Seventeen tips to ensure everybody has a great day
1) The first thing you want to do is organize the ride. This can be as informal as standing around in a parking lot, or as complicated as a special meeting to hand out maps and cell phone numbers.
2) Remember that riding in a group does not mean you surrender any decision making when it comes to your safety. Ride your own ride, and don't go any faster than you feel comfortable going.
3) When picking your route and the stops you'll make along it, consider the stamina of the group, the experience of all the riders, and the limits of the motorcycles in the group. Remember, these are your friends. If it's going to be a long ride, be sure to have a few break stops along the way.
4) You'll need to communicate while on the ride, so make sure everyone knows the signals you'll use.
5) When creating your formation, it's wise to have your experienced riders at the lead and running sweep. Consider positioning the less experienced riders immediately behind the leader. This allows the front rider to adjust the pace if necessary.
6) Ideally, the sweep rider will have a cell phone to call for help if a motorcycle is disabled, or if there has been an accident.
7) If the goal of the ride is to keep the group together, the leader should only go at the pace of the least experienced rider.
8) While riding, don't fixate on the motorcycle in front of you. Instead, remember your basic training. Look well through the turn to where you want to go.
9) If the group is riding faster than you are comfortable with, let the sweep rider know you're dropping out and ride at your own pace. So you may reach your destination a few seconds behind the others, but you will get there, and that's what's important. Keep in mind, it's all about fun.
10) All riders are also responsible for making sure their motorcycles are mechanically up to the task. Before you even meet up with the group, make sure you've got plenty of fuel in the tank, and you've taken care of all those maintenance issues. Not sure what to check? Use T-CLOCK. You really don't want to be the reason for stopping the group for something mechanical you could have prevented.
11) If it's going to be a large group, consider establishing a buddy system among the riders, or divide the group into smaller five- or seven-rider packs. That way, if something goes wrong, you don't have 25 motorcycles sitting on the side of a busy highway. Also, smaller groups can more easily navigate through city streets.
12) On the road, motorcyclists should have at least a 2-second cushion in front and behind them. If you want to keep the group tight, consider a staggered formation. Leave enough room per lane so each rider can maneuver side-to-side if need be. Avoid side-by-side formations as they shrink your space cushion.
13) Trikes and sidecars should stay in the center of the lane, and should be given the same amount of cushion as if they were a car.
14) As turns get sharper, or as visibility decreases, move back to a single file formation. You'll also want to use single file when entering or exiting a highway, at toll booths, or when roads have a rough or questionable surface.
15) At intersections where you've come to a stop, tighten the formation to side-by-side to take up less space. As the light turns green, or when traffic opens up, the bike on the left proceeds through first.
16) Remember we share the road with many other vehicles, and it's against the law to block an intersection.
17) When parking, try to get the group off the roadway as quickly as possible. If you can, arrange in advance to have pull-through parking at your destination, or at the very least, make sure there is ample parking for your size group.
Motorcycle Hand Signals And Pointers While Riding In Groups
Point to tank I need gas, stop at the next station
Point at ground Careful, there's something on the road (Note that you aren't pointing at the hazard necessarily, as this might not be convenient)
Point at ground, rub fingers together -road is slippery.
Flash brake lights very rapidly Major watch out! Be prepared to stop QUICK.
Point at sign read the sign. If it's a highway sign with multiple exits listed, hold up the number of fingers corresponding to which exit you want (e.g. two fingers for the second exit listed)
Point at another rider, then pat leg you want that rider to come alongside you (usually so you can talk)
Point at another rider, then point to side of road pull over now.
Arm out, palm back stay behind me
Arm out, forward waving go past me
Waving arm in quick downward motion, with palm down and parallel to ground - slow down! Often used for bikes traveling in the opposite direction to warn of hazard or police.
Tap top of helmet, or hand on helmet cop nearby (This signal is designed to be both noticable and undecipherable by the cop)
Point forward, shrug shoulders I don't know where we're going, I probably shouldn't be leading!
Little wave to oncoming motorcyclist "Aren't motorcycles great?"
