Group Riding

[zoom45]

Yesterday we went on our first group ride (18 bikes). We did it to raise money for our family support office. We had a police escort through town then rode in a staggered formation to a place about 75 miles from the starting point. It was going great until we got to a section of the road that had a lot of curves. At this point we were riding single file. The guy leading was just going too fast for some of the riders (most had never been on a group ride). The ones doubled up on the bigger bikes hung back and would catch up later. A guy in the middle of the pack was riding a Suzuki 650 sport bike ran off the road into a ditch. He may have broken his collar bone so we put him on a big bike to get him to a doctor and we left his bike at a house nearby. How do you do an organized ride to ensure everyone stays together and the least experienced riders are not pushed to keep up? This trip kind of makes me want to ride alone or with 2 or 3 other riders.

Zoom45

[Yellow Jacket]

A good starting point is in the "Safety/Riding Techniques" section.
Look for these two theads:

Formation Riding
Group Riding

[chainsaw]

In larger groups, I'd split up the group no more then 10 bikes in each group with a good distance between them. And in the riders meeting before you go, stress for everyone to ride their own ride.
If I were not experienced enough group riding I'd ask to be either at the front or towards the rear.
Ride your own ride. You can always catch up with the group. The leader should understand that not everyone is as experienced as he or she is and should take that into consideration when leading a group. This my two cents worth.

[nighthawk700]

When my club rides, we try to break up into smaller groups, ideally not more than 5 or 6 in a group. Usually the "sportier" folks go in one group and us more "sedate" riders go in another group. We try to brief some group riding techniques before the ride, especially if we have newer folks. But the one thing we absolutely stress is RIDE YOUR OWN RIDE. If the guy ahead of you is going faster then he will wait for you at the next turn. Also everyone gets a route sheet so if you do get separated, you'll know where to go. But at no time should you feel pressured to ride higher than your skill level.

When I work with the Ride for Kids, it is a much larger group, but we are kept at "Parade speed" (police escort, and they close down intersections when the ride goes through). Even then, there were some people who went off the road. People really need to assess their riding skill and see if they are ready to ride with a group before doing something like that.

[waterman]

What we do is have the lead and rear drivers be experienced. Would prefer if they have some type of communication so they can talk. Generally put some of the less experienced riders behind the lead driver so he can keep an eye on them. Works well but some of the more experienced riders that want to move don't like it. Generally tell them go ahead and wait for us at the assigned stops.

[rickyboy]

I found those threads on "formation riding" & "group riding " very informative. I have been thinking about that more since I did my first BIG group ride this summer. 20 or so bikes. And with the National coming next spring/summer I want to be knowlagable about proper edicate when in groups. I imagine you'll catch on after a little while.

[caddman11]

Ride below the speed limit. I've ridden with 60+ bikes on trips, and they always good 5 to 10 under the speed limit except on straights.