Passing when group riding - important especially for newbies

[Maha]

Keep group rides to no more than 4-5 and there is never a problem.

[cowboyz]

So just to throw another wrench into this thread..... and it has nothing to do with the original post.. I got a question.

Scenario, you are on a busy multi lane divided highway on a group ride. Say you want to move from the slow to the middle lane or the middle to the fast lane, but as a group leader you see it will be difficult to get the whole group in because of heavy traffic, so if you split the group it will be difficult to get back together. As the leader, you can't trust the folks in the middle know 100% where they are going. How would your group proceed to make this maneuver in safety? Just curious to hear some answers.

WOW! just wow!


Firstly , regrouping.. Thats what coffee shops were designed for.
Secondly... you head off with half the group not knowing where they are going??? Is this the difference between group riding and pack riding?

We ride in group rides all the time.. I dont think the group has ever actually all pulled up at a stop together.. Its ok really.. I dont need a babysitter when I riding.

[Metastable]

I meant the middle rider might now be a temporary leader. But on a divided highway you can't wait for people at a turn off like you can on a country road. A group can stay together easily and safely on a highway. Now yes, in the twisties if speeds are different, wait at the next junction etc.... that's easy. There are times on a ride that the group should stay together in case there is a problem (bike not working right, low on gas, need to pee) with another rider, on a highway it is too difficult to double back and figure out where someone pulled off or pulled over.

Edit -> Wow!! Yes I specifically gave you guys a scenario.... multilane divided highway, not twisty country road..... twisties... very easy to just meet up at the next junction.... tell me how you do that on a highway? Do you guys just wait on the side of the highway waiting to get run over? Now maybe part of the problem with this question is that there aren't a ton of busy highways in your area. Here on a group ride we often have to GET TO the twisties.... we are less fortunate that having twisties in all directions like you guys do. Therefore, we might need to take a variety of roads, busy roads to get to the fun twisties with fewer cars. It is hard for a group to know 15-20 turn offs before you get to the twisties including getting on and off various highways. Waiting for people at the side of busy highways is asking for disaster.

But the way to do it is this: You and your sweep and preferably the whole group should understand the signal to have the sweep block when safe and allow for the rest of the guys to move into the faster moving lane. Safe and you keep the group together.

Otherwise if we didn't do this on a road like in the link below, it would be a PIA to get everyone together. Why I put this question up is because you can't just ride with a solo attitude. Sorry... again, maybe we were thinking different things again, but I was pretty specific on that last question.

The 401, my back yard... busiest road in the world. But pretty empty on that picture.
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=4...02642&t=k&z=19

[Usarka]

If you're crew don't know which "motorway" exit to take then you've already failed as the leader.

And have a tail end charlie.

[bogan]

I meant the middle rider might now be a temporary leader. But on a divided highway you can't wait for people at a turn off like you can on a country road. A group can stay together easily and safely on a highway. Now yes, in the twisties if speeds are different, wait at the next junction etc.... that's easy. There are times on a ride that the group should stay together in case there is a problem (bike not working right, low on gas, need to pee) with another rider, on a highway it is too difficult to double back and figure out where someone pulled off or pulled over.

Well if you stay in visual range they can see the exit you take, and if someone breaks down the tail end charlie can help them out, or if its the last rider breaking down and nobody notices quickly, tough shit, no different that a breakdown on a solo ride

[Ixion]

I fail to see how this is confusing?

.

Well, it confused me

I see the point on long straight roads, with all bikes being similar.

But add corners and some bikes a lot slower than others ??

[sinfull]

I meant the middle rider might now be a temporary leader. But on a divided highway you can't wait for people at a turn off like you can on a country road. A group can stay together easily and safely on a highway. Now yes, in the twisties if speeds are different, wait at the next junction etc.... that's easy. There are times on a ride that the group should stay together in case there is a problem (bike not working right, low on gas, need to pee) with another rider, on a highway it is too difficult to double back and figure out where someone pulled off or pulled over.

]

One has to wonder if your leading a group of zombies who have no idea of when to piss, when to gas up or where they're going !

[Maha]

WOW! just wow!


Firstly , regrouping.. Thats what coffee shops were designed for.
Secondly... you head off with half the group not knowing where they are going??? Is this the difference between group riding and pack riding?

We ride in group rides all the time.. I dont think the group has ever actually all pulled up at a stop together.. Its ok really.. I dont need a babysitter when I riding.

Bet ya cant find ya way out of Masterton?

[cowboyz]

ahem.. well.. its complicated!

[bogan]

One has to wonder if your leading a group of zombies who have no idea of when to piss, when to gas up or where they're going !

well it does say he's in Canada

[dipshit]

I meant the middle rider might now be a temporary leader.

"Leader"..???

For fuck's sake.

Remind me to never go on one of your gay rides.

[R-Soul]

Here you are thinking like a cager. On a bike, you can ride all day on the centreline and it affects no one. Sure, the fuzz will take a dim view, but at any time during a passing manoevre you may revert to the centreline in complete safety. In fact, I rarely use the opposing lane except where I am forced to. I have many many more options on the centreline, and I feel far more comfortable there.

You don't need to throw great gobs of throttle at passing for it to be safe - that rule only applies to cars and you are not a car - the rules are different.

WHAT!!?? I am biting my tongue at this statement of yours. How many times have you seen a car come around the corner on or very close to the centre line? Or followed one that is moving a bit faster and tends to move towards the middle line (taking teh "racing line")?
This is quite typical of new car drivers too -ones who have little sense of teh begginning and end of their vehicles.

But you are recommending to newbies that its perfectly safe and can ride on it all day? Despite the relatively frequent occurrence of cars on the centre line, and despite the fact that the speed differential between car and bike- about 200km/hr if not more -in that situation equates to instant death, no questions asked?

it doesn't matter how experienced you are, when you are stuck on the centre line, with a car next t you on your left, and a car heading towards you on (or very close to) the centre line - you have left yourself NO options. NADA. You have put yourself in a sitiuation where you are relying solely on the awareness and generosity of the car on your left in pulling over for you (yeah right), or the awareness and reflexes of what may TYPICALLY be a 15 year old learner driver in the car heading towards you at 100km/hr to spot you, and correct their line.

Did you really think this one through?

Onto metastables original question: Forgetting about the car to be passed- When all bikes are going same speed, and one in the line speeds up for a short time (eg to pass a car) then it will get closer to the bike in front. Yes, there must be a gap to speed up into in the first place. But if every rider, from teh first to teh last, keeps speed up a bit after passing, to allow for a gap to move into, then each pass is facilitated and made easier without worrying about the rider in front. After each rider has passed and left a bit of a gap, they slow to normal speed. This means that when the next rider speeds up, they dont get as close to the rider in front.

I see nothing unsafe about it. Thats not to say the following riders should RELYon it. they still should make their own decisions. It would just help the group as a whole if each rider understood how it would help and acted on this.

[MSTRS:Me]

Did you really think this one through?

The question is...does he ever?

[kiwifruit]

[CookMySock]

How many times have you seen a car come around the corner on or very close to the centre line? Or followed one that is moving a bit faster and tends to move towards the middle line (taking teh "racing line")?

LOL, you can quite safely pass cars in the opposing lane "all day" too, but you might move back into your own lane if someone came the other day.

You can probably ride at 110km/hr "all day" too, but you might want to slow down for roundabouts.

You can hum along in town at 55km/hr "all day" as well, but you better stop for red lights and stop signs.

Of course I thought it through, you dolt. It's you who isn't thinking.

Steve