Group Riding 101
Finding, Leading or joining a Group Ride
'07 R1200RT at Bald River Falls
NOTE: The Events & Rides you find mentioned here should also be on the club Calendar, but short-notice may result in either page being updated. You may want to check this page and the Calendar.
Formal Rides: BMW ROK tries to have some sort of formal group ride at least once a month. These are generally scheduled the Saturday after the monthly meeting, but this can vary depending on the ride leader, weather, or other scheduling conflicts. If anyone would like to lead a monthly ride to their favorite twisty road, neat old country store, or other interesting location, please don't hesitate to step up and volunteer. If you've never led a club or group ride don't let that stop you, there are plenty of veterans in the club that would be more than willing to assist in laying out a route or helping with other logistics. Just let us know when and where. Or, if you want to lead a ride and don't have a destination in mind, don't let that stop you either. You can sign up now and take all the time you need to set up a ride.
Want to lead a ride? You can either post your ride on the forum (after you Register, then Sign In) or, perhaps, the best way is to contact the BMWROK President, Secretary or Ride CoOrdinator, who have the email list of all BMWROK members. One of these BMWROK officers can get the word out for you.
Formal Rides: BMW ROK tries to have some sort of formal group ride at least once a month. These are generally scheduled the Saturday after the monthly meeting, but this can vary depending on the ride leader, weather, or other scheduling conflicts. If anyone would like to lead a monthly ride to their favorite twisty road, neat old country store, or other interesting location, please don't hesitate to step up and volunteer. If you've never led a club or group ride don't let that stop you, there are plenty of veterans in the club that would be more than willing to assist in laying out a route or helping with other logistics. Just let us know when and where. Or, if you want to lead a ride and don't have a destination in mind, don't let that stop you either. You can sign up now and take all the time you need to set up a ride.
Want to lead a ride? You can either post your ride on the forum (after you Register, then Sign In) or, perhaps, the best way is to contact the BMWROK President, Secretary or Ride CoOrdinator, who have the email list of all BMWROK members. One of these BMWROK officers can get the word out for you.
Group Riding 101
( please consider this to be Required Reading )
Ron Donahue
BMW ROK Ride Coordinator
MOA #199353
Motorcyclists living in East Tennessee are blessed with hundreds of great motorcycling roads. Just a short trip from my home in Knoxville, I could travel the Dragon’s Tail, Foothills Parkway, Cherohala Skyway, the Devil’s Triangle, Blue Ridge Parkway, Great Smoky Mountains, and the fantastic roads in Western North Carolina and Northern Georgia, just to name a few. The
camaraderie of riding these great roads in groups with other motorcyclists makes it even more special, but presents its own set of challenges.
Being the Ride Coordinator for the BMW Riders of Knoxville ( BMWROK ) has given me the opportunity to lead numerous group rides on these roads as well as many others. This experience has taught me that group riding is not nearly as easy as it might appear. It seems I learn something new from each ride that I need to remember for the next one. Group Riding
cannot be viewed as simply following the bike in front of you to a particular destination. That is a dangerous thought. In fact, group rides require a lot of extra responsibilities that riders do not normally assume when riding alone, not just for the leader, but for every member of the group.
Your ideal group ride situation occurs on an 80 degree day with lots of sunshine, no traffic, wide, smooth roads, a small group of 8 riders or less, with all riders on similar bikes and having the same riding skills. All the riders know the route and the group has a “sweeper” rider at the back of the group with a communications link to the leader of the ride. If this is a reflection of
your group rides you must be living right. The odds of this happening are similar to winning the lottery. On an open invitation club ride, I can expect riders young and old, male and female, some riding two up, varying riding skills, with riders straddling everything from a single cylinder thumper to a six cylinder touring machine. This is the make-up of a typical group ride.
Good planning and a little training can overcome most shortcomings. Everyone just needs to learn their responsibilities, as either a Leader or Group Rider, to make the ride a successful one.
