Start Engines: With your right or left arm extended, move your index finger in a circular motion.			Stop: Extend your left arm horizontal with your elbow bent 90 degrees vertically down.
	Left Turn: Raise your left arm horizontal with your elbow fully extended.			Right Turn: Raise your left arm horizontal with your elbow bent 90 degrees vertically.
	Speed Up: Raise your left arm up and down with your index finger extended upward.			Slow Down: Extend your left arm at a 45 degree angle and move your hand up and down.
	Hazard Right (a): Extend your right arm at a 45 degree angle and point towards the hazard.			Hazard Right (b): Extend your right leg at a 45 degree angle and point towards the hazard.
	Hazard Left: Extend yourleft arm at a 45 degree angle and point towards the hazard.			Tighten Up: Raise your left arm and repeatedly move up and down in a pulling motion. This indicates the leader wants the group to close ranks.
	Single File: Position your left hand over your helmet with your fingers extended upward.			Staggered Formation: Extend your left arm upward at a 45 degree angle with your index and pinkie finger extended. This indicate that it is safe to return to staggered  formation.
	Pointing To The Tank: No matter what the reason, pointing to your tank will tell everyone in your riding group that you need to stop as soon as possible.  This may be a need to refuel, make a bathroom stop, mechanical or equipment problem, your co-rider needs a break, a medical problem or any other reason at all.  Such a signal should be relayed throughout the group.  If possible, the Lead Bike may stop the entire group as soon as it is safe to do so.  Alternatively, the affected bike can pull over and have the Drag Bike stop and offer any assistance as required.			Emergency Vehicle Alert: Your left hand extended above your head, making a circular motion in the air over head.

The following guidelines for riding in a group are not gospel.  There are situations in which they don’t apply.  Some organizations may use different terms for these concepts, but these basic principals have been tested for many kilometres and have sound safety rationales to support them.

 At most responsible group rides, a rider’s meeting will be held prior to departure in order to clarify what is expected of all the riders who are to participate.  If you find yourself uncomfortable with the riding style of a group at any time or are unclear about the safety procedures, PLEASE ASK QUESTIONS!  If you are still uncomfortable with what you hear (or don’t hear) - DROP OUT.  Your safe arrival at your destination is far more important than conforming to rules you don’t like, don’t remember or don’t even exist.

People who ride in a group usually appreciate knowing what they are expected to do, and what to expect from others who are taking part in what can be a hazardous sport in close proximity to them.  Road Captains and those who frequently ride lead or sweep are particularly urged to become familiar with these terms and guidelines in order to explain them to riders who may show up for a scheduled ride without any group riding experience.

 Common Group Riding Terms:

 · Road Captain: a person who devises group riding rules or guidelines for an organized group ride and who communicates these guidelines to the group and who generally plans and lays out group rides.  The Road Captain may or may not ride lead for a particular ride.
 · Lead Bike: a person who rides in the most forward position in a group and who relays information to all other riders in the group via hand signals.  The Lead Bike determines the groups direction, speed, choice of lane and formation.  He or she often must make quick navigation decisions in the face of road hazards, changes in road conditions, poor signage, construction and other obstacles while maintaining control of his or her bike and  communicating to those following.  If there are three groups on a ride, there will be three lead bikes.
 · Sweep (or Drag) Bike: a person who rides in the last position in a group.  The Drag Bike must secure a lane for the rest of the group during lane changes into faster traffic (move first to block oncoming traffic) and close the door (move to block passing traffic) when a lane is lost in a merging lane situation.  Usually this is the most experienced rider in a group, for the Drag Bike is the rider who stops to assist a rider who has mechanical trouble, loses control, or drops out of a ride for some other reason.  The Drag Bike should be prepared to render aid to a downed or disabled rider in a group if at a possible problem arises  If there are three groups on a ride, there will be three Drag Bikes.  The rider in this position is sometimes called the tail gunner.
 · Cage: any vehicle that is not a motorcycle, but particularly an automobile.
 · Cager: Anyone driving a cage.
 · Group Parking: a formation in which all bikes in a group follow the Lead Bike in single file into a parking lot, making a U-turn such that they can all like up next to each other in the space available with the rear of their bikes against the curb or edge of the lot and front tires pointed outward.
 · Parade formation: a formation in which all the motorcycles in a group ride two abreast.
 · Staggered formation: a formation of motorcycles in a group in which the Lead Bike rides in the left track of a lane, the next bike in the right track (slot), the next bike in the left track and so on.  Bikes in a group generally maintain a minimum interval of two seconds travel time between bikes in the same track, and one second travel time between each bike in the group.  In a staggered formation, a rider sill commands and may ride in the entire width of his lane as needed.  Group riders may also ride single file or two abreast.  It is preferable for the Drag Bike to ride in the left track, so as to have to same visibility line as the Lead Bike.
 · Single file: a formation in which all the cyclists in a group rides in one track of a lane.
 · Slot: any position within a group in the right track of a lane, farthest from oncoming traffic.
 · Track: the zone of a lane in which a rider maintains his position in a group.  A lane of traffic is split into five zones: the left track is the second zone from the left, the middle of the lane (generally not used) is the third zone, and the right track is the fourth zone from the left.  Two zones on the sides of the lane serve as margins.  A rider may vary his or her path of travel from the normal track as is required by a road hazard or incursion into the groups lane by other vehicles.  When departing from a stop, the rider in the left track normally pulls out before the rider in the right track, returning to staggered formation once underway.

