Group Ride Etiquette

Every group tends to have their own style of riding and communication, so if you are joining a group you have never ridden with, it’s best to find the ride captain or leader, if you will, introduce yourself and ask enough questions to get the feel for what the ride might be like, and what their rules and expectations are.

When I lead a ride, there are things I expect from the pack, and things I give as the leader.

Respect for the plan:
What I expect – not to be asked to go out of my way to accommodate a single rider.

What I give – a well thought out ride plan that suits the skill levels of all riders attending. 
If I plan a ride, that’s the ride I am going to lead. I generally try to put a ride together that is a decent length, has at least one stop for rest, fuel, food, etc., and is an enjoyable experience. I may offer a few options during the pre-ride meeting to give everyone a couple options and feel out the timing they prefer, but my job as the leader/planner, is to have a plan. If the route doesn’t suit you, don’t ask me to go out of my way to accommodate you. Instead, I suggest you skip the ride and plan your own next time.

Be punctual: 
What I expect  – be on time, with a full tank of gas, and pay attention during the pre-ride meeting.

What I give – thorough rundown of what to expect on the ride.
On time is late. This is a big one for me, personally. Again, most of the time, I have a plan for how long the ride is going to take, so leaving on time ensures that we all get a fun ride in, and get home at a reasonable time. If everyone has made the effort to meet up at the scheduled time, and one or two people straggle in late, it isn’t fair to everyone else who managed to be punctual. I generally will post a meetup time and a kickstands up time. They will be about 30 minutes apart. The reason for the two times is not to give everyone a 30-minute window. The first time is the pre-ride meeting, where we go over the route, meet any riders who are new to the group, exchange emergency contact info,  go over speeds and hand signals,  etc. The second time is the time we are scheduled to leave for the ride.
Yes, we ride for fun, but in order to ensure that everyone understands all our procedures and hand signals,  we have to take care of business in order to have fun and be safe.
If you do find yourself running late to a ride, message someone to let them know you are coming. I will give someone 15 minutes,  which is more than reasonable.  After that, or if you do not message someone, we leave as scheduled. Do not arrive needing to stop for gas. That must  be taken care of on your way to the meetup.

Rider positions:
What I expect  – riders in wing and sweep positions who know their roles, and execute them.

What I give – at least two other riders besides myself to keep the pack together and provide safe buffers while the pack is on the road.
Road captain is the lead bike. The road captain is responsible for planning and executing the route, leading the group, making decisions that keep the pack safely together, or keep the pack safe if it has to split at any point. Uses turn signals and hand signals to communicate intentions.  Sets the pace for the pack. Takes all rider skill levels into consideration and adjusts the ride accordingly.
Wing – second bike in the pack.  The wing provides a second set of eyes for the road captain,  assists in keeping the pack together,  communicates with the road captain as needed to evaluate situations and decide strategy.
Sweep – final bike in the pack. The sweep works with the road captain on lane changes  – road captain indicates the lane change with a turn signal.  The sweep initiates the actual lane change, securing the lane so the pack can safely move to the new lane without interference from other traffic. The sweep will also stop to help any rider in the pack who has an issue.
Remaining pack – riders should maintain a staggered or single file formation,  depending on road situations.  There should never be a gap large enough to allow a car to enter the pack, even on a two lane road.

See below for how to handle riders who leave too large of a gap.

General etiquette:
If you start with a ride but need or want to peel off early, let one of the ride leaders know either verbally or via text/voicemail.  This will alert them that you have left the ride, but you are safe and they do not need to wait or look for you.

Ride staggered formation or single file, depending on road conditions. 

Avoid crossing the rear tire of the person in front of you. This may happen as pack speed changes for turns, but it is best to avoid crossing tires at all times.
If you DO intend to pass a bike, or come alongside for some reason, pass only in a straightaway, safely and quickly.  Do not dawdle in the rider’s blind spot. If coming alongside another rider, pull slightly in front of them and then roll back to match speed. This way, the rider absolutely knows you are there and that you intended to be in that position.

Don’t wander all over your lane. Unless there is a road condition that requires you change lane positions,  stay in the left or right third of your lane, whichever would be indicated by your position in the staggered formation.

Never, ever, ever become a threat to your own pack. This runs the gamut from blatant actions like drinking or getting high and riding, to riding an unsafe machine, riding in an unsafe manner, or riding beyond your skill level.

Riding is a serious activity.  We have fun doing it, but things can go bad very quickly. There are enough threats outside the pack that we must be ready to react to, but we should never feel as if someone in the pack has put us in danger. If you cannot ride safely and remain in complete control of yourself and your bike, and you choose to ride in a pack, you are putting yourself and the entire group in danger.

Do not leave a gap between yourself and the bike in front of you that is large enough for a car to enter. This puts the entire pack under stress.  The road captain is watching to see the gap close,  wondering if the rider is having a problem,  and trying to adjust speed to accommodate that rider.
The sweep often loses sight of the lead bike, and becomes preoccupied with trying to push the bikes to close the gap,  or is distracted by not being able to stay with the pack. Other savvy riders will also feel the strain and be preoccupied by the fact that the pack is separating.
In this situation,  the wing should drop back to see what the issue is, and encourage the rider to close the gap. If there is no wing,  riders behind the one leaving the gap should safely pass to close the gap. Once the sweep is the only bike behind this rider, they should assess the situation. If the rider simply will not keep pace,  they must be left behind for the safety of the rest of the riders. This situation should be covered very thoroughly in the pre-ride meeting so that no one is surprised.

Essentially,  group ride etiquette comes down to consideration and cooperation.  Not every rider has the skill or desire to ride in a group, and each group tends to have its own dynamic. You may not fit well with one set of riders,  yet you may gel nicely with a different group of riders. Regardless,  you have to give to get, understand your role, and the other roles, and be willing to adjust your style of riding slightly.

If at any point, the group you are with displays unsafe or discourteous behavior – rides too fast, speeds through curves or small towns, rides side by side, for example – leave the ride.  Stop and message someone so they know you peeled off, as a courtesy to them, even though they may not display much courtesy themselves,  but leave the ride before their unsafe riding makes you a statistic.