Leader Responsibilities ( planning )
Being the ride leader of the group puts the pressure on you. They’re all staring at you at the riders’ briefing. At the end of the ride you either get an “attaboy” or the blame. Be prepared for a little of both. Hopefully, these tips can help you collect more attaboys:
Leader Responsibilities ( on ride–day )
The planning is all done and the day has arrived for your big ride. In a little while, you will realize that the planning was not nearly as challenging as what lies just ahead. Now you have to execute. Just put your cat herding skills to work and get the show started.
Group Rider Responsibilities
As you can see, the leader of the group has a lot of responsibilities, but being a group rider carries a lot of responsibilities as well. As I mentioned earlier, it is not nearly as simple as just following the person in front of you. If the leader does not have the luxury of a communication link with another member of the group, the riding actions of the group become the communications link. Everyone must do their part for it to work effectively.
As far as I can tell, this covers most everything I can think of that I have encountered as a group rider or as a ride leader to date. Hopefully, these tips and rules will help you plan and execute successful group rides with your friends in the near future. Group riding is one of the most fun activities you can share as a motorcyclist. You just have to apply a little common sense and a few basic rules to make it enjoyable for everyone. Whether you lead or follow, the feeling of freedom that motorcyclists enjoy cannot be duplicated. Just learn to do it safely. Remember, “it’s not what you ride, but that you ride.”
Until next time, keep it between the ditches and in your lane.
Ron Donahue
BMW ROK Ride Coordinator
MOA #199353
Motorcyclists living in East Tennessee are blessed with hundreds of great motorcycling roads. Just a short trip from my home in Knoxville, I could travel the Dragon’s Tail, Foothills Parkway, Cherohala Skyway, the Devil’s Triangle, Blue Ridge Parkway, Great Smoky Mountains, and the fantastic roads in Western North Carolina and Northern Georgia, just to name a few. The
camaraderie of riding these great roads in groups with other motorcyclists makes it even more special, but presents its own set of challenges.
Being the Ride Coordinator for the BMW Riders of Knoxville ( BMWROK ) has given me the opportunity to lead numerous group rides on these roads as well as many others. This experience has taught me that group riding is not nearly as easy as it might appear. It seems I learn something new from each ride that I need to remember for the next one. Group Riding
cannot be viewed as simply following the bike in front of you to a particular destination. That is a dangerous thought. In fact, group rides require a lot of extra responsibilities that riders do not normally assume when riding alone, not just for the leader, but for every member of the group.
Your ideal group ride situation occurs on an 80 degree day with lots of sunshine, no traffic, wide, smooth roads, a small group of 8 riders or less, with all riders on similar bikes and having the same riding skills. All the riders know the route and the group has a “sweeper” rider at the back of the group with a communications link to the leader of the ride. If this is a reflection of
your group rides you must be living right. The odds of this happening are similar to winning the lottery. On an open invitation club ride, I can expect riders young and old, male and female, some riding two up, varying riding skills, with riders straddling everything from a single cylinder thumper to a six cylinder touring machine. This is the make-up of a typical group ride.
Good planning and a little training can overcome most shortcomings. Everyone just needs to learn their responsibilities, as either a Leader or Group Rider, to make the ride a successful one.
Leader Responsibilities ( planning )
Being the ride leader of the group puts the pressure on you. They’re all staring at you at the riders’ briefing. At the end of the ride you either get an “attaboy” or the blame. Be prepared for a little of both. Hopefully, these tips can help you collect more attaboys:
- Plan and know your route - Determine a good route that offers some challenging roads and some nice scenery as well. Keep the ride away from known heavy traffic areas as much as possible and avoid a lot of stop sign intersections that can break up your group with other vehicles. Unless you are planning and announcing a dual sport ride, avoid gravel roads at all costs. The big street bikes don’t care much for them. Keep a day ride max to around 200 – 250 miles and seven to eight hours in length. If possible, pre-ride your entire planned route a week or two prior to determine if road conditions, construction, road closures, etc. can de-rail your ride. Have a start point and an end point to your ride. Select an easy to find start point with accommodations for parking and chewing the fat. Try to make the start point centrally located so members don’t have to back-track too much from their homes. Sometimes, it is possible to also make your first break stop a second starting point for riders living closer to your first break stop. Just make sure you cover the info you discussed at the Riders’ Briefing with them as well. Your end point is just a good place to reflect on your day’s ride, swap tales, and collect your attaboys or blame.
