| Author | Message | ||
     Iamarchangel |
Today, I was riding to my favourite roads. Here, the roads are grid and broken up into twisties in few and far between locations. I had just finished one section and was heading to the next one. On the road ahead was a group of cruisers about 2-3 transports long. They were staying at about the speed limit which I guess I wasn't. It was frustrating. There were a couple of minor twisties and the last few riders would dive bomb them. I'm following but have to pull up real quick because, of course, they can't corner. On the next stretch, before one of the best twisties, I passed them. It took two steps and I was able to pull into an open space before completing the second. Personally, I don't like group riding. The only rest stop was where I was heading, another half hour away. So, people that have experience with group riding, what is the protocol? Is there a signal I should know? They were disciplined and ordered but slow... | ||
| Petereid |
The problem with groups is the signals usually run from the front of the pack back. Chances are 1/2 those riders don't even know your there. | ||
| Edgydrifter |
Yeah, that has been my experience as well. The lead rider pays attention to the anchor rider in back, and everyone else pays attention to the lead rider. Most of the guys in the middle probably didn't know you were there until you merged into them. As long as you paused long enough for them to open a gap for you and didn't make a big show of "disrespecting" their pace, I can't imagine anyone taking umbrage with you passing them in stages. Happens all the time. Group riding can be quite fun--especially with a group you know and trust--and I do it from time to time. Like you, though, I ordinarily prefer setting my own route and pace. (Message edited by edgydrifter on April 24, 2009) | ||
| Rydberg |
i will pull to the side and let um get a few miles down the road, then hall ass and catch up then stop and smoke one, kind of a tortus and hair thing. When passisng, stay to the inside (don't pass on right) and just do it one at a time. having loud pipes helps when your comin up fast on a slower bike. | ||
| Saratoga |
When I ride my road bike (bicycle) I enjoy group riding... you can go 10-20 mph faster than when on your own and the dynamic of a good group makes you push yourself harder than you ever would alone. On the motorcycle I hate it. Like Petereid said, the signals usually run front to back and half get lost in the middle from my experience. Too many different riders with different questionable skill levels. I like to do my own thing on the bike- 1 or 2 other riders, fine. Not with a group of 10 or more though. | ||
| Rydberg |
ever been in a group of 400+? thats nuts! there are no signals from the leader! | ||
| Ochoa0042 |
pass with care, they dont know you're there, a groups of cars would notice you more than a group of bikers. | ||
| Petereid |
I've been on a few rides like that Rydberg. It can be a real challenge some riders have a real problem controlling their speed relative to the other bikes so you end up with the slinky effect...on the gas then on the brake then on the gas again. I've ended up leaving a ride because of unskilled or idiotic (sometimes it's hard to tell which) riders. I'm all for charity rides, but not at the expense of my wife and I's safety. | ||
| Etennuly |
I look at it this way. It isn't my road. We have to share it. They are out to have a nice ride, I already did that and lets say I want to have a fun ride. It isn't worth risking a wreck to try passing a group of 'who knows how they would react' riders. I wouldn't want to be the one who spooked a rookie that then takes out ten others riding in close formation. I would follow them until an 'opportunity' road came up. Turn off, take a different route, go back the other way, come back and hit the corners later, it doesn't matter. I am on my bike for cripes sake! What could make me have to hit those up coming corners when they will be there? | ||
| Iamarchangel |
Etennuly: That's why I was asking. We're all out having fun. And I know enough not to try and ride through for the very reasons you mentioned. This particular road is a lakeshore road. There is no side road for quite a while. It's part of what makes it a good ride. So I passed them, I was sort of hoping we'd end at the same rest area and I'd be able to ask the road captain, or apologize, depending. But where the road straightens out, they took the first turn. I wanted to hit the corners when the cruisers were not there, but I don't want to cause any real, or imagined, harm in the process. Agreed: my fun is not worth that expense. | ||
| Teddagreek |
