Bike riding sounds so cool, right?
Just a thought of it brings joy to all the adventure nerds.
And being on a long journey and having a road trip is so exciting.
We get along with friends and encounter so many new experiences in our lives.
But when we talk about being on roads.
As a responsible citizen, we’re also accountable for following a certain set of rules which have been laid down for safety.
So here I’ll be stating -
‘11’ rules for group motorcycle riding.
1- Space to cover and side-by-side riding -
Sometimes there is a tendency for riders to cover a major passage of the road.
Which leads up to traffic or not letting other commuters have their way. Ending up blocking the path.
One should never ride a motorcycle or for that matter any vehicle side by side.
This increases the possibility of unwanted situations like accidents.
So at every possible point, one should avoid this.
2- Riding with members of different skillset -
Many times organizers accumulate and get riders on board who’re on various levels of riding.
This can create a psychological disparity among the group.
And a possibility of mimicking each other in the context of style.
Sometimes it even happens that few riders fall behind. And the rest party gets ahead on the road.
To avoid all this, follow the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) guidelines.
3- Preparations before the ride -
So the riders need to meet a few necessities before commencing on the journey.
They must fuel up their tank with gas or petrol to the limit.
They should even have a mobile phone or any ride designated devices for communication.
And also a safety toolkit that is a first aid box. It can be carried by at least one of the members of the group. So in case, some mishaps happen. You can look after the situation then at least.
4- The hand gestures -
So many groups have their hand gestures or hand signals for quick communications.
These gestures are signals that help the riders to lead in a particular way or to communicate rapidly about anything.
You can have hand signals for many different reasons, you may have it for fuelling tanks, road blockages, slowing down, driving fast, etc.
5- A meet before the ride -
It is just so important that all the riders in the group should get to gel with each other.
So that there is no communication gap in between.
You can have agendas for discussions. As to deciding the strategy, route, length of the journey, halting places, fuel tank stoppage, hand gestures, etc.
And other factors can also be brought to everyone’s notice.
And also if you’re planning to host a bike club or just want to gather the knowledge you can have look at my another article on how to create an online bike group
6- Selecting the group leader -
Select your riding journey’s group leader.
You can hand over this responsibility to a person with the most experience of riding.
A leader is placed at the end part of the riding journey taking care of everything from behind.
And the person with the least experience is positioned in the second phase. So that they are backed by the leader from behind and the most experienced one who’s leading up in the front.
And if any of the group members/riders have comparatively less amount of experience in a long journey. So you can assist them and keep constant monitoring for them.
7- The number of riders in our group -
According to some renowned bike riding forums. The group’s size should not exceed more than seven riders.
And if it’s so in your case, you can further divide these groups into subgroups.
And they also gonna have their Thisrespective lead and the sweep.
Having a small group helps you to manage them and monitor them accordingly.
And it also creates the least Hassle for the leaders and the organizers.
8- Ride formation and scheduling -
Most people tend to have their ride very tight. You should be thoughtful in scheduling with needful breaks in between.
There is a thing called stagger formation in bike riding. Where the leader rides on the very left side of the road. And then the following riders position themselves on the right-hand side.
With at least a few motorcycle riders’ distance from the leader.
Following this pattern, we’ll make a staggered formation appropriately.
And also if the road gets curvy with lots of steep turns you can have a formation where the riders are positioned just one after the other at a needful distance in between.
9- Staying alert on the roads -
All the members must do checks upon their fellow riders and leaders at regular intervals.
You can grab a sight of the riders who are behind you, from your rear mirrors.
And also keep looking at your leader for any hand gestures/signals.
10- Separation Planning -
Sometimes few members are left behind in the journey.
So you need to have a prior plan for such circumstances.
In such cases where the person who is left behind should not rush to catch up with the party. This can cause harm.
Have a designated plan so that the ones who get into this situation can follow.
And also the rest of the riders can slow down so that he can catch up.
11- Taking a lot of breaks -
It is so significant in a long journey that you take plenty of breaks in between. So that no one feels fatigued.
And this can cause mishaps.
So take needful breaks in between for food and other situations.
These are some of the rules that you should follow in group bike riding.
As this would help you to prevail in health and safety.
So let me know your thoughts and your bike riding plans, below.