- Plan your stops for gas, food, restroom, etc. – Plan your restroom stops at locations that also have gas and snacks. That way your group can also serve as paying customers and not just people clogging up the parking lot and restrooms. Estimate how many riders you expect on your ride and make lunch reservations for the group. Select a restaurant that offers various selections….Not everyone likes fried chicken livers, and I’m told macaroni and cheese is not a vegetable. Remember that some members of your group may not have the fuel range or capacity as others, so plan your gas stops accordingly.
- Get the word out – Use mass club e-mail, texts, phone, telegraph, carrier pigeon, or whatever means necessary to let everyone know of your intended ride. Try to give as much notice as you can, but sometimes it is best to wait closer to the day you wish to do the ride to get a better handle on the weather forecast. Always have a contact phone number or e-mail posted so potential riders can contact you with any questions and inquire about possible weather issues or unforeseen circumstances that could postpone your ride. Let everyone know the start time, estimated end time, and a rough ride overview. Allow enough time for a Rider’s briefing when announcing your start time. If you are GPS savvy, share the route file with others to download. My GPS is a “Good Paper Sketch”.
Leader Responsibilities ( on ride–day )
The planning is all done and the day has arrived for your big ride. In a little while, you will realize that the planning was not nearly as challenging as what lies just ahead. Now you have to execute. Just put your cat herding skills to work and get the show started.
- Meet & Greet – When you arrive at your start point ( with a full tank of gas, maps, first aid kit, sign-in sheet, and tire repair kit ), greet all those who have elected to spend the day viewing the back of your high-vis jacket. Pass around a sign-in sheet to include their name and an emergency contact phone number in the event of an emergency (not their own cell phone number ).
- Riders’ Briefing – Assemble everyone outside. Ensure that everyone has signed your sign-in sheet. Introduce any visitors in your group to the other riders to make everyone feel welcome. Explain the basics of the route and proposed stops along the way. Scour your group and take in the age and gender of your riders and adjust your break stops accordingly . . . not all bladders are created equal. Brief everyone on any known hazards or things to watch for along the way. Go over the basic rules of group riding such as staggered formation, wait at turns, keep rider behind you in your mirrors, regroup at intersections, ride your own ride, etc. Finish your briefing by stating that the last one saddled up and ready to pull out has to buy lunch for the group. This tends to speed things along to start your ride.
- Leading the Ride – Now that you know how many followers you have and what they are riding, you can adjust your riding speed accordingly. Try and keep at least the first two or three followers in your mirrors at all times. Ride on the left side of your lane as long as the road and conditions permit. Point out any road obstacles you encounter by using your foot to notify the riders behind you. As you’re approaching a traffic light intersection, slow down well in advance in hope of catching a red light, thus allowing everyone in your group to come together again and stay together after the light changes. If only part of your group makes it through the light, find a safe place to pull your riders off onto the shoulder or edge of a parking lot to wait until the rest of the group catches up to you. At stop sign intersections, wait until your entire group is stopped behind you before proceeding to minimize the possibility of separation. Take charge at break stops and keep the time to a minimum, particularly if reservations are made for a meal or an event. It is easy for a fifteen minute stop to turn into a thirty minute stop. Keep count of your group at break stops to ensure everyone that started out with you is still with you. Enjoy the ride, be safe, and know that others are following your lead. Don't give the other riders so much mirror attention that you become distracted and have an accident. The main goal is that everyone gets back home safely.
Group Rider Responsibilities
As you can see, the leader of the group has a lot of responsibilities, but being a group rider carries a lot of responsibilities as well. As I mentioned earlier, it is not nearly as simple as just following the person in front of you. If the leader does not have the luxury of a communication link with another member of the group, the riding actions of the group become the communications link. Everyone must do their part for it to work effectively.
- Showing Up – Be on time arriving at the start point of the ride while allowing plenty of time for jibber jabber, coffee, and the Riders’ Briefing. Show up with tread on your tires, a full tank of fuel, tire repair kit, and ATGATT. Make sure you give the appropriate information on the sign-in sheet, and listen to the Ride Leader give the Riders’ Briefing.
