5 PMC Weekend Safety Practices

As we approach everyone's favorite weekend of the year, take a moment to remember that the first priority of any ride is to get home safely. Here are 5 practices you should follow to do just that on PMC weekend:

Review the PMC Safety Video. We get it: you know how to ride a bike, but even professional athletes go back to basics at the start of each season, so please review and model the instructions in this video.
Obey all traffic signs, signals, and police instructions. Sometimes you will see uniformed police officers controlling traffic at intersections, but mostly you will not. We ride on public roads which are open to other vehicles, bikes, and pedestrians. Assume that an intersection is not controlled unless you get instructions from an officer to the contrary.
Ride defensively and alertly. We support a wide range of cycling experience and ability on PMC weekend – and pacelines can make that disparity even greater – so ride with compassion for each other. It's a ride, it's not a race.
Speaking of pacelines: Riding in a high-speed group can be intimidating to other riders. You have a special responsibility in a paceline to alert other riders when you are passing, give them plenty of space, and be courteous.
Ride with caution on the Cape Cod Rail Trail. Those of you riding to Provincetown will be on two sections of narrow bike path about 5 miles long, beginning right after the Brewster water stop. Since we share these bike paths with non-PMC riders (e.g., dog walkers, joggers, and other cyclists), it's imperative that you keep right, ride single file, and pass only with great care. Our ability to use the Cape Cod Rail Trail in the future may depend on it.

As a PMC fundraiser, you're making an impact in the fight against cancer. On the bike, you're also an ambassador for the PMC and for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, so please be on your best behavior. We can't do this without the towns and neighbors who support us, so let's demonstrate that our cycling community is a model for good citizenship as we all get "Closer by the Mile."