About 4 years ago, Guy aka Lawyer, ended up in North Shore Spinal Unit requiring surgery on his neck after pulling up quickly due to an oncoming vehicle getting close, whereupon a subsequent Muggs' rider, Greg aka ArchitectToo, clipped Guy's pedal and they both took nasty falls. 

Last Sunday arvo on the final leg to Hornsby, Tony aka Yorkshire, ended up in RNSH after being slow to react to Kevin aka TexDubbo and David aka MountainGoat breaking upon seeing a red traffic light signal ahead.  Tony acknowledged that he was slow to react and upon seeing Kev's imposing rump, coming up real rapid, Tony instinctively slammed on the brakes and cart-wheeled over the handle bars, with the inevitable Noggin going gyro head-first into the tarmac, smashing his helmet, which may have otherwise ended in brain damage.  Fortunately, after RNSH trauma unit (in Emergency) doing chest, shoulder and neck X-rays, head CT scan, and abdominal ultrasound, and blood tests, all within 2 hours of admission, Tony was released within 6 hours.  Tony was told that he was the third cyclist that day in Emergency.  Bank Teller understands that Tony was at least one bike length behind TexDubbo.  Tony is off to the UK shortly visiting his Dad, but is keen to resume riding with Muggs upon his return.

Alas, we are going to evidence more bad bingles because of the hell-for-leather antics of some ride groups such as Peloton Cycles, who think that luck can continue indefinitely. Empirical evidence at RNSH and Hornsby Hospital verifies otherwise.  Below is an extract from a recent Peloton email weekly newssheet which establishes that Peloton's management doesn't understand the legal liability upon itself, and its ride leaders, to ensure risk management 'warning procedures', when inviting Invitees to participate in a Recreational Activity which involves a Risk of Harm Sufferable.

"Yesterdays ride proved to be a rather unsafe one for many. There were 6 crashes on the ride where we would have preferred none. We would just like to highlight a few points on safety to try to make the rides safer for all.
- When riding on the front of the bunch, it is your responsibility to control and direct the bunch. This includes calling all potholes and obstacles on the road. This must be done regardless of how fast you are going or how tired you are. It is not acceptable to ignore them. And part of your responsibility of being in the bunch is to pass this message back through the remainder bunch. If you are not willing to do this then ride at the back. Yesterday this was not done and riders hit huge potholes, nearly crashed and lost water bottles. This is unacceptable.
- If you are riding at 100% of your capacity then chances are you are not concentrating enough on what is going on around you. Dropping wheels and crossing wheels are symptoms of this and are commonly what leads to accidents. Safety is the highest priority on the road so make sure you ride within yourself and ride safely in the bunch."

Over two years ago, at the behest of the Editor of Push On, Jenni Gormley, Bank Teller researched Regulation 126 “Keeping a safe distance behind vehicles” of the NSW Road Rules 2008, namely whether a bicycle rider (designated as a vehicle under Regulation 15) is required to travel at a safe distance behind another cyclist.  Jenni published his findings in “Is riding in a bunch illegal?”.  No one has ever disputed his assertions therein, that cyclists are braking the law when not riding at a distance whereby a cyclist can pull up to avoid hitting a vehicle ahead. 

As night follows day, a cyclist ahead will successfully litigate a cyclist behind who cannons into him/her which causes the cyclist ahead to suffer a serious injury, unless the cyclist ahead has agreed to the cyclist behind drafting him/her.

For this reason Ride Participant Liability Acknowledgment includes:

Hence, if you are riding with Muggs and you -

a)          draft within one bicycle length of a rider ahead for more than 20 seconds and you do not seek permission to draft that rider, and you cause the rider ahead, or another rider(s), to suffer a serious injury(ies), you had better have reliable third party public liability insurance with a lot of zeros in the liability amount; or

b)          you agree for another rider to draft within one bicycle length of your rear wheel, and you cause the rider behind, or another rider(s), to suffer a serious injury due to not warning them of a pending obstruction, you had better have reliable third party public liability,

especially if the person(s) that your negligence causes to be seriously injured is/are self-employed with three kids, a wife at home and a huge mortgage, and they are unable to continue working in that profession and suffer a future income loss.