topped car. If the police had become involved they would perhaps have noticed certain inadequacies in the damaged machine, which could have led to serious difficulties. I don't believe this accident was caused by an equipment problem, but you can bet it would have been a feature of any enquiry.

The last thing I want to do is to get the forum or its members (especially myself ) into trouble, or for us to start having to worry about 'Risk Assessment'. If, and it's a big if, I have any role in organising future rides I'd like to say now that I don't want to have anyone turning up on a machine that does not comply with basic legal requirements.

A further point is that all of us should have third party insurance. The easiest way to get this is to join British Cycling or The CTC (whatever it calls itself now). Membership also gives you access to legal advice in the event of cycling accidents - remember, you're more likely to be a victim rather than a perpetrator. I have heard of two cases so far this year of injury to non member cyclists, and although neither were seriously hurt they both had potential personal injury claims which I think they are unlikely to pursue.

Let's hear your views on this.