The Gold Coast Triathlon Club (GCTC) Athlete Code of Conduct establishes standards by which athletes are expected to conduct themselves.
General Conduct:
Refrain from unsportsmanlike conduct.
Compete in the spirit of fair play through acceptance of the WTC Anti-Doping Rules as endorsed by WADA.
Treatment of fellow athletes, officials, volunteers, and spectators will be conducted with respect and courtesy, free of objectionable material and profanity.
Avoid the use of abusive behavior whether verbal, physical or sexual.
Respect the property of others.
When speaking as a representative of the sport, GCTC, your fellow athletes or events – act responsibly and communicate professionally.
Never make a false statement in relation to eligibility and Membership to compete.
Be responsible for my own safety and the safety of others, for the entire duration of club workouts and races.
Obey traffic regulations and instructions from race officials.
Riding Responsibility:
Always wear a helmet.
Carry proper identification on every ride.
Never ride in aero in a paceline, unless you are the lead.
Be alert to what is going on in the road in the front of the pack, and anticipate what traffic will do.
Be aware of your surroundings all times, not just the wheel in front of yours.
Follow the rules of the road. Do not run red lights or stop signs!
Blinking lights is mandatory for all riders until there is light at the start of the rides. Safe time will be determined by the ride leader.
Bring your own gear to fix your flat - at least one spare tube and an inflation device.
Announce if an intersection is clear before going through it.
Ride single file when any traffic is nearby.
Hold your line; do not move from side to side.
Don’t overlap wheels; ensure your front wheel is never beside someone’s rear wheel.
Don’t look back!
Be aware of potholes, debris, or roadkill and announce them (with proper signaling) to the riders behind you.
Don’t brake unless absolutely necessary. If you need to brake, it is best to tether your front brakes and not slam you rear brake. If you need to slow down to stop, move to the outside of the group.
Pass carefully on the left and announce before you do so. NEVER pass on the right.
When riding in a pace-line move through at a steady pace and make sure you are clear of the front rider before pulling off. When on the front of the pace-line, keep the group pace and do not surge your speed.
At red lights, when coming to a stop, group up and take up the lane as a car or remain in single file. Announce you are slowing/stopping. Do not weave in and out of stopped cars. It takes one driver looking at his phone and not the road to veer a few inches and knock one/any/all of us over.
Do not attempt to pass riders as a red light approaches. Even if the light is going to turn green before we reach it. Large groups suffer from communication delays through the peloton. Assume we're going to stop.
Coming down the hill out of the park and reaching the first light (Orchard Street) at a high speed and subsequently down to the route 5 intersections poses a problem to a group with 30 people as there are serious bottle necks. Single file while in motion and taking up a lane at red lights gives makes us predictable to cars. Most cars are nervous around groups of cyclists and are either scared to pass (so they tailgate) us, or worse, pass us too close and far too fast.
Remember that New Jersey is filled with a lot of assholes and many of those assholes drive cars like assholes.
*Any multiple (and intentional) offender of these rules will be removed from all GCTC group rides, and possibly dismissed from the club.
