Riding in Groups (an alternative method)

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Lifted from VisorDown, this is another option for group riding etiquette.

Rideout Etiquette
(I wont call them rules cos its up to you, but heres a few simple ways to make things run smoothly)

Before you get there.
LET THE ORGANISER KNOW YOU ARE COMING. It means they can let YOU know if its off/postponed/moved/running late...

If you are gonna be late or not going to make it, please have the decency to phone the organiser and let them know so the ride isnt held up waiting for people who arent coming.

Bring a copy of the route if it is available to you, and a map (or at least familiarise yourself with the route/area, using a map beforehand)

Make sure your bike is in a good enough condition to make the distance.

Try to arrive with a full tank, or fill up on arrival if possible.

Like your mum said, make sure you go before you go.
On the road.
If you are second on the road, dont sit right up the leaders arse (or anyone elses for that matter). There is no need for it and it @@@@es them off!
Give everyone some space.

The Marker System

This requires a leader, a tailender, and the riders(you!).
The leader - is familiar with the route, and follows it. He should carry a mobile in case of problems on route. He should point out to the first person behind him where to sit to be best positioned to mark each junction.

The tailender - is idealy familiar with the route also, but doesnt have to be. They will stay at the back for the entire ride and will be pointed out at the beginning of the ride. (They may wear a fluro vest to make them obvious). The tailender is exactly that, everyone else stays in front of them, so they should move the junction marker on once they arrive, this also ensures there is no confusion as to who is the rear bike.
They should carry a mobile with the leaders number in case of problems on route.
If anyone drops out of the group the tailender should stop with them and find out what is going on.
If there is a problem they should get in touch with the leader, or if they are just stopping for a pee wait with them so the marker stays in place at the next junction.

The riders - at any point the route deviates from the strip of tarmac in front, the first of the riders behind the leader will stop to mark the way at the junction in a place prominent to the rest of the following group.
THEY MUST NOT MOVE UNTIL THE TAILENDER ARRIVES.
If it seems like you have waited ages, wait some more. If they still havent arrived, phone the leader as he may have heard from them.

Once the tailender has arrived, the junction marker can then work their way carefully back towards the front. Overtaking is encouraged, but please be courteous!
If anyone sees someone making dangerous overtakes (repeateadly - we all make mistakes sometimes) point it out to the leader, who will have a quiet word. If they carry on they will be asked to leave.
Meanwhile the group all move forward one, so number two, becomes number one behind the leader so marks the next junction.

If riders are going to drop off the back of the group (behind the tailender), they must inform the tailender what's going on.

Next to your own personal safety, and arguably more important, should come consideration towards others in the group.
So Please follow these few simple points:
Do not ride above your ability/limits to try and keep up. There will be a bike waiting for you at the next junction. There will be regular stops for a breather/fag break during which you can catch up safely. (Just because we have pulled over for a couple of minutes it doesnt mean we are having a fag break tho! -if the leaders lid is still on, he aint planning on stopping)

Do not get pushed along by a faster bike behind you. Move over and let them through. Only play hard with people you know and trust. Slower riders, beware you may be holding up a faster rider and move over, let them past.

If you are the faster bike, dont make stupid manouvres to get past (especially passing them on the left! ). Wait till they let you through, or find a safe place to get past.
Faster riders, please give plenty of room when passing and only go for a safe clean pass.

It doesnt matter whether you ride like a foggy or a fanny, just go at your own pace.

Its not a race and you wont get left behind. Just cos you cant see the bike in front doesnt mean you've got to ride like a loon to catch it up again. Take it steady, someone will be waiting somewhere.

If everyone follows these simple ideas we can all enjoy a cracking ride, and have a good chat at the destination.

If you bring along some friends, who may have not read this, please brief them on what is expected.
 
the very simple rule is always RIDE TO THE RIDER BEHIND.



Basically each rider takes responsibility to ensure he always knows that the RIDER BEHIND HIM HAS SEEN THE TURN BEING MADE.



If EVERYONE does this progress is as swift as you like and EASY.



