# Recumbent Trikes and the CTC



## byegad (20 Mar 2008)

If you ride a recumbent trike and belong to CTC ? Does your DA offer you all you want? 
Many recumbent trike riders take part in one day or longer rides organised locally by themselves and their friends in their home area or touring away from 'home'. 
I feel that forming our own Member's Group would be a way of helping us all. I suspect that this group would need to be national in scope as we are small in number in any one DA area. 
Such a group should be able to co-ordinate and advertise rides and also, where necessary, represent our minority interests. We would benefit from CTC's excellent back up in representing (tri)cyclists interests, perhaps on the law on pedal reflectors, particularly nonsensical for us, or on limited access to 'cycle facilities'. Our interest may well largely overlap the wider membership's but there are differences. Also, in the unlikely event of an accident during a ride, organisers would benefit from Ride Leader's cover from CTC's insurers. 

To start a Group we need ten CTC members to sign a pro-forma to start the ball rolling. If sufficient people indicate an interest an inaugural meeting could take place at York Rally. Two months notice to CTC are required. While I am happy to facilitate this initial move I would be happy to see someone else take the reins if they are interested. 

So I can assess support could you pm me or indicate on this or the CTC forum your interest? I'll make available a Pro Forma to send in to CTC if the interest is sufficient.


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## mcd (20 Mar 2008)

Interesting idea - but as I don't have a trike, I guess you'll have to count me out.


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## ufkacbln (20 Mar 2008)

I am in the CTC and in my experience the cover, benefits, camraderie etc are completely independent of what I am riding at the time... I am afraid that I do not see the need to segregate in to small groups.


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## byegad (20 Mar 2008)

Cunobelin said:


> I am in the CTC and in my experience the cover, benefits, camraderie etc are completely independent of what I am riding at the time... I am afraid that I do not see the need to segregate in to small groups.



I was rather thinking that in addition to riding with your local CTC you would be covered to ride with other trikers anywhere. That was why I thought of a National Group in order to make us a large group rather than merely odd trikers in many DAs. Not that I'm saying anyone is odd.


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## Pedaldog (28 Mar 2008)

I can see a few points in your idea but, Like Cunobelin, I think it would segregate eventually and I would rather not do that. Cycle is cycle regardless of number of wheels, size of wheels. size of rider and mental capacity of ride (in case Chuffy is looking in!)


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## byegad (28 Mar 2008)

Thanks for your input Pedaldog. I'm beginning to think it is going to be a lot of work to set up. I'm a BHPC member and they are looking at affiliating to CTC so maybe that's a better route!


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## byegad (19 Apr 2008)

The idea had some support on other forums. However the CTC view seems to be that such a group needs to have a number of 'Officers' including a Treasurer! 
I had thought of it as a much looser thing with a Co-ordinator using the CTC forum to 'organise rides' around the country, in effect the locals would decide to ride together and whoever organised the route would be covered for liability so long as they'd done the necessary paperwork. 
For example I'd advertise a ride based on Darlington (12 miles from me). It would be a route I knew so the Safety Assessment might be:- 'Take care joining the A167 and be prepared to stop and allow traffic to clear before turning right off it in 3.5 miles.' ETC. This is obviously too free and easy for the CTC to insurer. No need for funds so surely no need for a Treasurer! 

The CTC does not seem to want to allow this! 

I'm a member of BHPC who have just affiliated to CTC. So I guess their rides will be the ones I go on or indeed lead!


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