Bicycler wrote:One CTC affiliate once told me that I needed a helmet on their rides "for insurance reasons". Obviously rubbish, but whether it was an honest mistake or a deliberate lie I can't say. If it is the former and he's a good chairman he should be willing to check with the CTC
The 2016 ride leader handbook does indeed say that CUK rides can turn away riders who aren't helmet users: "Cycling UK advocates freedom of choice as regards the wearing of helmets and hi-viz clothing (https://www.cyclinguk.org/campaigning/v ... -briefings). [...] It is the Ride Leader’s prerogative to refuse anybody on their ride who they deem to be so ill-equipped they may pose a danger to themselves or others but note point above on helmets and hi-viz clothing" - so the rider leader has "freedom of choice as regards the wearing of helmets"! I know that's only one interpretation of an ambiguous wording which I think is clearly meant to discourage such forcing, but it's one that the forcers use.