When a TURN occurs, at a JUNCTION OR ROUNDABOUT, see that the bike which you know is following you SEES YOU AT THE TURN AND FOLLOWS YOU. If he is not right behind you then WAIT FOR HIM BEFORE MOVING ON.



Then progress at your own pace until the next junction - the RIDER AHEAD WILL WAIT FOR YOU AT THE TURN.



It's that simple - if a PROBLEM occurs there will soon be three of you to deal with it - LOGICAL SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE.



It CANNOT GET ANY SIMPLER. SURELY?
 
rockjock620 said:
the very simple rule is always RIDE TO THE RIDER BEHIND.



Basically each rider takes responsibility to ensure he always knows that the RIDER BEHIND HIM HAS SEEN THE TURN BEING MADE.



If EVERYONE does this progress is as swift as you like and EASY.



When a TURN occurs, at a JUNCTION OR ROUNDABOUT, see that the bike which you know is following you SEES YOU AT THE TURN AND FOLLOWS YOU. If he is not right behind you then WAIT FOR HIM BEFORE MOVING ON.



Then progress at your own pace until the next junction - the RIDER AHEAD WILL WAIT FOR YOU AT THE TURN.



It's that simple - if a PROBLEM occurs there will soon be three of you to deal with it - LOGICAL SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE.



It CANNOT GET ANY SIMPLER. SURELY?

Sorry Pete but that don't work so well, you'd wait, see the rider behind then pull away, he'd then have to stop, wait then pull away then the rider behind him gets to stop ad infinitum and all you'd end up with is frustration from the constant stopping and waiting. much easier to stop, mark wait once for a bit longer until everyone rides by and the tailender comes into view, far less stopping and you'll get more time riding not stopping.

the marker/tailender system also meands you can have someone at the back with the ride leaders contact details and procedures, pre written and input emergency text messages ( we learnt a lot from Steve's accident at RTL) important to ensure and emphasise that a marker doesn't move until the designated tail ender appears. for bigger group rides 2 tailenders is a must.
 
Have to agree with Gizmo , We did this with the second group at RTL and it worked fine until one of the markers got bored and set off before the tailrider was through , but prior to that it was working well and did'nt slow the group down at all .
 
Gizmo said:
Sorry Pete but that don't work so well, you'd wait, see the rider behind then pull away, he'd then have to stop, wait then pull away then the rider behind him gets to stop ad infinitum and all you'd end up with is frustration from the constant stopping and waiting. much easier to stop, mark wait once for a bit longer until everyone rides by and the tailender comes into view, far less stopping and you'll get more time riding not stopping.

the marker/tailender system also meands you can have someone at the back with the ride leaders contact details and procedures, pre written and input emergency text messages ( we learnt a lot from Steve's accident at RTL) important to ensure and emphasise that a marker doesn't move until the designated tail ender appears. for bigger group rides 2 tailenders is a must.
but surely then by definiton you will have riders trying to make their way back up through the group because as you say overtaking is then allowed, which invites potential problems of it's own. And it doesn't mean everyone is stopping all the time, as the group keeps together better (even if it contains natural clusters of slow/fast/inter riders) with only momentary pauses at junctions. There will not be a long line of individuals all having to wait for each other, but smaller sub-groups who move quite freely, with occasionally only the last man having to mark, then move. Probably both methods are equally valid, I prefer my idea as it doesn't mean anybody stopping for a great deal of time anywhere. It's also faster, less to learn and therefore simpler to put into effect.
 
Sorry Pete but that don't work so well, you'd wait, see the rider behind then pull away, he'd then have to stop, wait then pull away then the rider behind him gets to stop ad infinitum and all you'd end up with is frustration from the constant stopping and waiting. much easier to stop, mark wait once for a bit longer until everyone rides by and the tailender comes into view, far less stopping and you'll get more time riding not stopping.

the marker/tailender system also meands you can have someone at the back with the ride leaders contact details and procedures, pre written and input emergency text messages ( we learnt a lot from Steve's accident at RTL) important to ensure and emphasise that a marker doesn't move until the designated tail ender appears. for bigger group rides 2 tailenders is a must.

