Before you participate in a Bicycle Buds ride, please read the following and complete the sign up form below. You need to complete this before being able to join in any of our rides. This is to ensure you know exactly what to expect and to clarify that you are fit and able bodied enough to participate without being a risk to yourself or others.

Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

Clothing & Equipment
What you bring with you is very much down to the season and weather, but here are some items we reckon are essential and some things that might come in handy.

A fully operational and road / off-road worthy bike according to the route.
Most routes are on country lanes, greenways, by-roads or forest tracks, the ride details will always indicate if you will require anything other than a common road bicycle.


Essential items

• Sturdy shoes or running type shoes with a good grip
• Small rucksack or panniers/bike bags for snacks
• Water or bladder bottles
• Lunch (or snacks on shorter walks)
• Layered clothing (appropriate for time of year)
• Waterproof jacket and trousers
• Gloves and hat (in cold weather)
• Spare socks
• Personal medication as required

Recommended items

• Hi Vis Jacket
• Clear plastic sealable bag (to keep phone or other tech dry!)
• Small microfibre towel
• Baby wipes
• Hot flask (in cold weather)
• Reusable cup for Kelly Kettle

Leave No Trace
We politely request that all Bicycle Buddies strictly adhere to the Countryside Code and Leave No Trace Policy by respecting local communities and protecting the natural environment so that others can enjoy the great outdoors too! Read more here.

Dogs
Unfortunately we do not allow dogs on Bicycle Buddy rides due to the risk they may pose to others or themselves.

First Aid
Bicycle Buds recommends you bring your own first aid kit and be able to use it, as well as a survival bag, torch and working mobile phone.

Fitness
One question you may be asking yourself is; “Am I fit enough?”.

Hopefully the grading will give you some idea as to what rides you can attempt though ‘Hard’ for one person might not be for another. If in doubt, please do contact us but we’d probably recommend erring on the side of caution initially and starting off with something definitely within your capability. This will give you a benchmark and then you can raise the bar accordingly thereafter. Some rides have ‘escape routes’ if the going gets too tough but quite a few of the mountain or moorland circular rides don’t and once out there it can be a long way back. We’ll very quickly recognise early in the ride if we feel there is going to be a problem with an attendee pitching in too high and, especially during the colder months or on a rainy day, might insist on an early retirement. The people we aim to attract will be incredibly supportive and will offer encouragement when needed but it’s not a pleasant experience having to stop too frequently on a bad weather day, as we never leave anyone behind, if it can be avoided, on a Bicycle Buddy ride.

Grading
We grade each route within a spectrum from Easy to Challenging to signpost you to a route most appropriate for your current level of fitness. This definition is of course quite subjective and only intended to be a topline overview, aggregating the following route characteristics – distance, terrain, ascent and general environment.

Some routes might also be graded differently dependent on the season or expected weather. There’s a world of difference between riding on a fine Spring day and doing the very same ride on a harsh sub-zero winter day, battling hail and snow!

5km – 10km
Easy / Moderate

10km – 15km
Moderate / Medium

15km – 20km
Medium / Hard

20km – 25km
Hard / Very Hard

25km - 50km
Very Hard / Expert

50km-75km
Expert - Race Ready


Hydration
Every person, every route and every weather condition creates its own set of rules for how much water you should carry for a particular walk. A general rule of thumb is to ensure adequate pre-hydration – and that even extends to the day before. Don’t set off on a ride (especially long ones) feeling dehydrated from the off!
We’d recommend 300ml before you start a walk and then to sip 200ml every 20 minutes while riding. For our longer rides – this of course represents a significant weight to carry so we’d recommend finding your own balance. Most of our Bicycle Buddies cope fine, even on long rides, with a couple of litres of water in normal weather conditions.

Lunch
On our full-day rides, stopping for a well-deserved picnic lunch is another defining part of the Bicycle Buds experience. On most routes, we’ll have a clear idea on where we plan to stop beforehand though quite often, especially in the colder months, we’ll respond to the weather of the day seeking appropriate shelter from the elements.
The length of our stops is also weather dependent and consideration will also be made of the group’s pace. But if we’re on schedule and the sun is shining, expect a leisurely lunch in a spot where you can enjoy some amazing views with pleasant company.

Transport
Most routes are deliberately organised to start and finish near public transport. Firstly, we believe in minimising our impact on the environment in the places we choose to ride but secondly, travelling together is also part of the experience and reduces the chances of individuals being delayed in traffic. So we’d encourage you to join us on the train if possible but if you do need to drive also see if there’s anyone else coming you can potentially car-share with.

