Ride Out Procedures

SINGLE FILE PROCEDURE

 

 

Riding in single file is necessary depending on the roads we ride

• Winding roads

• Narrow roads

• High wind conditions on the highway

 

When single file is necessary, the Lead RC will use the appropriate hand signal.  You do not need to ride directly behind the rider in front of you. Allow two seconds between you and the bike in front of you, which allows you the whole width of your lane for manoeuvring. Allow yourself room to safely manoeuvre and react to the road conditions, and the bike in front of you.

 

Second Man Drop

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This technique is a tried and tested way of getting a large or small group of bikes to a destination without anyone getting lost. This technique is used to mark the route at junctions and roundabouts to inform those who are following the direction the LRC has planned. The technique only works if riders obey the rules of the system so do not panic and move off before being instructed to do so by the Sweeper.  Once the Lead Road Captain (LRC) is satisfied that the group are ready he will lead off with the group behind him forming up into the staggered formation. The rider immediately behind the LRC is known as the 2nd Man. The LRC usually takes up position in the centre of the carriageway or just to the left of the central road markings. The 2nd Man takes a position to the left of the Lead Rider. The rest of the group position themselves in staggered formation from the 2nd Man.  The LRC, on the approach to a junction or roundabout, will clearly indicate to the 2nd Man where he would like that rider to stop and take up a position to mark a deviation of route. The LRC will usually signal this manoeuvre using his left arm and point towards a curb where he expects a 2nd man to drop off. It is your decision to stop at a safe position on the road. If in your opinion you feel vulnerable then select a position where you feel safe however make sure you are still able to give directions to the rest of the group. Whilst in the drop off position stay on your bike with the engine running and look out for the Sweeper who will give you a signal to move off.  During a ride-out the 2nd Man can expect to be dropped off at one of the following places:

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Left Turn Junction

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The simplest drop-off is the left turn junction. The LRC, when he wants the ride-out to take a left turn, will, as he approaches a left junction, point towards the curb using his left arm. The 2nd Man will indicate left and pull over, placing himself in the required position that is clearly visible to the ride-out members and other traffic. It is useful to keep your left hand indicator flashing as well as pointing to the left with an extended arm to confirm that the ride has turned left. This is the important bit. The 2nd Man will keep this position until he sees the Sweeper who will give them a signal to move off in front of him. On occasions the group being will be strung out due to traffic lights, busy town centres etc. It may be that the 2nd Man will wait for 5 or 10 minutes before seeing another rider come past. Do not panic, wait for the Sweeper, Do not leave your position!

 

Right Turn Junction

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As the LRC approaches a right turn junction, he will indicate a turn right and then, using his left hand, will point once again to the curb. The 2nd Man will pull over to the curb if safe to do so, and then point to the right so that the ride-out can clearly see that the ride-out has taken the right turn at the junction.

Alternately, if the right turn junction is open and has no visible obstructions, then the 2nd Man will take the right turn and then immediately pull over allowing the rest of the ride-out to see that he has taken the right turn junction. Wait for the LRC to signal your drop off point.

 

Traffic Lights

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Traffic lights are treated in the same way as regular road junctions. Should the route for the ride-out be straight through at traffic lights, cross-roads, etc., then there is no requirement for a 2nd Man to drop off; however it is good practice, and reassurance for the ride-out to have a man drop off if practicable.  Roundabouts The LRC, as he takes an exit off a roundabout, will once again point to a curb. The 2nd Man will pull over where it is safe to do so and in sight of the oncoming ride-out and traffic to indicate which exit was taken off the roundabout by the ride-out. The rule is that on entering especially large roundabouts with numerous exits, (some of which are out of your sight), keep going round until you see the 2nd Man.

 

Ghost Islands

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At traffic lights, roundabouts and some large road junctions, ghost islands are used to control traffic. It is rare but on occasions, where safe to do so, a Lead Rider may utilize the ghost island as an early indication marker for the ride-out as they approach the junction/roundabout.  Note that the ghost island can only be used provided there are broken white lines surrounding the ghost island. Be aware that ghost islands may have loose debris accumulated on them and can be slippery hence the use of ghost islands is not encouraged.