So what happens if the 'tailender/sweeper' has an off/problem? He's on his jack jones.
 
So what happens if the 'tailender/sweeper' has an off/problem? He's on his jack jones.

yup, lesson learned from last years RTL was that you need 2 bikes at the tail end in case of a problem to one of them or as last year an accident. One bike can then take care of the fallen rider the other can text the lead bike letting them know the problem, herd up the other bikes who are at the accident then get everyone moving to where the lead bike has stopped so a decision can be made. ideally the very tail ender should wear something to distinquish that they are last bike and swap it should they stop or break down.
 
Pete

You have a good idea in principal, we've used it. However it requires the other riders (of say 5 or 6 only) to be of a similar standard or as near as to the lead rider. I know you do wait most if not all the time so everybody can catch up, but when there is a huge group of differing types of riders your idea is much more difficult to achieve and put into action...

Just my opinion....
 
When I do my "stop and wait" routine it works and I'm as much looking (in the mirror) for everyone else to be doing the same. If I am convinced that every rider in the group who I can see, is doing it correctly I will move off. If everybody did the same "stop and wait" it would work. It doesn't matter about the relative standards of the riders if executed properly and only (for the most part) requires the briefest of pauses by most people. Just my opinion. :D
 
Excuse me Mr Dolmio I know you do (from time to time), I think you understand the drunken point i'm making though. It ain't critisism or rocket science for that matter...

DLOL....
 
Hi guys, I regularly go on runs with large groups and one of the methods that works for us is as follows:

Eg. 10 bikes in the group, bike 1 the leader who knows the route drives at the front followed by everyone else at each turn or junction bike 2 stops and counts the remaining 8 bikes past then follows as the last bike and that just continues so everyone from bike 2 to 10 rotates at each major junction this way know one is left behind.
Over taking within the group works fine because it's just the bike count that is done not the order.

I hope that makes sense, it's very quick to pick up.

Cheers

Geo
 
Ride in small groups, no overtaking and stay as far away from juntion-filled roads as possible!
I did one large ride in 2003 with HOG. It was a total farce and a waste of a day. I never went back.
Riding not rules and common sense is king.
 
I usually go out with my mates and we have a good little system going if the road is clear we pull to one side of the road while riding along and have like a signal system like stretching your leg back and forth to let them know to go past that way every rider gets a go at being at the front and we dont need to any moto gp overtaking maneuvers on each other.
 
I usually go out with my mates and we have a good little system going if the road is clear we pull to one side of the road while riding along and have like a signal system like stretching your leg back and forth to let them know to go past that way every rider gets a go at being at the front and we dont need to any moto gp overtaking maneuvers on each other.

What was your leg signals last year when the van was coming towards you.
:D:D:p
 
I usually go out with my mates and we have a good little system going if the road is clear we pull to one side of the road while riding along and have like a signal system like stretching your leg back and forth to let them know to go past that way every rider gets a go at being at the front and we dont need to any moto gp overtaking maneuvers on each other.

This system sounds ok but some riders don't like being at front depending on experience and road knowledge.Also I think some people when at front have added pressure of not knowing how fast or slow they think they should go .
 

What was your leg signals last year when the van was coming towards you.
:D:D:p

NO YOU!!!! &%$^%&%& :twak:

This system sounds ok but some riders don't like being at front depending on experience and road knowledge.Also I think some people when at front have added pressure of not knowing how fast or slow they think they should go .

yeah I know what you mean but then again its just my three mates and myself we all know the what we are upto plus we all agree that leading for a while at a time give's us all a bit experience of leading. and if one of us want to go fast we just wait till we get the nod to go in front and take off and stop later down the line.

last year i went to my mates sv650 run 80+ riders and they had a lead a tail and everyone inbetween BUT my mates and i dident know half of these pepole on the run and still were riding like T*%&ts and was no fun. In the end we just hung back and went in our own group and took the route at our own pace.
 
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