Safety Policy – Co-leaders  

The Bend Bella Cyclists mission is to provide Bend women with a safe, enjoyable, and supported cycling  club experience. In support of this mission, and with a focus on safety, we are implementing a new  policy, effective immediately.  

What we are trying to accomplish:  
  1. Ensure that a participant who is laboring/injured or has a mechanical issue is not left on their  own.  
  2. Provide a means for the rest of the group to continue on with the planned event.  
How do we accomplish this?  
  1. Require two leaders (a leader and a co-leader) on each event. In the event a problem occurs, one  leader will return with the participant having issues or stay with the mechanical issue participant  while the other leader continues the planned event with the rest of the group.  
Details:  
  1. All the participants in the scenario above remain on a Bella event and are therefore covered by  the Bella liability insurance.  
  2. The exception to #1: if a participant voluntarily leaves the event, informing one of the leaders  (for example: if they want to proceed at a faster pace or take an alternate route, but they are not  having difficulties). In this case, the participant is no longer considered to be on a Bella event,  and is, therefore, no longer covered by the Bella liability insurance; they are on their own.  
  3. Both leaders must be prepared to navigate the planned route (be familiar with the route and  have it on their device); if the group does need to split due to a struggling participant or a  mechanical issue, the group can continue with either leader.  
  4. Both leaders must have the contact info for all the participants.  
  5. If another participant (not the participant with difficulties) volunteers to return with the  struggling participant or stay with the participant having mechanical issues, they may do so. Both  participants continue to be covered by Bella liability insurance. The leader or co-leader is not  obligated to accompany them.  
  6. Both leaders have equal responsibility per the Ride Leader Responsibilities and may divide the  tasks however they choose.  
  7. An event may be posted without a co-leader but the co-leader must be identified prior to the  event taking place. If a co-leader cannot be identified, the event will be cancelled.  8. This policy applies to all sporting events. It does not apply to social/non-sporting events such as  book club, Ex Comm meetings, etc.  
  8. In all cases described above, a leader is also a ‘participant’ and therefore is not to be left on their  own.  
  9. In the unlikely event that both leaders cannot complete the planned event, the group will return  to the start/end. If any participant decides to continue on her own, they would be voluntarily  leaving the event and would no longer be covered by the insurance. All other participants that  are staying with the group will still be covered.