Q: I have a weekly bicycle ride. Is it advisable to have all riders sign a waiver to protect
Every week, I organize a bike ride mostly on USFS lands. There are no fees involved, no prizes, or anything. I just select a route and we go ride for the fun of exploration. , A secondary primary purpose is to get people involved in becoming more active. Some of the areas can get a little rough and there is always a possibility of someone getting injured. that has led me to wonder if I should have all riders sign a waiver to protect myself as well as the other riders. There are conflicting views as to how much protection a waiver can afford in the event of an injury or fatality.
A: I come down on the side that waivers are usually useless. There are significant legal barriers to individuals trying to sue while engaging in recreational activities, such as mountain biking out in the wilderness. Although it's not impossible, most people would have an awfully tough time suing you for crashing their mountain bike on a trail ride that you organized. If that happens, you would need to hire an attorney to defend you. If someone really want to sue you, it's unlikely that a waiver would offer you much protection. Personally, if I was organizing mountain bike rides, I wouldn't bother with having everyone sign waivers.
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