Cruiser's Club Riding Guidelines

Hand Signals and Group Riding Guidelines

The following information was provided by the Bloomington Cruiser Club Chapter.

Road Captains and those who frequently ride lead or drag are particularly urged to become familiar with these terms and guidelines in order to explain them to other riders who may show up for a scheduled ride without having any group riding experience.

Standard staggered formation. You should be 1 to 1.5 seconds behind the staggered bike, which would put you 2 to 3 seconds behind the bike directly in front of you.

If you like to ride slow or are new to group riding get up front. Those who like to ride fast should ride in the back. New riders may think they want to ride in the back, but the reality is just the opposite, they need to be near the front.

Spread out a little around tight corners. Most will need a little extra space. We don’t want anyone riding off into the ditch.

No wheelies, stoppies, etc. People should also not slow way down from the group, then zoom back up to the group. While it may be fun to goof around with your bike when you’re alone, it can create problems with the safety of the group.

Some Common Group Riding Terms

· Road Captain: a person who devises group riding rules or guidelines for an organized group ride. And who communicates these guidelines to the group, and who generally plans and lays out group rides. The Road Captain may or may not ride lead for a particular ride.

· Lead Bike: a person who rides in the most forward position in a group and who relays information to all other riders in the group via hand signals. The Lead Bike determines the group’s direction, speed, choice of lane, and formation. He or she often must make quick navigation decisions in the face of road hazards, changes in road surface conditions, poor signage, construction and other obstacles while maintaining control of his or her bike and communicating to those following. If there are three groups on a ride, there will be three Lead Bikes.

· Drag Bike or Sweep: a person who rides in the last position in a group. The Drag Bike must secure a lane for the rest of the group during lane changes into faster traffic (move first to block oncoming traffic) and close the door (move to block passing traffic) when a lane is lost in a merging lane situation. Usually this is the most experienced rider in a group, for the Drag Bike is the rider who stops to assist a rider who has mechanical trouble, loses control, or drops out of a ride for some other reason. The Drag Bike should be prepared to render aid to a downed or disabled rider in a group. If at all possible, the Drag Bike should have a co-rider who can assist with traffic control if a serious problem arises. If there are three groups on a ride, there will be three Drag Bikes. The rider in this position is sometimes called the tail gunner or sweep.

· Cage: any vehicle that is not a motorcycle, but particularly an automobile.

· Cager: The enemy, anyone driving a cage.

· Group Parking: a formation in which all bikes in a group follow the Lead Bike in single file into a parking lot, making a U-turn such that they can all line up next to each other in the space available with the rear of their bikes against the curb or edge of the lot, the front tires pointing outward.

· Parade formation: a formation in which all the motorcyclists in a group ride two abreast.

· Staggered formation: a formation of motorcyclists in a group in which the Lead Bike rides in the left track of a lane, the next bike in the right track (slot), and the next bike in the left track, and so on. Bikes in a group generally maintain a minimum interval of two seconds travel time between bikes in the same track, and one second travel time between each bike in the group. In a staggered formation, a rider still commands and may ride in the entire width of his lane as needed. Group riders may also ride single file or two abreast. The Drag Bike may ride in the left or right track depending on the number of bikes in the group. It is preferable for the Drag Bike to ride in the left track, so as to have the same visibility line as the Lead Bike.

· Single file: a formation in which all the cyclists in a group ride in one track of a lane.

Normal Group Riding Maneuvers

Entering Traffic: When the Lead Bike for each group sees that all riders are helmeted, sitting on their bikes, motors running, and ready to depart, he or she will check for traffic and enter the roadway. Usually the Lead Bike will not attempt to exit a parking lot unless there is room for all or most of the group to follow immediately. If the group is split, the Lead Bike will normally take the slow lane and keep the speed relatively low until the group can form up in the positions the riders will keep for the duration of the ride. This may mean traveling slower than surrounding traffic, to encourage four-wheelers to pass and allow the group to form up. Occasionally this cannot be accomplished until the group has made a lane change or entered a freeway, depending on where the entrance ramp may be.

Regardless of the Lead Bike’s signals, a rider is responsible for his or her own safety at all times. Ride Your Own Ride.

Once all members of the group are together, the group will take up a staggered formation and will stay in it most of the time during the ride, unless the Lead Bike signals for a change or the need for a change is obvious. Reasons for changing out of a staggered formation could be a passing situation or poor road surface (single file), dog or other animal charging the group (split the group), or coming up to a traffic signal (two abreast while waiting for a light).

When a group of motorcycles is changing lanes, many safety considerations come into play. Should every rider move into the adjacent lane at the same time? If not, should the Lead Bike go first, or should the Drag Bike move first to “secure the lane”? What if another vehicle sees a gap in traffic and tries to cut into the group? If part of the group gets separated from the other riders, should everyone change relative positions (tracks) so that the new Lead Bike is now riding in the left track? The recommended procedure for a group lane change maneuver depends on how the surrounding traffic is moving at the time. The goal for the bike which moves first is to create a gap into which the other bikes can fit.

Regardless of what other riders in the group are doing, each rider must personally check to see that the new lane is clear of traffic before entering it.