Finally, when someone gives you a signal, you should nod your head so they know you understand, since they can't see your face very well behind a helmet.
Next, here are some hints for formations for various types of riding:
On the highway staggered within one lane to provide good visibility for all riders. Lead rider should ride smoothly, and not shoot into gaps that aren't big enough for the whole group (if possible). Leader also should point out exits in advance by pointing to signs, and get in the correct lane soon enough so the entire pack can follow safely. When changing lanes, the leader should maintain the same relative position in the new lane, so the stagger doesn't have to propagate all the way back. Riders should try to note how many are behind them. Everyone should know what the exit is before hand just in case. Riders should not pass each other, as it messes up the stagger and makes it hard to keep track of where everyone is in the pack
Canyon Bombing Single file, fastest to slowest. Leaders should stop at intersections if there's a chance someone could make a wrong turn, and also periodically (perhaps every 10 minutes) to make sure everybody's still there. Be sure to signal turns well in advance. Don't fixate on the rider ahead, watch the road. If this is a problem, drop back. When passing cars, don't assume that when the rider ahead of you goes, you can too, or that they won't abort their pass and nail the brakes! When passing multiple cars, watch for the cars deciding to pass also! Glance in your mirrors before pulling out.
City Streets Two per lane at stops, staggered while riding. Don't split traffic if not everyone has their own lane. Signal and get in the correct lane in plenty of time. Avoid unnecessary lane changes. With larger groups it won't be possible to stay together, so split into smaller groups. If someone gets stranded at a light (leaders must watch for this!), the leaders can pull to the side of the road in single file and wait for them, assuming there aren't too many leaders. In all cases, the leaders must keep track of what is happening behind them, as it is much more difficult to pass information forward than back. It can also be a good idea to designate asweeper , generally an experienced rider who agrees to ride last in line and make sure everyone is OK.
When going on runs, meet at a predetermined place of start on time. Start the ride as a group and come back as a group as this promotes safety in numbers.
It's much more enjoyable (and safe) when everyone in the group follows the same plan. Happy riding!
1) The first thing you want to do is organize the ride. This can be as informal as standing around in a parking lot, or as complicated as a special meeting to hand out maps and cell phone numbers.
2) Remember that riding in a group does not mean you surrender any decision making when it comes to your safety. Ride your own ride, and don't go any faster than you feel comfortable going.
3) When picking your route and the stops you'll make along it, consider the stamina of the group, the experience of all the riders, and the limits of the motorcycles in the group. Remember, these are your friends. If it's going to be a long ride, be sure to have a few break stops along the way.
4) You'll need to communicate while on the ride, so make sure everyone knows the signals you'll use.
5) When creating your formation, it's wise to have your experienced riders at the lead and running sweep. Consider positioning the less experienced riders immediately behind the leader. This allows the front rider to adjust the pace if necessary.
6) Ideally, the sweep rider will have a cell phone to call for help if a motorcycle is disabled, or if there has been an accident.
7) If the goal of the ride is to keep the group together, the leader should only go at the pace of the least experienced rider.
8) While riding, don't fixate on the motorcycle in front of you. Instead, remember your basic training. Look well through the turn to where you want to go.
9) If the group is riding faster than you are comfortable with, let the sweep rider know you're dropping out and ride at your own pace. So you may reach your destination a few seconds behind the others, but you will get there, and that's what's important. Keep in mind, it's all about fun.
10) All riders are also responsible for making sure their motorcycles are mechanically up to the task. Before you even meet up with the group, make sure you've got plenty of fuel in the tank, and you've taken care of all those maintenance issues. Not sure what to check? Use T-CLOCK. You really don't want to be the reason for stopping the group for something mechanical you could have prevented.
11) If it's going to be a large group, consider establishing a buddy system among the riders, or divide the group into smaller five- or seven-rider packs. That way, if something goes wrong, you don't have 25 motorcycles sitting on the side of a busy highway. Also, smaller groups can more easily navigate through city streets.
