Rules & Constitution

a. The Club’s formal name is the Lagan Valley Cycling Club, and referred to throughout this document as ‘the club’ or ‘Lagan Valley Cycling Club'.

a. The club is affiliated with Cycling Ireland (CI) and will adhere to and comply with its Code of Conduct. ANY MEMBER WISHING TO HAVE CYCLING IRELAND AFFILIATION TO ANOTHER CLUB FOR RACING PURPOSES "ONLY" IS ACCEPTABLE.

b. All Club members are required to hold appropriate Cycling Ireland licence with the minimum being a Leisure License.

a. The predominant club colours are to be that of Blue, Red and Yellow in that order.

b. The production, ordering and payment of club clothing shall be through the appointed committee member or via the supplier direct if offered.

c. All members are encouraged to wear club clothing - weather permitting - during all Lagan Valley Cycling Club organised cycling events and to be mindful of the reputational impact this has whilst riding.

d. Members are not permitted to wear the club colours of any other cycling club affiliated with Cycling Ulster whilst on organised Lagan Valley Cycling Club runs.

e. Visiting riders are to be encouraged to wear their club colours. A visiting rider is defined as a member of an affiliated CI club who infrequently rides with Lagan Valley Cycling Club.

f. No single sponsor logo should be larger than that of the largest club name, which is to read: “Lagan Valley Cycling Club”.

a. The principle objective of the Lagan Valley Cycling Club is to promote, develop and foster a friendly environment which encourages participation in cycling. The principle discipline is ‘Road’, however ‘MTB’ and any other forms as required will be supported also.

b. Members are permitted to enter competition events as Lagan Valley Cycling Club riders providing they have the appropriate Cycling Ireland licence.

c. The club shall, from time to time, engage in charitable activities and local community events to further promote itself. The Committee shall agree a chosen charity for the year and all fundraising activity will be focused towards that charity.

d. The club has a Safeguarding Officer who is NI Access vetted and will be trained to the relevant standard as required by Cycling Ireland Guidelines.

e. All under 18 year olds will require a consent letter to be signed by their parent/ guardian and held by the Safeguarding Officer.

f. Children over 11 years old can join the club but must be accompanied by a Parent/guardian at all times i.e. club runs/events within the club. The accompanying parent or guardian must also be a club member and both MUST have a valid Cycling Ireland Licence. It is the responsibility of the parent / guardian to ensure their child is sufficiently responsible and competent for his/her own safety while on the public highway. They are also responsible for the behaviour of their child while attending any event or club run.

g. Due to the club having members under 18 years of age we recommend that members acquire NI Access Enhanced Vetting via Cycling Ulster, this is not essential but desirable and not at any cost to the individual or club. Anyone receiving the vetting letter should let the Safeguarding Officer know for their records.

a. As a Cycling Ireland affiliated club, the club affairs will be governed by an elected committee, to consist of not less than:          

(1). Chairperson

(2). Secretary

(3). Treasurer

b. Each position must be held individually as there can be no sharing of these roles between individuals. Guidance on committee appointments as per the current CI ‘Club Development Manual’ will be followed.

c. Each position will be held for a planned period of 12 months whereupon an election process will be held to determine re-election or replacements as required. 

d. No individual may hold the same committee appointment for a period of more than 2 years. In the case or cases where the role cannot be filled the current occupier with their consent can stay in that role for another year at the vote of the members present at the AGM.

e. Election will take place via an open vote at the Club AGM, the timing of which is to be determined by the committee. AGMs are to take place no longer than once annually.