The Lead Bike or Road Captain (second bike if he is not leading) and the Drag Bike will have CB radios. Other bikes with CBs will be staggered in the group.

Changing Lanes as a Group

There is virtually no time (absent an emergency) when a group of riders should all move at the same time into a different lane, in regular traffic conditions. The wide gap required for a whole group to move is difficult to find in heavy traffic, and if it exists, it will be an invitation for other drivers to jump into it, perhaps while the group might be moving.

Spacing Out; Especially on less-congested rural back-roads, the riders in a group may spread out to create larger intervals between motorcycles. This allows a rider to relax a bit, to enjoy the scenery and the ride. If no four-wheelers are trying to pass the group, this is fine. However, the riders should remain close enough to each other to be able to see hand signals being passed back from the Lead Bike. It is possible that a rider will also “space out” in terms of losing his concentration and will forget to practice safe riding strategies. If a rider is not riding safely enough to avoid endangering others in the group (because of lack of experience, medical problems, fatigue, or some other reason), the Lead Bike will usually discuss the problem privately with that rider at the next stop. If a problem cannot be solved reasonably in this way, the Lead Bike has absolute discretion to request that a rider leave the group and is entitled to expect the group to support this decision. In the case of a mechanical or minor medical problem, it is not unusual for another rider to accompany the distressed rider to get help. Sometimes if the Lead Bike just re-assigns the riders to new positions within the group, this is enough to bring a spaced-out motorcyclist back to a state of alert awareness.

Checking Out The Curves

On any stretch of curvy road and in any corner, a group may ride in single-file momentarily, to enable each rider to corner at his own speed and to have as much room as possible for maneuvering. This is especially important to riders with little experience in a group, as they may “wobble” or be nervous about making turns with another bike to their side or riding close behind them. This is an accepted variance to staggered formation; usually the Lead Bike will not signal for single-file at each turn but will expect the riders to choose their own path of travel.

Exceptions to Normal Guidelines

The often-heard rule, “Ride Your Own Ride,” means that any guideline for group riding can and should be ignored when it doesn’t make sense. Determining whether this is the case and acting prudently is each rider’s individual responsibility at all times. Under normal circumstances, the Lead Bike will choose a lane, will determine the speed at which the riders are to travel, will suggest the formation which makes maneuvers most safe, and will navigate.

Common exceptions to these guidelines occur with a rider who is not yet experienced with group riding. If a maneuver looks too dangerous or awkward for the new rider to complete safely, he or she should do what he needs to do to protect himself and avoid an accident. This may mean passing up a turn or taking it very slowly, or parking somewhere not with the group, or going more slowly through a curve than the riders ahead of him.

Each rider commands his entire area within a lane and may move to left or right in it as required.

Another exception: the Drag Bike may not travel in the same path as the rest of the group. If, for example, a two-lane road is narrowing so that a lane is about to be lost, the Drag Bike will frequently “close the door” by moving out of the group’s staggered formation into the lane which is soon to disappear. This is to prevent a four-wheeler from trying at the last minute to pass part of the group and then have to cut into it when the pavement runs out. Even if the riders near the back of the group observe that the Drag Bike is no longer in the position where he has been riding most of the time, they should maintain their own place in the group.

COMMON SENSE CONSIDERATIONS

Alcohol abuse and riding NEVER mix! This is especially true when riding in a group of motorcycles. Please use your best judgment.

Do not participate in a group ride if you are ill or taking drugs that can impair your riding abilities.

Ensure your bike is in a good safe condition. Start each day's ride by: inspecting your bike using T-CLOCS, correcting any deficiencies, and having a full tank of gas. If you have a new bike or you have other mechanical bike concerns, inform the Road Captain prior to departing for the day's ride.

Dress appropriately and bring along inclement weather gear. Consider if your are wearing/packing ALL the appropriate "Protective Gear" that you may need on the ride. If you become too hot, too cold, or too wet during a ride that you feel impaired, quickly indicate that you need a Rest Stop before you become an unsafe rider.

Be prepared for the ride. Arrive at the start point 20-30 minutes before the scheduled departure time. This enables the Road Captain or Lead Bike to inform all riders about safety, route, and other concerns. Arriving early also gives you a chance to inform the Road Captain of your concerns. Make sure you know who are the Road Captain(s), Lead Bike, and riders who have maps and CB radios. If you have a Cell phone, give your number to the Road Captain and get his Cell number.

If you need to split from the group during the ride, let the Road Captain know this prior to departing for the day's ride and, if possible, separate from the group during one of the scheduled Rest Stops.

Tell the Road Captain if you are new to the group and he will assign a sponsor to assist your safe incorporation into the group. Review the Hand Signals with your sponsor or the Road Captain. Ask questions....

Tell the Road Captain if you have a medical condition that may affect your riding with the group (e.g., many of us need to stop for food at regular times each day to take our medicines).

Assist the Road Captain(s) and the other riders by being safety conscious throughout the entire ride. Often an impaired rider or co-rider is the last person to recognize there exists a problem. If you think something may be wrong (i.e., the bike in front of you is wandering), tell the Road Captain or indicate that you need a Rest Stop. Look out for each other and we'll have a FUN & SAFE ride!