GSW Ride and Mileage Credit Guidelines
Effective April 12, 2004
The following guidelines are based on those first released in October, 2000 and have now been revised to better address new questions and concerns regarding GSW rides and mileage credits.
The intent is to clarify what rides and events should be allowed mileage and ride leader “credits” to be tracked by the Club Mileage Chairperson and what constitutes club rides. Listings in Pedal Talk are to follow these guidelines to eliminate any confusion. No actual changes are being made to the ride policy or mileage tracking concepts that have been in place for years, but rather the goal is to re-state the guidelines and document them to “level the playing field” for all GSW members. All rides and events must be listed in Pedal Talk, and all must be in the proper category.
Rides and Events Allowed Mileage Credits:
1. All GSW recurring and non-recurring road- and off-road rides.
2. All GSW weekend events, i.e. the International Century, Seacoast Century, etc.
3. All true “invitational” rides from non-profit New England based bicycle clubs, i.e. the Narragansett Bay Wheelmen, Charles River Wheelmen, Casco Bay Wheelmen, and the Seven Hills Wheelmen.
4. Events run by our non-profit affiliated organizations, i.e. the League of American Bicyclists, NEMBA, FOMBA, and Hostelling International, provided the event is listed in Pedal Talk as an invitational.
5. All true “charity” rides from non-profit New England based organizations, i.e. American Lung Association, Diabetes Association, N.H. Lung Association, EFTA, Swanzey Covered Bridge Century, and local hospitals and cancer centers.
6. All commuter and utilitarian mileage cycled to work and from work, GSW ride starting points, errands and shopping trips around town, and trips that might normally be taken by car. (Personal “fun rides” do not count.) This category is tracked on the “honor system” with mileage to be submitted to the Club Mileage Chairperson. Mileage may be submitted by mail or email and must be received by the first of every even-numbered month to appear in the next issue of Pedal Talk. Mileage may be tracked by day, week, month, or whatever scheme the submitter desires. The total mileage accumulated at the Pedal Talk deadline will be recorded.
7. “Exploratory rides” may be conducted at any time by one or more GSW members for the purpose of determining good routes for future club rides to be listed in Pedal Talk. The initial exploratory ride is not a scheduled activity and will not appear in our newsletter. One or more people may assume the function and receive credit as the exploratory ride leader(s) while everyone on the ride will receive mileage credits when the ride is used as an “official” recurring or non-recurring club ride listed in Pedal Talk. The exploratory ride sign-up sheet is to be retained by the designated ride leader until the planned route is used on an “official” club ride. The leader is expected to submit both the exploratory ride and the “official” ride sign-up sheets to the Club Mileage Chairperson within one week after the “official” ride. Elapsed time between the date of the exploratory ride and submission of the ride listing/sign-up sheet should not exceed one year.
8. With the exception of commuter and exploratory rides, all rides must appear in the printed Pedal Talk schedule for mileage and ride leader credits to be allowed. Rides may start at any location convenient for GSW members to reach and at any time. Multiple ride leaders are encouraged on group rides with credit being given for those who are listed on the top of the ride sign-up sheets as being the actual leaders of the ride. The ride leader names printed in Pedal Talk provide a reference for the reader to obtain more information, but these people may not actually be the “real leaders” at the time of the ride. The Club Mileage Chairperson will verify the ride appears in the Pedal Talk schedule but ride leader and mileage credits will be allowed only for those names appearing on the ride sign-up sheet.
9. In the event of a scheduled ride having no one attend except the ride leader(s), the leader(s) may elect to ride and submit a ride sign-up sheet for both ride leader and mileage credits. If the Club Mileage Chairperson notes an on-going trend of no one but the ride leader(s) attending a recurring ride for several months, the ride in question may be discussed by the Board, ride leaders, and interested GSW members for a decision about continuation of the ride listing in Pedal Talk. Possible actions include rescheduling the ride to a time and place for better attendance or else eliminating the ride due to a lack of interest by the club membership.
10. Some ride leaders have expressed reluctance to submit a ride sign-up sheet for leader and mileage credits if no one participates in the ride except the leader(s). These guidelines are intended to “level the playing field” by informing everyone of what is allowed. If a sign-up sheet is not submitted for a “no show but leader ride”, that is the choice of ride leader but may result in the annual mileage and leader credits being skewed. (Most members reportedly do not care, but for those who do care, then please submit the sign-up sheets.)
