Group Riding Is Risky Business! (Part 2)

Cagers are a looming threat to riders.  I don’t think they are a threat on purpose—at least not most of them.  The threat mainly stems from cagers talking on the phone, texting, reading and/or just not paying attention to their surroundings.  In Part 1 of Risky Business we covered a few of the most prominent cager antics that can ruin our day.  In Part 2 we will discuss the threat we can create by our own actions as riders.

Nothing good happens after a rider says, “Hey, watch this!”  More often than not the rider who initiates a self-destructive act is a new rider who has not yet come face to face with death because of a bone-head maneuver.  We’ve all been there and done that and, if you are reading this, you probably survived the episode and learned the valuable lesson of, “Don’t ever do that again.”

A group ride includes riders from every walk of life.  Some are experienced riders and some are not.  Some ride touring bikes while others ride a crotch rocket.  Some riders know the rider next to them and have ridden together a number of times while others you met just a couple of minutes before you started the ride.  Nothing wrong with any of these variables—until you add personality and attitude that is not conducive to the intent of the Hoka Hey Memorial Ride.

Every personality, every attitude must bow to the group dynamic.  If you like riding 10 MPH over the speed limit, but the group is sticking to the speed limit then you must set your preference aside and stick to the speed limit.  If you and your friends like riding side by side, but the group leader wants staggered riding then you must set your preference aside and ride staggered.

The list of things to NOT do while riding in a group is lengthy and any infraction can and most probably will result in an accident or incident—at the very least it may cause some bad feelings and/or an exchange of harsh words.  There is no reason to pass the rider ahead of you; it’s a group and everyone will get to the destination at the same time regardless of where you are in the group.  Do not pass a rider on the right, do not weave in and out of riders to get toward the front of the group.  When you come to a curve expect the rider in front of you to veer into your side of the lane; depending on the direction of the curve.  Expect it and act accordingly—meaning, give them room.  Don’t get angry at them because chances are you are doing the same thing.

Be diligently mindful of your surroundings.  If you focus on the couple of bikes in your immediate area you will miss a problem with a bike four or five lengths forward of you that WILL affect every rider behind them.  Follow the two second rule based on the rider directly in front of you.  Always have yourself in a position that offers an escape route.

We have all been in organized group rides where a Road Captain will stop in the middle of an intersection and stop cross traffic to allow riders to roll through the red light—this is known as “breaking the law” and might well result in multiple traffic citations.  The only person who has the authority to stop traffic is a police officer—a police office on duty and in uniform.  Do not stop cross traffic to allow fellow riders to roll through an intersection.  This adds great risk to all riders.  The cager who does not see the rider just before hitting them will also no see the rider in the intersection directing traffic.

I could spout off hundreds of examples of what not to do in a group ride, but won’t.  Suffice it to say all need to focus just a bit more and subdue a tendency to initiate an action that might add risk.  The worst thing that could happen would be a preventable accident that tainted the Memorial Ride.

If you see an obstacle on the road ensure you signal the rider behind you; a quick signal will give notice that something is amiss and needs immediate attention.

Weather plays a major role in any ride.  A nice warm summer day makes for a better ride than a summer day plagued with thunderstorms.  Same road, same riders, same bikes… but the addition of rain, high heat and/or high winds will change the dynamic in a drastic way.  A rider with a decent set of tires may be good on dry pavement, but once the pavement gets wet the decent tire now becomes one that might be lacking.  Tires are often the most ignored part of the bike, but in fact is the only thing between you and the harsh reality of road rash.

Be sure you hydrate as you ride and during stops.  Take care of your bike, take care of your body and, most importantly, take care of the riding attitude.

Ride safe, be vigilant, stay focused and ride not only for your own safety, but for the safety of every rider in the group.

Hoka Hey!

Group Riding Is Risky Business! (Part 1)

The 2015 Hoka hey Motorcycle Challenge Memorial Ride is fast approaching.  We will ride as a group from Lebanon, KS to Hot Springs, SD on July 31^st.  The quantity of riders has yet to be determined but the number is growing.  There are very few things that are more impressive than a long string of riders on the highway—and few things more risky.

Take a group of riders who have never ridden together before, add into the mix a wide range of riding styles and skill levels and you come up with a recipe for trouble.  All it takes is one rider to make a mistake or lose focus for an instant and the outcome can be disastrous.  That alone should give us reason to be concerned, but let’s add another variable—the cager.

Cagers do not ride, they do not understand the dynamic of riding nor do they care.  Below are a list of things that WILL happen during the Memorial Ride.

1 – A cager will drive up behind us and feel a need to pass the group—perfectly legal.  But a cager will not be able to pass the entire group in a single try which means they WILL cut into the group a number times depending on the number of bikes.  So, knowing they will pass and knowing they cannot pass the entire group we must be vigilant.  If you see a car passing on your left then assume they will cut into the right lane at some point and chances are they will opt to reside for a time in the patch of road you currently occupy.  Give them room, slowly back off on your speed and give them the room they need—not just space between you and the car, but enough room so the car can back off the hindquarters of the rider in front of them.  Take your eyes off of them for one second and they will put you in the ditch – or worse.

 

2 – A car following too close, in my mind, is attempted murder.  Were we to live in a state of anarchy we could remove this threat with just a few rounds of ammunition, but we do not live in a state of anarchy.  If there is a car tailgating then tap the brake just enough to engage the brake lights, but not enough to reduce your speed.  A conscientious cager will take the hint and back off a bit, but if they are too stupid to take the hint then move to the left or right of the lane to provide an escape route if needed.  Likewise, do not tailgate a cager—they will see that as an opportunity to slam on their brakes and watch you fly over and past their windshield; then calmly stand by and watch you die.

3 – Most head on collisions between a rider and a cager happens when the cager turns left in front of an oncoming rider.  Be very vigilant when riding through a town or when coming up on a county road intersection and there is head-on traffic.  They will see you, but your presence will not register in their little pea brain.  The last words you will hear while gasping for your last breath will be, “but officer, I didn’t see them!”  Something to be said for a state of anarchy.

Part two of “Risky Business” will discuss what we as riders can do to reduce the risk we pose to each other in a group ride.