 

Forks in the Road

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The rule of thumb on ride-outs is if you are at a junction such as a crossroads, and the ride-out is travelling straight through the junction, then there is no requirement for a drop-off. It is good practice to give assurance to the ride-out to drop off someone; however, sometimes this is not practicable. Should you arrive at a road junction crossroads with no 2ndMan drop-off, continue through the junction on the same road that you approached on.  Confusion can arise where there is a fork in the road however. LRC will indicate a 2nd Man drop off to indicate which forked road is the desired route for the ride-out.

 

Multiple Drop-offs

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Where there is a complex road configuration or busy road traffic, the LRC may choose to drop off more than one person. An example may be a large roundabout where the LRC will indicate a 2nd Man drop off on the approach to a roundabout (perhaps utilizing a ghost island) and then another drop-off at the roundabout exit road.

 

It's Your Choice

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Remember, your safety is your responsibility. The LRC will always consider road safety and drop off options, however road conditions are continually changing and a planned drop-off might not be as originally thought. Always make sure that you stop in a safe position and are well visible to all traffic and the ride-out. If necessary, park up the Harley and stand on a pavement and point to oncoming ride-out to show direction of drop-off route.

 

Patience

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In heavy traffic or built-up areas, the ride-out may become heavily fragmented and split up. Be patient and wait for the Sweeper before leaving your designated drop-off point. If you leave too early the ride-out will get split up and the latter part of the ride-out will miss the turn and get lost. If the ride-out does get split up, stay at your drop-off point. The LRC will eventually stop and wait for the ride-out to regroup.  If the ride-out has split, the LRC will organize a Road Captain/Marshal or experienced rider from the group to back-track along the route and pick up the stragglers en route. It is not a rare event to lose part of a ride-out, and 99% of the time, the ride-out is lost simply because ride-out members do not follow these simple rules of dropping off when requested and waiting for the Sweeper.

 

Re-joining the Ride-out

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As the Sweeper approaches the drop-off point, they will slow down to allow the 2nd Man to re-join the group in front of the Sweeper. The rider will then stay at the end of the ride-out taking his place in the staggered formation at the tail end until he is superseded by the next drop-off rider who re-joins the group at the next junction.  If, however, traffic conditions do not allow this, then you must re-join the carriageway when safe to do so and re-join the ride-out. The Sweeper will slow down to allow you to catch up. Once safe to do so, overtake the Sweeper and re-join the Ride-out.  Eventually, if the ride-out duration is long enough and there are ample junctions then the tail end riders will make their way back to the front of the ride-out to become the 2nd Man once again.

 

Crossing Over-The Unnecessary Hazard.

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Probably one of the most hazardous manoeuvres carried out en masse by the ride-out group is the Cross-over. This occurs when the 2nd Man is dropped off and the 3rd Man then becomes promoted into the 2nd Man position behind the LRC. The new 2nd Man crosses the lane from behind (or to the right) of the LRC, to the left of the LRC. The new 3rd Man then has to manoeuvre from the left side of the ride-out to the right and so on all the way through the ride-out until the Sweeper is reached. This is not recommended and the alternative is preferred.

 

The Alternative.

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When the 2nd Man is dropped off the 3rd man will move to the left to take up the new 2nd man position. You, as the new 3rd man, WILL HOLD YOUR POSITION. If you end up immediately behind the 2nd man in the staggered formation do not move just give more time between you and the 2nd man, that is to say a 4 second gap. This method will mean that the remainder of the group will not have to cross over every time a junction is cleared and hence halting one of the most hazardous manoeuvres on the ride-out. This is the preferred method to be used.