- Getting Started – Follow the rider in front of you and ride in the staggered formation. Ride your own ride. In saying that, I mean you need to feel safe in riding at your own pace on your own machine. Don’t let the person in front of you or behind you influence you to do something that makes you feel beyond your capabilities. Ultimately, the slowest rider in the group actually sets the pace for the group, and not the Ride Leader. This is due to Rule #1.
- Rule #1 – ALWAYS keep the rider behind you in your mirror. If the last time you looked in a mirror that morning was when you were shaving, you are not following this rule. If you suddenly no longer see the bike behind you, slow your pace to allow them to come back into view. If you still do not see them, safely pull to the side of the road and wait. There could be an accident behind you or someone in the group could be experiencing problems with their bike. With EVERYONE following this same basic rule, your actions should communicate up through the rest of the group until everyone is stopped, including the Ride Leader. This is how the Group Riders’ actions become the Ride Leader’s communication link. I have had several incidents where I have reached an intersection or destination only to realize that half the group was missing because an accident had occurred miles back up the road, and the last rider in front of the incident just kept following the bike in front of them having no clue where the rest of the group behind them had gone. Therefore, neither I nor anyone else immediately behind me knew there were any issues with the rest of the group. Violation of Rule #1 should warrant ten lashes with a Harley drive belt.
- Distance Separation – You obviously don’t want to crowd the rider in front of you to the point that they have no room to navigate or to avoid obstructions . You also don’t want to leave a large enough gap that allows space for a soccer mom in a mini-van to enter the group. At that point, the mini-van will be setting the pace for the ride. Suggested distances vary by opinion, but I like to say two seconds of separation. At 60 MPH, that equates to 176 ft. of separation. As you can see, if there are as many as ten riders in the group, the group is already strung out over 1/3 of a mile. When approaching an intersection, the leader should have slowed the group, so close up the separation as tightly as possible. If you are stopped at a traffic light or stop sign, bunch up side by side. Go through the intersection side by side and then separate back to single file. This will increase the chances of everyone getting through the intersection and staying together.
- Learn to Wait – A typical ride will have numerous left and right hand turns that occur away from traffic light or stop sign intersections. Numerous turns also means numerous chances for part of the group to get lost from the rest of the group unless you learn to wait. That leads you to to Rule #2.
- Rule #2 – Never make a turn unless you know the bike behind you sees you making the turn. Wait until you see their turn signal indicating they have seen you and are aware of the turn. Just because you see them does not mean that they are looking at you. Turn on your turn signal indicator as soon as you see the rider in front of you turn on theirs. It seems this rule gets broken on about 1/3 of the rides resulting in a lot of wasted time running down members of the group or totally lost riders. It seems that Rule #1 and Rule #2 tend to cause the most problems for Group Riders, but it is imperative that these rules are followed, particularly for large groups.
- Rule #3 – He was there just a minute ago! During the course of the ride, it is not uncommon for riders to peel off from the group to go see Aunt Lucy, take a side tour, or to simply take a short cut back to their house. That is where Rule #3 comes into play. Let the leader of the group and those that have been riding around you all day know your intentions. That way the group doesn’t spend time searching the roadways for your remains while you are at home with your feet up watching a baseball game.
- Stay Alert – People often get the feeling of safety in numbers. Riding in a group is relaxing and can sometimes lull you into a false sense of security. You can let your mind drift and then watch your bike drift right off the road. Minor accidents like this have occurred on several of my rides resulting mainly in bruised egos and scratched metal. Fortunately, no one has yet been seriously injured. So, please stay alert.
As far as I can tell, this covers most everything I can think of that I have encountered as a group rider or as a ride leader to date. Hopefully, these tips and rules will help you plan and execute successful group rides with your friends in the near future. Group riding is one of the most fun activities you can share as a motorcyclist. You just have to apply a little common sense and a few basic rules to make it enjoyable for everyone. Whether you lead or follow, the feeling of freedom that motorcyclists enjoy cannot be duplicated. Just learn to do it safely. Remember, “it’s not what you ride, but that you ride.”
Until next time, keep it between the ditches and in your lane.
Ron Donahue