Bicycle Buds: Rules and Indemnity

Cycling (including cycling, off-road cycling, and bicycle touring) is an activity with a danger of personal injury or death, on or off the bicycle.

It is recommended that all members join Cycling Ireland if you are intending to participate in regular cycling activities. Participants should be aware of and accept these risks. People who take part in Bicycle Buds events or activities do so at their own risk and are responsible for their own actions and involvement.

• It is each member’s individual responsibility to ensure that he or she is adequately equipped, considering the cycling route planned and environmental conditions, i.e., sturdy shoes with ankle support if required, appropriate clothing, helmet, gloves, water, etc.
• A cyclist is responsible for keeping their own property safe during a cycling activity or while traveling to one.
• All cyclists should have a backpack or ideally panniers or bicycle packing bags with adequate food and drink for a day of [off-road] cycling.
• Release of Liability, Waiver of Claims, Express Assumption of Risk, and Indemnity Our free/no charge gatherings (“Events”) (Trips) include but are not limited to activities organised through the Bicycle Buds Ireland meetup sites.
• These Events include but are not limited to off-road cycling and other outdoor adventure activities. This document refers to all participants (“Attendees”) of Events, be they members or not.
• We do not allow anyone under the age of 18 on our events.
• No dogs are permitted on any Bicycle Buds Ireland events regardless of size
• Whether or not an Attendee is a facilitator volunteer or has submitted an RSVP for a particular Event, by attending any of the Events all Attendees hereby acknowledge and agree to the Bicycle Buds terms of service and the following:
• Attendees understand that the organisers, leaders, facilitator volunteers, and members of Bicycle Buds Ireland are not experts and do not consider or advertise themselves as experts.
• Attendees understand that during their participation in any Bicycle Buds events, they may be exposed to a variety of hazards and risks, foreseen or unforeseen, which are inherent in each event and cannot be eliminated without destroying the unique character of the event. These inherent risks include, but are not limited to, property loss or damage, getting personally lost, trapped, or separated from the group, and the dangers of serious personal injury and death (“Injuries and Damages”) from exposure to the hazards of cycling activities, especially in mountainous or remote environments. *Attendees know that Injuries and Damages can occur by natural causes, equipment failure, or activities of other persons, animals, insects, plants, our surroundings, group members, event facilitators, organizers, and assistants, or third parties, either as a result of negligence or because of other reasons.
• Attendees understand that if they choose to be covered by insurance, this is a service they will have to provide themselves.
• Attendees understand that risks of such Injuries and Damages are involved in outdoor activities such as Bicycle Buds Ireland Events and appreciate that they may have to exercise extra care for their own person and for others around them in the face of such hazards. They further understand that on any Event, there may not be rescue or medical facilities or expertise necessary to deal with the Injuries and damages to which they may be exposed.
• Attendees understand that the organizers and facilitator volunteers do not encourage or advocate car-pooling and appreciate that they may be exposed to a variety of hazards and risks, foreseen or unforeseen, which are inherent in car-pooling. *Attendees understand that they may have to exercise extra care for their own person and for others around them when engaging in this activity.
• All attendees understand that the facilitators/organizers will be taking group footage and group photos of the event and will not be able to edit out individuals who wish to stay anonymous.
• Therefore, I authorize and grant consent to the Bicycle Buds Ireland team to edit, publish, copyright and use, in perpetuity, any and all information, photography, footage taken during the ride, in which I appear, without prior knowledge or additional compensation to me.
• Please note that all personal information will be deleted after the event. I consent to my personal details contained herein being processed and stored by the organizers in accordance with relevant data protection legislation for the purpose of registering for participation in all events.
• Therefore, in consideration for participating in Events, to the fullest extent allowed by law, Attendees agree to WAIVE, DISCHARGE CLAIMS, AND RELEASE FROM LIABILITY the organizers, facilitator volunteer, volunteers, and members of Bicycle Buds Ireland from any and all liability on account of, or in any way resulting from Injuries and Damages, even if caused by negligence, in any way connected with Bicycle Buds Events.
• Attendees further agree to HOLD HARMLESS the organizers, leaders, volunteers, and members of Bicycle Buds from any claims, damages, injuries, or losses caused by their own negligence while a participant in the Event. *Attendees understand and intend that this assumption of risk and release is binding upon their heirs, executors, administrators.
• Attendees understand that these events are FREE of charge and the registration process is for attendee counting only.
• All Attendees must have read this document in its entirety and freely and voluntarily assume all risks of such Injuries and Damages and notwithstanding such risks, agree to participate in the Events they attend under these terms and conditions.