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Tips for leading a group ride

wipfel

wipfel

Road Bike
I've been asked to plan and lead a group ride for a church event.  Can all you group riding pro's give me some tips or advice?  I've been reading the MSF docs and other advice, but I'm still curious as to what you guys have to say.

I have no idea who will be in the group and probably won't until the pre-ride meeting.  I'm especially curious as to how you judge riding experience.  I've been in classes with folks who have been riding for years and aren't very good at all, so it seems hard to establish a criteria.
 
a copy of our safety brief.
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.



Finally, remember the importance of keeping your bike in top-notch condition. Properly inflated tires with good tread are one obvious maintenance issue, but don’t forget to check your entire bike. Your owner’s manual includes a section on the things you should check before every ride – if you haven’t read it recently, it’s a good idea to refresh your memory.

 
The MSF Group Ride Quick Tip sheet in the library at www.msf-usa.org is a great starting point.  COG members can access the member library that has a "Ride How to" document. It is due fro another update very soon, but the info is still valid.

Rider arrival
State a meeting time and a side stand up time. By side stand up times riders should be geared up and ready, with full tanks, full stomachs, and empty bladder. 

Provide routes info
Each rider should get a copy of the route, possibly with maps, and the name and location of the destination and any stop points in between.

Forming groups
You can attempt to form groups at the rider meeting based on ability, but I've found that most riders do not accurately rate their ability. The best is to keep to small groups.

Small Groups
No more than 5-6 riders per group.  This is a good rule of thumb for any group, but even more so for inexperienced ride leaders. 

Use limited set of hand signals and make sure everyone knows them

Leaving the group
Make sure the group knows you are leaving - do not just disappear as this may cause a group stop to look for you. If someone leaves the group I've never experienced a problem re-forming the stagger when someone leaves.

Getting Separated
From the MSF tips on group riding... If you’re separated from the group, don’t panic. Your group should have a pre-planned procedure in place to regroup. Don’t break the law or ride beyond your skills to catch up.  IMHO this implies their position is that keeping a group together is not imperative.  Getting separated is just something we need to deal with when riding with others.  How it is dealt with will have a lot to do with how enjoyable the ride is.  Having a pre-planned procedure is the key, and making sure all riders understand the plan at the rider briefing BEFORE the ride is crucial.  Other things we do: 1) Riders should have a copy of the route, or know where the destination or interim meet point is; 2) It is assumed to stay on the current road/route # until seeing the group turn; 3) Each rider is responsible to make sure the rider behind them knows where the next turn is.
 
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