Group Ride Code

More than 50 community rides, zero incidents. That is not luck – it is a group that rides predictably, communicates and looks out for each other. This code applies to every Portcycling ride and camp. Please read it before your first ride with us.

Watch: the code in 65 seconds

The law comes first. Traffic rules differ between countries. Wherever we ride, the local traffic law applies, and this code comes on top of it. Riding in Spain? Read the new Spanish rules for cyclists (October 2026).

1. Before the ride

• Bike ready: tyres pumped, brakes working, gears indexed, no loose parts.
• Helmet always. No helmet, no ride – on every Portcycling ride and camp. (In Spain it is also the law for all cyclists outside towns.)
• Lights: front and rear, switched on in tunnels, at dusk and in bad weather.
• Repair kit: spare tube, levers, pump or CO₂, multitool. Be able to fix your own puncture.
• Food, water and ID, plus a phone with an emergency contact.
• Arrive on time and listen to the briefing: route, regroup points, pace groups.

2. How we split the group

• Groups of 20 riders maximum, split by pace.
• Every group has a group leader. Nobody rides ahead of the leader.
• Two abreast or single file – never three abreast. We don't ride as a bunch like in a gran fondo. A compact group of pairs is easier and safer for drivers to overtake than a long line.
• Go single file whenever the leader calls it or the law requires it: narrow roads, poor visibility, heavy traffic, cars waiting to pass. See the country rules below.

3. Your place in the group

• Keep a steady gap to the wheel in front – close enough to benefit, never overlapping wheels.
• Ride shoulder to shoulder with your partner – no half-wheeling.
• Close the gaps. A short, compact group is safe to overtake; a stretched-out one is not.
• Never use the oncoming lane – not even to pass. The centre line is a wall.
• Hold your line. No sudden moves, no swerving around holes at the last second.
• Stay in your pace group. Want to ride harder? Ask to change group at the next regroup.

4. Signals and calls

Leaders signal. Everyone repeats it. Pass every signal and call back through the group. Can't take a hand off the bars? Point with your elbow. We practise this at every briefing. The two calls you will hear most on our rides: "Car!" and "Stop!"

5. Climbs and descents

• On climbs: don't stand up suddenly right in front of someone – your bike moves back. Ride your own pace; we regroup at the top.
• On descents: more space, no drafting on technical descents, brake before the corner, not in it. Never overtake on the inside of a bend.
• Wait at the top, not in the middle of the road – pull fully off the road.

6. Traffic and other road users

• Respect every road user – drivers, pedestrians, other cyclists. We ride as ambassadors for cycling.
• Thank drivers who give you space: a wave works wonders.
• Red light? We all stop. Together. Running a red light is dangerous and a big fine. If the light turns red halfway through the group, the rest of the group stops and we regroup after.
• Junctions and roundabouts: the group follows the law, not the leader.
• No arguing with drivers. Get away, get the plate if needed, tell the ride leader.

7. Stops, punctures and problems

• Puncture? Stop together. Fix together.

  1. Shout it.
  2. Everyone off the road, onto the verge.
  3. One rider holds the bike.
  4. Another rider helps change the tube.
  5. One rider watches the traffic, facing the road.
  6. Roll out together.

  A Portcycling tradition: if one of our women riders gets a puncture, the guys fix it – and she takes a rest.

• Nobody gets dropped. We wait at the top. A sweeper rides last wheel on every ride, and we regroup after climbs and junctions. We stop for coffee together and we finish together.

• Eat and drink on time. Running empty slows down the whole group. Bring enough food and water to get yourself home.
• Never stop in the road or on a bend. Pull fully off the road.
• Feeling bad? Tell the ride leader or the back marker. Nobody gets left behind.
• Crash: protect the scene, call for help (112 in the EU), tell the ride leader.

8. Respect

• No dropping riders, no attacks on a social ride, no lecturing beginners.
• Groups are set by power, not by gender or by who shouts loudest.
• Leave no trace: no gel wrappers on the road.

What we say at every briefing

Before every ride, the group leader runs a short briefing. This is what we always cover:

1. Safety first – the route, the regroup points, the dangerous spots.
2. Responsibility for each other – you ride for the group, not only for yourself.
3. Respect for the riders next to you and for the drivers behind you.
4. Help each other through difficult sections, and show every signal. Can't use your hand? Use your elbow.
5. Nobody overtakes the leader.
6. We wait at the top of every climb.
7. We stop for coffee together and reach the finish together.
8. Follow the traffic rules – always.
9. Drink and eat so you don't let the group down and nobody has to pull you to the finish.

Riding two abreast: the rules in Spain, Portugal and France

The rules are similar but not identical. This is a summary, not legal advice – always follow the local law and the instructions of the police.

In all three countries: never more than two abreast. Our own rule goes one step further – when in doubt, single file.

Questions before the ride? Ask the ride leader or message us on WhatsApp.