I was riding home from work awhile back when I saw a couple bikes about a half mile ahead of me. Looked to be two Harleys sandwiched between a couple cars, and the lead car was tooling along at about 50 mph. The speed limit on this rural road is 70 mph and as I caught up to the procession I could tell the bikers were getting a bit impatient with the lead car.
Unfortunately, there was not going to be a place to pass for another couple miles due to hills and curves. The two riders were weaving back and forth in the lane, looking like they were just itching to blast past. Finally the one on the right side of the lane shot to the left, went over the double yellow, and passed. His buddy followed and finished the pass just before the crest of a hill. Luckily nothing was coming, so the two fools made it.
After that hill was topped, the tail car and I both swung out to pass. The car pulled back into the right lane ahead of the slower car, moved to the shoulder, and motioned for me to go around. Guess he thought I was with the other two bikes.
I passed and rolled up to the speed limit, catching the other bikes. I didn't join their formation, not knowing them, or being invited. What I saw for the rest of the ten mile trip into town amazed me. These two clowns either had no idea I was behind them, or were just plain lousy riders. The constantly sped up and slowed down, varying between 50 and 70. One would pull up alongside and lean over to talk. Then he'd drop back, move to the right side of the lane, suddenly accelerate, and pass his partner on the right. Then he would swing to the left side of the lane, cutting his buddy off, and slow down.
Basically these two fools weaved, bobbed, and otherwise wobbled into town. When we hit town I hoped they'd keep on the highway, but they headed into the downtown section, where I was traveling. (Darn the luck!) They had to stop at the first of two downtown traffic lights, and the weaving continued, as the Evo rider slowed, dropped behind, swung to the right of the lane, and nearly dropped it coming to a stop.
At least one of the passengers finally looked around and saw me coming to a stop behind them. She said something to her driver and he jerked around and nodded to me. I nodded back, waited for them to take off from the light, and followed at what I hoped was a safe distance. As I guessed, they turned at the second light, probably to stop at the local hangout for RUBs, YUPs, and tourists.
I hope they made it home. I hope even more that the next time they go for a ride their bikes won't start.

 

Pococj,

I've ridden with a local club here, and they have a very odd (to me) way of wanting non patchers to ride in the middle of the pack. This is alarming to me, everything I've ever read said to put the junior riders at the front, then the back, then the middle.

I refused to ride in the middle of the pack the first time out with those guys. You never know what you are getting into, and you don't want to be in the middle with no where to go, with a bunch of unfamiliar riders around you. Not good. The president rode in the front, (no problem with me), and I rode in the back.

As it turned out, about the third or fourth row back ran into the guy in front of him as they were pulling out onto the road.

I'm glad I elected to hang in the rear. Now that I'm a little more comfortable, I will ride in the middle of the pack (if invited of course), but still believe that your less experienced/new to the group riders should not be put in the middle.

Thoughts?

Mac

 

I'm the road captain for my CMA group. We have many new and relatively inexperienced riders, as well as outriders, joining our group rides. I was taught to put the "newbies" at the front of the group, also. And newbies means more than a new rider; it also means riders who have little experience with group riding.

I want an experienced rider as my tailgunner, or sweep rider. I let everyone else pick their spot, with a couple exceptions. (There always seems to be a "squirrel" tagging along somehow.) I try to give out specific "rules of the road" before we leave. I make sure everyone knows that one of those rules is if you ride (what I consider to be) unsafely, you're off the ride.

Here's a link that covers some good points for group rides:

http://www.magpie.com/nycmoto/packrules.html

I've taken stuff from this place, as well as some others, mixed 'em with my own experiences, and developed a simplified set of standards. Too many rules gets people thinking about the rules, rather than thinking about riding safely.

 

Pococj,

Good site, and it mirrors what I have read in the past. It also refreshed me on some of the things I had since forgotten. I don't know that I have ever seen a pack ride in a staggered formation (anywhere), and the group I was riding with was side by side. It was a challenging ride. I am not new to bikes, nor am I the most experienced rider either. I've been riding for about 10 years, and I can comfortably say that I have about 60K+ miles behinds (all smiles minus a two incidents, one of which involved a little road rash). That being said, I only have about 30 miles in a pack larger than 4 bikes...so I considered myself inexperienced.

I was on a buddies bike, making me all that much more tentative (he was with me on his second bike), and I just felt more comfortable away from the pack, where I felt I could bail.

I look forward to the opportunity to ride as an "outrider"? (I think that is what you called it) with them again, though I know they will want me in the middle of the pack. I will see how I feel at the time, and do it if I'm comfortable, ride separate if not.

Thanks for the site,

Mac

P.S. Having said all that, I had a total blast while hanging with them, and found the entire experience to be an incredible one.