12) On the road, motorcyclists should have at least a 2-second cushion in front and behind them. If you want to keep the group tight, consider a staggered formation. Leave enough room per lane so each rider can maneuver side-to-side if need be. Avoid side-by-side formations as they shrink your space cushion.
13) Trikes and sidecars should stay in the center of the lane, and should be given the same amount of cushion as if they were a car.
14) As turns get sharper, or as visibility decreases, move back to a single file formation. You'll also want to use single file when entering or exiting a highway, at toll booths, or when roads have a rough or questionable surface.
15) At intersections where you've come to a stop, tighten the formation to side-by-side to take up less space. As the light turns green, or when traffic opens up, the bike on the left proceeds through first.
16) Remember we share the road with many other vehicles, and it's against the law to block an intersection.
17) When parking, try to get the group off the roadway as quickly as possible. If you can, arrange in advance to have pull-through parking at your destination, or at the very least, make sure there is ample parking for your size group.
Motorcycle Hand Signals And Pointers While Riding In Groups
Point to tank I need gas, stop at the next station
Point at ground Careful, there's something on the road (Note that you aren't pointing at the hazard necessarily, as this might not be convenient)
Point at ground, rub fingers together -road is slippery.
Flash brake lights very rapidly Major watch out! Be prepared to stop QUICK.
Point at sign read the sign. If it's a highway sign with multiple exits listed, hold up the number of fingers corresponding to which exit you want (e.g. two fingers for the second exit listed)
Point at another rider, then pat leg you want that rider to come alongside you (usually so you can talk)
Point at another rider, then point to side of road pull over now.
Arm out, palm back stay behind me
Arm out, forward waving go past me
Waving arm in quick downward motion, with palm down and parallel to ground - slow down! Often used for bikes traveling in the opposite direction to warn of hazard or police.
Tap top of helmet, or hand on helmet cop nearby (This signal is designed to be both noticable and undecipherable by the cop)
Point forward, shrug shoulders I don't know where we're going, I probably shouldn't be leading!
Little wave to oncoming motorcyclist "Aren't motorcycles great?"
Finally, when someone gives you a signal, you should nod your head so they know you understand, since they can't see your face very well behind a helmet.
Next, here are some hints for formations for various types of riding:
On the highway staggered within one lane to provide good visibility for all riders. Lead rider should ride smoothly, and not shoot into gaps that aren't big enough for the whole group (if possible). Leader also should point out exits in advance by pointing to signs, and get in the correct lane soon enough so the entire pack can follow safely. When changing lanes, the leader should maintain the same relative position in the new lane, so the stagger doesn't have to propagate all the way back. Riders should try to note how many are behind them. Everyone should know what the exit is before hand just in case. Riders should not pass each other, as it messes up the stagger and makes it hard to keep track of where everyone is in the pack
Canyon Bombing Single file, fastest to slowest. Leaders should stop at intersections if there's a chance someone could make a wrong turn, and also periodically (perhaps every 10 minutes) to make sure everybody's still there. Be sure to signal turns well in advance. Don't fixate on the rider ahead, watch the road. If this is a problem, drop back. When passing cars, don't assume that when the rider ahead of you goes, you can too, or that they won't abort their pass and nail the brakes! When passing multiple cars, watch for the cars deciding to pass also! Glance in your mirrors before pulling out.
City Streets Two per lane at stops, staggered while riding. Don't split traffic if not everyone has their own lane. Signal and get in the correct lane in plenty of time. Avoid unnecessary lane changes. With larger groups it won't be possible to stay together, so split into smaller groups. If someone gets stranded at a light (leaders must watch for this!), the leaders can pull to the side of the road in single file and wait for them, assuming there aren't too many leaders. In all cases, the leaders must keep track of what is happening behind them, as it is much more difficult to pass information forward than back. It can also be a good idea to designate a
When going on runs, meet at a predetermined place of start on time. Start the ride as a group and come back as a group as this promotes safety in numbers.
It's much more enjoyable (and safe) when everyone in the group follows the same plan. Happy riding!