(1). The agenda for an AGM is to consist of the following items:

(a). Apologies

(b). Minutes of Last AGM

(c). Matters Arising

(d). Chairperson’s report

(e). Statement of Accounts (Treasurer)

(f). Agreeing subscription fee for forthcoming year

(g). Election of committee for forthcoming year

(h). Any Other Business.

f. All members shall be advised of the date, time and location of any proposed AGM with at least 2 weeks’ notice. Motions must be proposed and seconded and a majority vote required in order to pass. The Chairperson holds the casting vote in the event of a split.

g. Extraordinary General Meetings (EGM) may be called by the committee or when requested by one quarter of the paid up membership of the club. The format for an AGM will apply.

f. Votes on any matter will only be accepted by those in attendance of the meeting.

g. The committee may from time to time appoint temporary positions to the committee in order to facilitate the running of the club or its events. Alterations to the committee are to be made at AGMs or EGMs if required.

h. The club shall maintain a social media presence through the use of a Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts and a bespoke webpage. Club funds are required to service the club webpage and may, from time to time as decreed by the committee, be used to enhance the clubs profile and image both online and off.

i. Alterations to this constitution require either a committee vote or a club member vote where appropriate. Two thirds of club members to vote in favour.

j. Club runs shall be coordinated principally via Strava which all members are encouraged to use. Routes can and will be proposed via the dedicated ‘Route announcements’ group on Whatsapp. Any member can propose a route and required pace so long as they are familiar with the route and willing to act as Road Captain for the event.

k. Road Captains should be able to route plan, navigate and both lead and manage the group successfully whilst on the road. They should be fully prepared to deal with any incidents during the run such as mechanicals, injuries or accidents. In addition, designated Road Captains must be prepared to identify those members of the group who are struggling and require some form of ‘protection’, be that shelter for extended periods on the back; moved to the front to set a more comfortable pace; allowed to ‘do their own thing’; or required to take a shorter route home. Road Captains should be able to identify a suitable individual from within the group to act as ‘chaperone’ where such members require it. This is to maintain the clubs’ ethos (no one gets dropped) and absolutely essential where youths are involved in order to adhere to Cycling Ireland policy. No risk whatsoever is to be taken where such individuals are concerned.

a. Membership of the club shall be open to all those interested in the aims and objectives of the club and who agree to abide by the rules contained within this constitution.

b. Club fees are paid annually by the end of the first month (January) and set at £20. For any member joining from 1 July onwards, the club fee will be £10. Failure to pay such costs within a reasonable time (as adjudged by the committee) may result in exclusion from the club. Youth members are exempt from club subscriptions until they are 18 years of age on their renewal of club membership.

c. All club members must obey the Highway Code, CI rules and the rules contained within this constitution.

d. Youth members are those members 16 to 18 years old. All such members (or prospective members) must provide a contact telephone number for their parents before being allowed to participate in any club event. This must be held by the Road Captain who must ensure that the minor in question is not ‘dropped’ from the group at any time. Should he/she be unable to keep up, the Road Captain and/or any present committee member MUST designate two members - preferably Access NI cleared - to chaperone the youth rider home. Ideally one of these members will be a committee member if present and should be prepared to contact the parents to explain the situation if required. This is non-negotiable as the safety of the minor and - by extension - the reputation of the club both locally and wider is of paramount importance.

a. Lagan Valley Cycling Club is a welcoming and friendly community of cyclists that work to ensure equality of opportunity for all members. The club does not tolerate any behaviour that may be considered offensive, discriminatory or prejudicial – either between its members, or through activities that may bring the Club into disrepute as a whole.

b. Member complaints or disputes against fellow members are to be resolved in an adult manner. 

c. Members should remain cognisant that at all times whilst wearing club kit, they are a representative of the club and public perception of it will be heavily influenced by their behaviour, be that good or bad.

d. Knowledge and application of ‘The Rules’ is not essential but is desirable in addition to those contained within this constitution.

a. Unless advised otherwise, all Lagan Valley Cycling Club group rides will meet outside Lidl, Moira Road, Lisburn. With the exception of Tuesday evening MTB runs. This ride meets at Castle Gardens.

b. Meeting times may vary, but generally, Saturday runs will commence at 7am (8am during autumn/winter) and 9am. Sunday runs commence at 9am and Tue evening summer runs at 6:30pm. Wednesday evening MTB only run meets at 630pm at Castle Gardens. All group rides will be coordinated via WhatsApp and Strava.

c. All members participating in club rides are to ride a serviceable bike, wear an appropriate helmet, carry sufficient spares for repair and any additional clothing and/or food and water that may be required for the duration of the ride. All participants must have suitable front and rear lights when riding in hours of darkness.