 

The Buddy System

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This is the second system used for group riding. The 2nd Man Drop and the Buddy System are two completely different disciplines of Group Riding and should not be used together on any ride-out. The 'Buddy System' is a discipline used in group riding when there are only a small number of riders. There are no designated Lead riders, Sweepers or Breakdown. This system is likely to be used when riding with a small group of friends, on a ride that is not pre-planned. In this system you are allowed to overtake each other when safe to do so and take it in turns to lead the ride. All riders keep their friends in view using their mirrors. Riders will self-deploy at junctions or mark any deviation other than a 'straight on' if the following rider is not in view in his mirror. If this system is used in conjunction with the 2nd Man Drop system then the ride will slow up and become lengthened to an unacceptable distance. One would reduce the ride to a slow crawl and frustrate the members who prefer the more progressive ride-out.

 

Overtaking

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The general rule is that no rider will overtake another rider on a ride-out. If a rider overtakes the Lead Road Captain then you are deemed to no longer be part of the ride. Overtaking on a single carriageway will be instigated by the LRC first. This may be due to a stationary hazard or slow moving traffic. Each following bike will overtake only when safe to do so. If it is safe for more than one bike to overtake at a time they may do so in single file only and not staggered formation. Once you have overtaken the vehicle maintain your speed so that you leave sufficient room for the following bike to come in behind you. Do not slow down hence 'closing the door' and 'leaving him to hang out' in a dangerous position.  When overtaking on a motorway or dual carriageway the same rules apply however be mindful of fast moving traffic in the outside lanes. When the LRC overtakes a slower vehicle maintain your position in the nearside lane until the vehicle you are planning to overtake is within safe overtaking distance. Do not all follow the LRC and block the outside lane causing a hazard and un-necessary congestion. If a bike in front of you is not progressing i.e. leaving an unacceptable gap, failing to overtake slow moving traffic when it is obvious it is safe to do so, or in your opinion riding in a way as to cause a danger to following bikes then overtake when it is safe to do so after alerting the rider of your intention to overtake him. Remember you may have to justify your action to the Road Captain or Safety Officer. If you exercise your right to overtake another rider for any of the above reasons you must inform the LRC or Safety Officer as soon as practicable during or after the ride-out so the incident can be noted.

 

Progressive Riding

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Progressive riding does not mean exceeding the speed limits or riding dangerously. The LRC will always progress the ride within the national speed limit for that road. They will also take into account the prevailing conditions, such as the weather. If adjustment to speed is required then they will implement the change. With that in mind, it is each individual's duty to maintain a speed, which always allows progress to be made. For example, if the road is clear, the weather is fine and the speed limit is 50 mph then the expectation is each rider should maintain a speed on or near the permissible limit. Progress should be made. It is not acceptable to be riding at 30mph in this given situation. The same as riding at 30-40mph on a group ride-out on a motorway. This is totally unacceptable and dangerous. It is worth noting that riding too slow can be as dangerous as riding too fast. The frustration it causes is immense and often results in the following traffic using dangerous manoeuvres to get ahead. To this end, listed below are the national speed limits (other than in a built up area) for bikes.

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Single carriageways              60mph

Dual Carriageways                70mph

Motorways                             70 mph

 

Motorways

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There are occasions when the ride will use motorways, mainly to get to a destination in less time than using the more scenic A and B classified roads. There are potential dangers present when group riding on motorways. Apart from traffic travelling faster and more lanes to negotiate there are two main hazards to prepare yourself for. These are entering and leaving motorway slip roads. The slip roads are designed to allow vehicles to increase their speed before entering or decrease their speed when exiting the motorway. It is not advisable to stay in tight formation whilst carrying out these manoeuvres especially when in a large group. You must be aware that other traffic will want to enter your lane so be flexible and leave room to facilitate vehicles using the slip roads. Once clear and a steady speed is maintained you will be able to be part of the staggered formation again. If a motorway is to be used on a ride you will be told what junctions you will be joining and leaving by the LRC at the Pre-Ride briefing. Captains and Marshals cannot stop and mark the exit slip road as they will be in contravention of the Traffic Regulations. Stay alert when approaching exit slip roads. The LRC will signal in plenty of time to inform the ride that they will be leaving the motorway.