 Normal Riding Maneuvers

 Entering Traffic:
 When the Lead Bike for each group sees that all riders are helmeted, sitting on their bikes, motors running and ready to depart, he or she will check for traffic and enter the roadway.  Usually the Lead Bike will not attempt to exit a parking lot unless there is room for all or most of the group to follow immediately.  If the group is split, the Lead Bike will normally take the slow lane and keep the speed relatively low until the group can form up in the positions the riders will keep for the duration of the ride.  This may mean travelling slower than surrounding traffic, to encourage traffic to pass and allow the group to form up.  Occasionally this cannot be accomplished until the group has make a lane change or entered a freeway, depending on where the entrance ramp may be.
 Regardless of the Lead Bikes signals, a rider is responsible for his or her own safety.  Ride your own ride at all times.
 Once all members of the group are together, the group will take up a staggered formation and will stay in formation unless the Lead Bike signals for a change or the need for a change is obvious.  Reasons for changing out of a staggered formation could be (but not limited to) a passing situation, poor road surface (single file), an animal charging the group (split the group) or coming up to a traffic signal (two abreast while waiting for the light).

 Changing Lanes as a Group:

 When a group of motorcycles is changing lanes, many safety considerations come into play.  Should every rider move into the adjacent lane at the same time?  If not, should the Lead Bike go first, or should the Drag Bike move first to ‘secure the lane’?  What if another vehicle sees a gap in traffic and tries to cut into the group?  If part of the group gets separated from the other riders, should everyone change relative positions (tracks) so that the new Lead Bike is riding in the left track.  The recommended procedure for a group lane change maneuver  depends on how the surrounding traffic is moving at the time.  The goal for the bike which moves first is to create a gap into which the other bikes can fit.

 Regardless of what other riders in the group are doing, each rider must personally check to see that the new lane is clear of traffic before entering the new lane.
 There is virtually no time (with the exception of an emergency) when a group of riders should all move at the same time into a different lane in regular traffic conditions.  The wide gap required for a whole group to move is difficult to find in heavy traffic, and if it exists, it will be an invitation for other drivers to jump into it.  Perhaps while the group might be moving into that gap.

 Rider Spacing:

 Especially on less congested rural back roads, the riders in a group may spread out to create larger intervals between motorcycles.  This allows a rider to relax a bit, to enjoy the scenery and the ride.  If no four wheelers are trying to pass the group, this is fine.  However, the riders should remain close enough to each other to be able to see hand signals being passed back from the Lead Bike.  It is possible that a rider will also ‘space out’ in terms of losing his or her concentration and will forget to practise safe riding strategies.  If a rider is not riding safely enough to avoid endangering others in the group (because of lack of experience, medical reasons, fatigue etc)  the Lead Bike will usually discuss the problem privately with that rider at the next stop.  If a problem cannot be solved reasonably in this way, the Lead Bike has absolute discretion to request that a rider leave the group and is entitled to expect the group to support his or her decision.  In the case of a mechanical or minor medical problem, it is not unusual for another rider to accompany the distressed rider to get help.  Simply having the Lead Bike reassign the riders into new positions with in the group can bring a spaced-out rider back to a state of alert awareness.

