1. Arrive Ready to Ride
I’m not talking about preparing yourself mentally for the
ride but about having all the required gear. Turning up at the meet point
without any safety gear and barely any petrol in the tank will make you look
like a complete moron. Also make sure to do a maintenance check on your bike
before the trip especially if you are setting off on a long ride.
2. Ride with those you know
Riding with the people you know is always safer because you
can trust them to not screw up as you know their riding habits, maturity and
skill level. Every group has its own dynamic and riding in a group with people
you don’t know is always going to cause some problems. It might be because they
ride faster/slower than you, or maybe they take too many breaks and general
stuff like this which can become really irritating after a while.
3. Hold a meeting before riding
It is essential to hold a pre-ride meeting to discuss things
like riding formations, group leaders, the routes, break points and hand
signals to indicate if anything is wrong. If the group is very large its a good
idea to break up into smaller subgroups with individual leaders. The leaders
should always be experienced riders as they have to set the pace for the rest
of the group.
4. Ride in Formation
Group rides must always be done in formation. The structure
and maintaining proper order and space is vital to prevent accidents. Too much
space will split up the group and too little space is dangerous if you have to
brake suddenly. The group should ride in a stagger formation, where every rider
occupies alternating positions with regular spacing in between them
5. No showing-off
You might have a brilliant bike that you love popping
wheelies on, but it’s a very bad idea to showboat while riding in groups. Doing
so will just endanger yourself and everyone around you. Stay in formation at
all times, follow the group’s pace and save the stunting for when you’re alone.
6. Take regular breaks
Riding alone takes energy and concentration but riding in
groups is a whole other level. That’s why it is very important to keep taking
regular breaks even if some riders want to keep going. This will give everyone
some much needed rest and you also get to interact with other riders which is
kind of the whole point of group riding.
7. Know how to Regroup
There will be several moments when the group has to split up
because of traffic or because someone’s facing bike problems. In such
situations, it is important to have pre-decided points to regroup. A good rule
is too convene at the next point in case the group splits up or if someone is
lost. For this reason it is also a good idea for everyone to be equipped with
communication devices.