I'm done with the big group rides... If I ever do it I'll be in the back after seeing what happened to my buddy I know some one who got sued... *First bike hit the corner and had a big gap on the following three. *bike 1 low sides, he picks it up and instead of getting off the road he ••••• with it and starts to take off.. *Bike 2 hits the corner just as bike 1 at a stand still in the corner.. *Bike 2 hits the brakes edge of the road causes a highside.. *Bike 3 goes off the road *Bike 4 lowsides.. Bike 1 takes off, leaves the seen Bike 2 and 4 are hurt and go to hospital Bike 4 got a lawyer and went after bike 2 my friend for a huge pay day? My friend does pretty well.. After a year of back in forth insurance hands over a G to make it go away and from what I under stand bike 4 got hardly any thing Moral of the story, ride with friends you trust.. | ||
| 03firebolt |
Personally, I cant stand riding with people other than a very select few, other than my dad and maybe two of my buddies. When i do ride with other folks i try and either get the lead, or the rear. People piss me off though when im leading at a good pace, and they haul by me on the back tire usually scaring the hell out of me with their loud jap pipes. Or when they take off running 90 when im running 60 and they miss the turn i was gonna take, after all, i AM the leader so i think that if you are riding with a group, its proper and respectful to follow the leader. I just cant stand when people suck at riding, I mean if you cant ride in the first place, you have no business putting 10 or 15 other peoples lives in danger too, does this make sense to anybody? | ||
| Andymnelson |
We occasionally ride with the Twin Cities Motorcycle Club. Probably the ONLY group I will ever ride with other than close friends. They have well trained officers with tons of experience- always have a captain up front and a trailer and several blockers for traffic. Most of the crew has been group riding for a long time. The rides are well planned out and organized and pre-ridden. They have a "primer" that you must read before riding, and a pre-ride "refresher" that the whole group listens to before each ride. They have a beginner, intermediate and expert classification for each ride. There's a lot that goes into organizing a group ride- I think most people don't realize that, they think it's just call your buddies and your buddies' buddies and get 30 people to ride somewhere together. I particularly like their descriptions for what classification you qualify for: "Beginners can go on at least the first half of any large Saturday ride. Beyond that point is your choice and your risk. If you NEVER rode with us before, you MUST ride in an area at the rear of line at least until the lunch stop. I don't care if you invented motorcycles. We had a guy lie last year then scare the hell out of a couple of riders. Definitions of ride experience levels: Rookie Never rode in a group before, Just got your first bike, just joined us. You should go on Thursday night rides first. The Road Captain will determine if you are ready for a large ride. Beginner First year or two of riding, been on some Thursday rides. An Experienced Beginner rider has made at least two big rides. Intermediate You have been riding a few years or more, maybe stopped riding for many years and came back to it. Been on group rides, both large and small rides. You understand the importance of a tight staggered formation. Your not a speed demon and you know not to brake in the middle of turns. Expert You have been riding for many years consistently. You have been on many group rides, you know the difference between safe riding and scaring everyone around you. You know your not in a race. However, some specialty rides (Ride with Don & George) are way faster and curvier. Lying about this can get you killed. I know riders who have been riding for 20 plus years and still duckwalk u turns, ride brakes down hills, weave in and out of line and tailgate others. If I described you in the above sentence, your not as good as you think you are. If you ride a thousand miles a year for ten years, your not an expert either. The ride officers of this club are trained to observe your riding. If they need to comment to you, they represent me and have my full support. The safety of our members is the primary concern here. If that hurts your feelings, trust me, I don't care. Many will respond here but after a day or so I'll erase them. This is information not a debate. I'm pinning this as well. "  | ||
| Petereid |
The safety of our members is the primary concern here. If that hurts your feelings, trust me, I don't care. I love when people are honest and straight forward. Saying what you mean saves a lot of BS. If it offends then chances are you didn't want to be around that person anyway | ||
