It's that simple. Leading a ride is the best way to give back to the other volunteers who make the club possible. We post around 1200 scheduled rides each year. If every member led just 2 rides they would all be ridden.

This FAQ covers

• How a club member becomes a ride leader
• Signing up to lead a ride
• Proposing an ad hoc ride
• Getting a substitute ride leader
• The rewards of leading

Becoming a Ride Leader

If you are a Club Member and want to become a Ride Leader, click on Request Ride Leader Status on the mafw.org web site. You will be put in contact with the Ride Coordinator. When you become a Ride Leader, your web menu will change. Volunteering to lead a ride can be done as follows:

A. Signing up for scheduled rides

At the beginning of each month from March through October, ride schedules for the next month are posted on the web for leader sign-up. At the beginning of November and January, rides schedules for the next two months are posted. You must be a Ride Leader to see this list and to sign-up. If you are a Ride Leader, click on the web site's "Leaderless Rides" menu item. Once you click the sign-up button next to the desired ride you will be given a verification that you are the assigned leader. It's that simple. Signup for scheduled rides is open for one week.

After that the schedule closes, you are still able to submit ad hoc rides. You can also submit ad hoc ride proposals during the regular signup, in which case your proposed ride will be considered for approval when regular signup closes. If you submit an ad hoc proposal for the next month before the Club’s newsletter deadline for the next month has passed, your ad hoc ride will be included in the newsletter; otherwise, it will be broadcast to members.

B. Proposing Ad-Hoc Rides

If you are a Ride Leader and notice, for a given day, that there are no rides that meet your needs, you can propose an ad-hoc ride to the Ride Coordinator (RC). Just click on Propose Ad-Hoc Ride menu item and the RC will be notified. Your ride will be accepted or denied. If it's accepted, the ride will go on the web ride schedule and your 'My Rides' list. Approved ad hoc rides are broadcast to all members whose pace preference in their member profile is not inconsistent with the pace of the ride. If your ride is denied, you’ll be notified by the Ride Coordinator and the ride will not go on the web ride schedule. Usual reasons for denial are that the ride conflicts with another at the same pace at a nearby or the same start point, or the same ride is already on the schedule for a date not long after the day you propose to ride it. See the information on ad hoc rides in the Ride Leader area for more information.

Getting a Substitute Ride Leader

Ride leaders who need a substitute should go to “My Rides” on the Club’s website, find the ride in question and click on “Edit”. Then click where it says, “Please click here to contact the RC if you are unable to lead this ride.” The Ride Coordinator will send out a broadcast to all Ride Leaders describing the ride and asking anyone who can substitute for you to contact you directly. If you know anyone who may be able to substitute for you, you should contact them yourself. Once a substitute is obtained, the Ride Coordinator must be contacted to update the web schedule with the new leader. Once the schedule is updated, the new leader will see the ride via the "My Rides" menu item. This will allow updating of the ride status after the ride to Ridden or Cancelled, and the number of riders can be entered. .

The Rewards of Leading

Members who volunteer to lead 12 or more rides between Oct 1st and the following Sept 30th will be awarded an MAFW Ride Leader jersey or a gift certificate from a Club sponsor bike shop. Anyone leading a ride during that period will be invited to the annual ride-leader pizza dinner.