d. All riders participate at their own risk. The club will not indemnify any rider for loss or injury sustained whilst participating in club activity. Suitable Third Party (Liability) insurance is available online or through Cycling Ireland.

e. Ride two abreast unless the situation requires single file.

f. Never cross the white line onto the path of oncoming traffic.

g. Ride as close to the rider in front as safety, road conditions, speed of group, your own bike handling ability and/or the faith you have in the rider in front permits and do not overlap (aka ‘halfwheeling’). Allowing big gaps to open up makes it harder for those behind to catch up or causes those in front to slow down unnecessarily. It may also encourage motorists to undertake leading to unnecessary danger and an increased likelihood of a serious accident.

h. Anticipate hills and change gears in an efficient and timely fashion to prevent riders behind losing momentum and/or potential accidents.

i. Members are not to react to aggressive motorists. Such people will go through life that way and the Lagan Valley Cycling Club are unlikely to change within a few seconds. Conversely, courteous drivers should be acknowledged with a wave.

j. The ‘ground rules’ for each ride - such as route selection, pace, any areas where solo efforts are permitted – are to be agreed amongst those participating prior to the group leaving the meeting point. Club rides will generally split into two where participants require it. Groups will be formed on the basis of those who want to undertake various distances and/or pace. Committee members should be present on each where possible but not essential.

k. The universally accepted calls within a cycling group are to be used. These are:

(1) “Car up” - There is a vehicle coming up behind the group.

(2) “Car down” - There is a vehicle approaching towards the front of the group.

(3) “Single file” - A call from riders at the back of the group when a vehicle is unable to pass the 2 abreast column safely. This call must be relayed forward by everyone to ensure that the move to single file is executed quickly and safely. The standard procedure is for the outside rider to drop back behind the inside rider. The call “single file” alerts everyone to the need to slow up and create spaces in the inside file.

(4) “Clear” and “Car Left/Right” - This call let’s following riders know at junctions, when the group is joining or crossing another road, whether or not the road is still clear. If the group cannot stay together the first ones across ride slowly until the others catch up.

(5) “Hole” - Any pothole that could cause a rider to fall. If possible indicate where it is so that following riders can steer away from it and not into it. Do this by either pointing or adding to the call “on the left (or right).”

(6) “On the Left/Right” - A general warning of some kind of hazard – usually parked cars or pedestrians. For hazards on the left, an alternative warning is to put your left hand behind your back, pointing to the right, away from the hazard. Give way to pedestrians – they can feel intimidated by cyclists just as we sometimes feel intimidated by motorists.

(7) “Lights”; “Junction”; “Stopping”; “Slowing”; “Easy” or placing a hand in the air - If you brake without letting those behind know your intention you can easily cause a big accident within the group.

(8) “Puncture” or “Mechanical” - Let the others know and they will wait while you repair it. (You will probably be given help or at least have your technique heavily critiqued).

(9) “Horse(s)” - The group is about to pass horses and special care is needed. Pass as widely as possible. Make sure that both the horse and rider are aware of your presence and if you are approaching from behind call out. Pay attention to any request by the horse rider – they know the temperament of the horse and its likely reaction to a group of brightly clad cyclists and half a ton of muscle and bone jumping on you will hurt.

l. Tri-Bars are not permitted on Club Runs for safety reasons.

m. The Events Coordinator will from time to time, seek to organise club social events. Club funds may be made available to offset the cost of such events where approved by the committee (up to a limit of £100 maximum) and when voted upon by the a majority of the club as required.

n. Prizes will be awarded annually to the individual voted (by majority) to be the Club Member of the Year, the Most Improved Male, and the Most Improved Female. The former is to be awarded to the Club Member who has added the most value to the club throughout the year. It will not have a prescriptive scope in order to allow the widest possible meaning to apply. It will be voted for by all paid-up club members and with the Chairperson holding the casting vote in the event of a tie. Prizes will take the form of a small token offering, possibly a gift voucher of approximately £20 as decided by the committee and will be awarded at the clubs’ Christmas Dinner. Further prizes or enhancements to existing prizes can be announced as required.