Rules of the pack: Riding in a group

April 21, 11:04 AMManchester Motorcycle ExaminerChris Greenleaf

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Featured Photo:  Chris Greenleaf leading his group on Rte 13, New Boston NH.  Photo courtesy of NESR member "Wanderer".

Any motorcyclist, novice to expert will find themselves riding within a group of some sort at some time in their riding career. Be it a group of a few friends, a charity ride, commercial event, or a pack riding to a sporting/racing event. Can you imagine rolling up to the starting point only to be told ‘you don’t meet the group ride requirements’ and told you are not welcome to ride?

As responsible motorcyclists, it’s up to each rider to check with the pack leader/organizer about the ride rules before the departure date. Over the last several weeks, I’ve been browsing some group rides and ‘conditions’ that need to be met, and then compared them with the ‘guidelines’ I like my pack to ride under. Here’s a sampling of what I found and a bit of commentary on each:

2-3 Second Rule: This is a commonly accepted rule in all rides regardless of rider/bike style or rider experience. This is NOT only for the leader following vehicles in front of the pack, but for all riders. It is imperative to allow adequate time to re-maneuver roadway obstacles that suddenly appear, however you don’t want to be 8-10 seconds behind and lose the pack.

Passing on left only: I found this one on a few, and after a lot of thought, I think it’s a good idea in the name of safety in larger groups. I recall a few times I’ve been caught off guard with a bike zipping past me on my right shoulder without warning. Considering we often use the breakdown lane/shoulder of the road as our ‘out’ in the even of an emergency the rule makes sense. I have no problem, however passing your riding partner within your travel lane (i.e. switching from staggered to 2-up and back again).

Passing the leader: This is important. The leader is a leader for a reason: He/She knows the ride route and as we discussed in my article ‘Does riding a liter bike make you the leader of the group?' A good leader will know of upcoming road conditions and keep the pack together. Occasionally the leader will wave you on (I do this in cases when we need to ride the freeway for a short period, and let a co-leader bring us to the exit, and I will tail the group to keep everyone together). Always pass the leader with caution.

Stunting: Again, a somewhat controversial ‘rule’ that I found most groups surprising don’t allow on their rides. Understandably, there are significant safety concerns with riders stunting in the pack. Most ‘organized’ groups will not allow it at all, as it is a guaranteed ticket should law enforcement catch you, or even worse a reckless driving charge! When leading a ride, I ask that anyone looking to stunt their bikes tail the group and have their fun in the back. In the even they get pulled over, the rest of the group can continue onward.

Gear/Clothing: I’ve not seen many rules regarding gear ‘required’ on a ride. The few I ran across had articles such as helmet, jacket, gloves, long pants and boots listed. I can understand the helmet concern in a group to prevent getting hit in the head with a bug or rock and weaving into a staggered lane as a group safety issue. I can’t justify MAKING riders wear certain articles of clothing such as jackets and boots. I find myself often times in the warmer weather riding in a short sleeve shirt, and usually wear a pair of no slip skater or tennis shoes. I personally can’t imagine riding without gloves without having my hands go numb after 20 minutes!

Formation: The most agreed upon and accepted formation for riding (especially for sport bike riding) is staggered formation. This is not to say riding 2-up is unacceptable in parts of the ride. Common sense dictates single file formation entering corners to allow for maximum agility.

Follow the headlight behind you: This is one of the most valuable (and difficult to master) tools to practice. The concept is “You’re okay to keep riding if you can see the riders’ headlight behind you”. Follow that concept to the last person in the pack, and you’ll never break up. A good leader also knows how many bikes are in his/her pack and can do a quick headlight count at major intersections. In larger packs, I prefer to have middle and tail wing-rider to give thumbs up on group readiness. (These wing riders also come in handy to stop traffic at intersections in order to allow all riders to stay together.)

Hand Signals: I am a huge advocate of hand signals, and have even found that having a co-leader at the front really helps with this. Here are a few of the most common all riders should be aware of:

* Right & Left hand turn
* Slow down gracefully & slow down due to traffic/obstruction in road
* Directional was left on
* Debris in the roadway
* Law enforcement/emergency vehicles ahead

Passengers/Friends: Always check with your ride leader on bringing people. Some rides are a ‘members only’ ride, or simply are unsafe to have passengers along. If you do bring a riding buddy, it is your responsibility to ensure he/she knows the rules of the ride, and for Pete’s sake, make sure they have a motorcycle license!

Common Courtesy: Arrive at the departure point at least 10-15 minutes before the scheduled leave time. Always arrive with a gas tank topped off, and an empty bladder. No one wants to stop 15 minutes into a ride for one person to take care of things like this.

I think my favorite ‘rule’ was from the New England Street Rider forum, instructing riders to ‘Stop at all lemon-aid stands’ and put a smile on some kids’ faces. I never thought about this before I read it, but what a great way to leave a positive impression of riders with the riders of the future!

I know, it sounds like a lot of stuff to remember for a leisurely ride. When you break it down, it’s really a lot of common sense with a bit of commentary and justification. After your first couple group rides, you’ll get it all and be riding like a pro. If you new to riding in a group, you should ideally be toward the front near the group leader, and never hesitate to ask a question!

Very special thanks to Seacoast Sport Cycle and New England Street riders for their contributions to this