 Rubber Band Effect:

 Reaction time for a motorcyclist when confronted with an unexpected threat is, on average, about one second.  If the need to react is anticipated (when a turn has been signalled) then riders can usually react within about half a second after the bike ahead begins to react.  When a group of riders change speeds very gradually, it usually takes two or three seconds for a rider to recognize this and begin to change his or her speed to maintain position in the group. This doesn’t sound like much time, but experienced group riders manage their risks reasonable well with a minimum one second interval between each bike and a minimum two second interval between bikes that are travelling in the same track.  When the group has more than six bikes, gradual changes in speed within the group can become tricky.

 When a Lead Bike begins to accelerate, the second bike doesn’t instantly react.  A gap grows between them while the second bike is accelerating—and it continues to grow until the second bike is up to the increased speed of the Lead Bike.  The second bike will have to momentarily increase his or her speed to bring the gap between bikes to one second.  Given the reaction time between bikes, the gap between bike two and bike three will be slightly greater and bike three will have to increase there speed more than bike two to recreate the one second gap between bikes.   In a group of six riders, the effect can be very pronounced once the sixth bike reacts.

 Now imagine if the Lead Bike must apply his or her brakes.  This rubber band effect becomes extremely hazardous if the Lead Bike happens to make an abrupt and major change of speed.  Those who ride as Lead Bike should be aware of the importance of avoiding sudden changes in speed if at all possible so as to reduce the risk to those following.  The rubber band effect can be reduced by following these guidelines:

· the Lead Bike changes speeds gradually.
· all riders watch farther ahead than the bike immediately  in front of them in order to notice and react quicker to changes in speed.
· all riders resist the urge to ‘crank it up’ in order to quickly re-establish normal spacing.
· the Lead Bike does not increase speed within 15 seconds of entering a curve which may require braking or some slowing to maneuver safely.
· all riders abandon the one second rule when riding twisty sections.

 Checking Out the Curves:
 On any stretch of curvy road and in any corner, a group may ride in single file momentarily to enable each rider to corner at his or her own speed and to have as much room as possible for any maneuvering.  This is especially important to riders with little experience in a group as they may ‘wobble’ or be nervous about making turns with another bike to their side or riding close behind them.  Usually the Lead Bike will not signal for single file at each turn but will expect the riders to choose their own path of travel.

 Exceptions to Normal Guidelines:

 The often heard rule “Ride Your Own Ride” means that any guideline for group riding can and should be ignored when it doesn’t make sense.  Determining whether this is the case and acting prudently is each riders individual responsibility at all times.  Under normal circumstances, the Lead Bike will choose the lane, determine the travelling speed, will suggest the formation which makes the most sense given the road conditions and will navigate for the group.
 Common exceptions to these guidelines occur with a rider who is not yet experienced with group riding.  If a maneuver looks too dangerous  or awkward  for the new rider to complete safely, he or she should do what needs to be done to protect themselves and avoid an accident.  Also, the Drag Bike may not travel in the same path as the rest of the group.  This will commonly occur when a two lane road narrows back to one lane, the Drag Bike will frequently ‘close the door’ by moving out of the groups staggered formation into the lane which is soon to close.  This is to prevent a vehicle from trying at the last minute to pass part of the group and then have to cut into the group when the pavement ends.  Even if the riders near the back of the group observe the Drag Bike is no longer in the position where he or she has been riding, they should maintain their own position in the group.
 Each rider commands the entire area within the lane they occupy and may move left or right as required.

 Use Common Sense

 In standard staggered formation, you should be 1 to 1.5 seconds behind the staggered bike which would put you 2 to 3 seconds behind the bike directly in front of you.  If you like to ride slow or are new to group riding, get up front.  Those who like to ride fast should ride in the back.  New riders may think they want to ride in the back, but the reality is just the opposite.  They need to be near the front.

 Spread out a little around tight corners.  Most will need a little extra space and we don’t need anyone riding off into the ditch. No wheelies, stoppies etc.  People should also not slow down, drop back from the group, then race back up to the group.  While it may be fun to goof around with your bike when you’re alone, it can create problems with the safety of the group.