| Iamarchangel |
Figured one method out today. Came upon a group of four who were riding actually below the speed limit. Don't know why since the rear mirror was solid black, at 3pm, with a huge summer storm, lightning etc. I was trying to get gone real quick. I rode behind for a bit and when I had a long clear way, I waved my left arm, in a big left turn signal, and made the pass. How does that sound to you guys? | ||
| 2008xb12scg |
I've never been on a group ride, never more than 4 people. I like the twin citys rules above. I did get stuck behind 4 red and whites about a month ago. For obvious reasons I hung back, then one of them waived me on and they made room for me to pass. | ||
| Hotrod427 |
I like that mindset Andy, my wife has actually been in contact with one of the organizers of the twin city motorcycle club, and your glowing report on their "code of conduct" is encouraging! Thanks, and maybe we'll see ya on the asphalt!   | ||
| Iamarchangel |
red and whites=HA? Yep, wouldn't ride past them without invitation. That I don't have to ask. | ||
| 2008xb12scg |
Truth be told even with the invite I was nervous... | ||
| Etennuly |
If I come up on a couple of bikes in a tight formation I pass them as if they were a car. If there is a group of four to six, and they are in formation, I make like they are a tractor-trailer combo. More that that I look for a different route if possible, or stay behind them. I came up fast on a group of twenty or so several years ago. I decided to follow. The rear guard waved me around on a long passing zone. I got about three quarters of the way passed them when a car appeared coming the other way. Where I had to duck back in there were a few riders who thought I shouldn't be in their ride, so they didn't let me back in. I was on my new '79 CB750F and they were all on Chrome Hogs. We all found that three wide will work in an emergency situation. Ya can't trust a group. Even though they are close to riding as one, they all think and act individually. | ||
| Union_man |
Solo riding, riding with friends, and group riding... They are all different parts of the same wonderful game of motorcycling. I go to different places and ride different rides depending on who I am with, and how large the group is. Alone is about me, the Buell and the road. When group riding, it is more about the scheduled stops and socializing, as much as it is the riding. When riding with friends that ride performance motorcycles we P.A.C.E. ride. Any riders new to the group are handed a printed copy of this. http://www.fjrowners.ws/pace.html They start in the rear of the group and can move up in the order according to their abilities and speed. An experienced leader and, maybe more importantly, an experienced sweeper is a must. When group riding with a wide variety of motorcycles and people in a traditional formation style ride, I try to follow the Motorcycle Safety Foundations recommendations on group riding. The MSF guidelines are a great place to start if you are not experienced in group riding. I tell all my friends to watch this video if they are not familiar with ridding in a group. http:///www.youtube.com/watch?v=erpkyD7SMfw The video is about 10 min long. Ride safe...Have fun!!!  | ||
| Fast1075 |
On our little club rides, we have had little trouble...we have a safety meeting before the ride, discuss the first half while we have lunch...two people ride trail to keep track of the more leasurely riders...at stop signs or traffic signals the leader holds up untill everybody closes up...the leader sets the pace, which depends on where we are going and the skills of who is riding that day...no newbie or guest rides the front half untill his or her skills are observed..(we have one lady that rides with us sometimes that is race licensed and actively races...she, my friends will smoke yerass) The only problem that I ever had with another rider, was a guest (Who was asked to ride in the rear at the safety meeting) on a CBR600 that truly was squidly and riding directly in front of me that had absolutely no braking or corner skills...could not hold a line rode scary...after we stopped for fuel and a smoke break, Mr. Squid was relegated to the rear of the pack. The only "down" we have had since I have been riding with the club, was a low speed lowside where the guy got too crazy with front brake in a maybe 5mph turn. We sometimes encounter other riders that get in the way...maybe it's a regional thing, but they usually single file and wave us past...barring that...we have pulled over and took a break for a few minutes to let them clear the area... |
