1. Please make sure you start with a full tank of gas. Many of our rides begin at gas stations, so it’s a good idea to fill up when you arrive.
2. We always ride in staggered formation and never side by side. This provides additional room should one of us need to make an emergency maneuver. Side by side is okay when we come to a stop, but remember that the bike on the left always leaves first.
3. 1 second - 2 second rule. When in staggered formation, stay two seconds behind the bike directly in front of you (same side of the lane) and one second behind the bike in front of and across from you. If the weather conditions are poor – fog, rain, etc. increase the distance between each bike accordingly.
4. If a rider drops out, don’t cross over to the other side of the lane to reset the stagger. Stay in your lane and move up to fill the opening if the rider who left was in front of you, or motion to the rider behind the opening to move up when its’ safe to do so.
5. We use fairly standard hand signals for left and right turns, slowing down and stopping. We have others that you may not be familiar with, such as ‘debris in the road’, ‘single/double file’, and obstruction on the side of the road. We’ll go over all of these during the Safety Briefing.
6. Pass them Back! Remember that once you get a few bikes back from the Road Captain you can’t see him, and he can’t see you. Make sure you pass all the hand signals back.
7. If you are new to group riding, or a new rider overall, the best place for you is right behind the Road Captain. The further back you are, the more "slinky effect" you will encounter as we change speeds.
8. Trikes are always positioned all the way in back, but in front of the Tailgunner. This is due to the difficulty of seeing around a trike.
9. Remember, at 35 MPH you're traveling 50 feet per second - 3 car lengths.
10. Don’t get complacent. It’s sometimes easy to trust in the group and do a little sightseeing, knowing that the Road Captain will lead you to your destination. This is a serious danger! Riding in a group requires even MORE alertness than riding alone (if that’s possible). YOU are not only still responsible for your own safety; you have obligations to those riding around you. Keeping this in mind, and knowing that the folks riding around you are doing the same, is one of the most important elements of the excellent safety record we have here at NEFSCRC.
11. Don't blindly follow lane changes, etc. without looking for yourself. If the group is going through a traffic light and it changes to yellow just in front of you, make the conservative choice. Keeping the group together is a distant second to keeping everyone safe.
12. If the group gets separated directly in front of you, and you aren't comfortable leading, call for single file and move to the right side of the lane. A Safety Officer will ride up the left side of the lane and take the lead.
13. If you do keep the lead, DO NOT race recklessly to catch up with the rest of the group. The Road Captain ahead will slow the group down slightly, so maintaining a safe, legal speed will close the gap soon enough. In the event of large gaps, the Road Captain will pull over and wait for the rest of us.
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