Rides and Events Not Allowed GSW Mileage Credits:
1. Events and tours conducted by “for-profit” or “non-profit” organizations advertising in Pedal Talk (i.e. Vermont Bicycle Touring, America by Bicycle, Wandering Wheels, and other long-distance touring companies) regardless of the length or duration of the ride. These companies are welcome to place paid ads in Pedal Talk, but an ad is not considered an invitational ride listing. An exception would be a tour organized by or for the GSW with a listing in Pedal Talk.
2. Personal “fun rides” conducted alone or with a few GSW members without the ride being listed in Pedal Talk for the general membership to know about and possibly join. This includes rides conducted by GSW members from locations not accessible to the majority of the membership, i.e. rides from winter homes in Florida, California, etc.
3. Any ride posted to the GSW “E-Groups” or the GSW web site that is not referenced in Pedal Talk or that should have been referenced will not count toward mileage credits. GSW rides must be made known to entire membership via Pedal Talk, not just to a select group who happen to commonly use e-mail and the Internet.
4. Organizations and companies may place a paid ad in Pedal Talk at any time, but ad placement does not constitute allowing GSW mileage credit for any given event or tour. All rides to receive mileage credit must be in the Pedal Talk ride schedule, invitational, or charity ride categories.
Other Guidelines:
1. All GSW volunteer positions including ride leaders and event coordinators must have a current GSW membership.
2. All GSW rides shall be conducted in compliance with the rules of the road and with common courtesy displayed between bicyclists and motorists. The GSW supports the “shared roadway” concept and attempts to set a good example to the public and other bicyclists.
3. Since the ride sign-up sheets serve as an insurance liability release as well as input to the mileage tracking system, the use of sign-up sheets is mandatory for every GSW ride. Ride sign-up sheets are available from the ride coordinators, at various meetings, printed “PDF” files on the GSW web site, a written request sent to the main GSW address of 215 S. Broadway #216, Salem NH 03079-3309, or by calling 603-898-5GSW.
4. Approved bicycling helmets are required on all GSW rides. Any cyclist refusing to sign the release form or wear an approved bicycling helmet should be informed by the leader that he/she is not considered a participant in the GSW ride or event. Insurance coverage and mileage credits will not be allowed to any cyclist who does not comply with these two basic requirements.
5. All GSW rides published in Pedal Talk must include a definite starting location and time. If a rain date is listed and both the original ride date and the rain date are used, both rides are considered valid for leader and mileage credits.
6. All ride sign-up sheets for GSW road- and off-road rides are to be completed by the ride leader and sent to the Club Mileage Chairperson within a week of the ride.
7. For rides allowing GSW mileage credit but without a ride leader present or no ride sign-up sheet being available, the GSW member desiring mileage credit must notify Club Mileage Chairperson within a week of the ride. This should be a rare occurrence; frequent instances will be acted upon by the Board.
8. To obtain mileage credit when no sign-up sheet is available, a member should reference the particular Pedal Talk and page number that listed the ride or event when contacting the Club Mileage Chairperson.
9. Rides may be conducted by GSW members without the use of sign-up sheets, but these rides will not be listed in Pedal Talk and will not be considered a GSW ride. There will be no mileage tracking nor insurance coverage provided for non-published rides.
10. “Charity Rides” and “Invitationals” listed in Pedal Talk must meet the basic criteria listed above. “For-profit” organizations are not to list their event as a “free ad”.
11. The annual GSW mileage cut-off date is September 30.
12. All ride leaders are encouraged to carry a cell phone and first aid kit for emergencies.
Closing Comments:
These guidelines are an attempt to ensure that everyone knows and follows the same set of rules while avoiding future mileage and ride leader credit problems. Unique situations may be reviewed by the Board with the decision reflected in the Pedal Talk ride listings so as to inform the entire GSW membership.
The updated and approved version of these guidelines is to be filed in the GSW Policy Manual and posted on the GSW web site for easy reference.
A document covering ride leader guidelines, i.e. how to organize and conduct club rides, is being prepared as a separate project by the Safety and Education Committee.
Approved by the GSW Board of Directors, 04-12-2004.
Revision history:
Initial release October, 2000
Revised November 12, 2001
Revised April 12, 2004
File: Mileage Guidelines-11a.doc
File edited by Dave Topham