Route & segment safety
Safety is the first design constraint. If a segment or route is unsafe, it is not worth keeping.
Pre-ride safety checklist
Before publishing, confirm all answers are yes:
- Is the route legal and appropriate for the ride type?
- Are start/finish points obvious on the ground?
- Are segment finishes away from stop signs, traffic lights, and blind corners?
- Have you removed high-risk “hero” sections that encourage unsafe behavior?
If any answer is no, adjust the route before publishing.
Good segment design
Use segments that reward steady effort, not high risk behaviour.
Good choices:
- climbs and false flats
- roads/trails with predictable line and visibility
- quieter roads and paths
Avoid:
- technical descents
- intersections and uncontrolled merge zones
- narrow choke points
Start/finish placement rules
Keep gates simple and obvious.
- Place starts where riders can stabilize before effort, i.e. 100m or so after a corner.
- Place finishes where riders can safely decelerate after crossing.
- Leave buffer distance beyond finish so riders are not forced to brake suddenly.
Rider briefing template (copy this)
Use this before each event:
- Follow local road rules at all times.
- Ride within your limits.
- Do not sprint into intersections or blind corners.
- Call hazards early and clearly.
- Regroup where the host has nominated safe points.
Host decision rule
If you would not be comfortable with a newer rider attempting the segment in normal traffic conditions, redesign it.