1. THE TWELVE COMMANDMENTS
GROUP RIDING
THE TWELVE COMMANDMENTS

2. Have you, your bike, and your gear ready
Full Gas Tank, Full Belly, Empty Bladder
Helmet Face Shield / Visor and Bike Windshield Clean
T-CLOCK 2

3. T – Tires and Wheels – condition, air pressure, spokes, rims
C – Controls – levers, cables, hoses, throttle
L – Lights – battery, lenses, wiring, headlamp, signals
O – Oil and Gasoline levels
C – Chassis – frame, suspension, chain or belt check, fasteners
K – Kickstand/Center Stand condition 3

4. Arrive at the Departure Point Early, not Late4

5. Say Hello!
Try to park close to the group, say hello to your fellow riders, and talk about our favorite subject, our bikes!
Let the Ride Captain(s) know you’re there, and if you’re new to us, how long you’ve been riding.
Sign a Rider Release form (if you haven't already) 5

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7. Ready to GO! The pre-ride orientation: Helmet, cell phone and GPS off
Ride Captain(s), Sweep(s) and new attendees are introduced.
Route & maps, stops, meals, destination, and return time are discussed.
If you need to leave the group earlier, let Ride Captain and Sweep know 7

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11. Group Consideration Be dressed & ready when the ride captain fires up.
Captain will verify that everyone is ready & running, left arm up and thumbs up is the signal.
Sweep will give the final go ahead.
This procedure is used at all stops.
If we need to break up in to 2 or more groups, there will be a 3-5 minute gap between groups. 11

12. Group Consideration As a Safety Guideline -
We recommend that you wear a DOT/Snell/ECE approved Helmet & other protective gear.
We also recommend that our riders on group rides not indulge in alcohol on the ride, wait to get a cold one when the ride is over. 12

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15. Group Consideration
Captain will pull out when traffic allows the entire group to enter traffic. If this isn’t possible, the Captain will slowly accelerate, so everyone can catch up
Keep up with the group - if the group turns off and you did not see them turn, you could get lost. That is not fair for the group, and no fun for you! 15

16. Group Consideration
If a group happens to get separated by a red light, the Captain will slow down or pull over as they are able to let you catch up.
If you are stuck at a red light - don’t panic! Keep going straight! If there is a turn we will pull over and regroup. 16

17. Group Consideration
Have your headlights on High Beam during the day, and/or your accessory lights on at all times.
Always use your turn signals with plenty of notice to your fellow riders.
Flash your brake lights to let the riders behind you know there is danger ahead.
Pass back hand/foot signals when possible to let your fellow riders know of road or animal hazards 17

18. Group Consideration
Pay attention not only to the bikes and riders ahead of you, also pay attention to the ones BEHIND you.
For example, the person in front of the Sweep pays attention to the Sweep! 18

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24. Staggered Formation
Ride in staggered style - First bike in the left 3rd of the lane, the next bike in the right 3rd of the lane, etc.
2-3 second gap between staggered bikes in town, 3-5 second gap at highway speeds.
NEVER habitually ride directly behind any other riders taillight.
Break staggered formation when the roads become narrow, twisty, or weather conditions are poor. 24

25. Safe Following Gap
2-3 seconds gap in town / 3-5 at highway speeds means:
A minimum of 2 seconds following distance in the city and a maximum 3 seconds
A minimum of 3 seconds at highway speeds and a maximum of 5 seconds.
If a large vehicle such as an RV or Bus can get in between you and the bike in front of you there is too big of a gap. Tighten up! 25

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27. Safe Following Gap
A large vehicle in between your riding group can cause problems and slowdowns for the entire group, particularly if there is an exit or turn coming up.
While it is not always possible, due to lane closings, etc., attempt to do your best to keep ranks closed, so that groups don’t become fragmented into 2 or 3 sub-groups. 27

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31. Where Should I be in a Group?
Less experienced, slower riders and slower bikes should be directly behind the Captain in the usual staggered formation.
Faster riders near the rear, but in front of the Sweep. 31

32. SPEED The Captain is responsible for setting the pace.
Our Club practice is to keep our speeds at no more than 5 mph over the speed limit.
A group of bikes pulled over getting speeding tickets or a group accident will definitely take the joy out of the ride.
If you or a few of you just can’t abide by the speed limit, form your own group, and we’ll pick up the pieces of you on the way :) 32

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34. Speedometer Error
In many countries the legislated error in speedometer readings is ultimately governed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Regulation 39, which states: The indicated speed must never be less than the actual speed, i.e. it should not be possible to inadvertently speed because of an incorrect speedometer reading. 34

35. Speedometer Error
Speedometers are often inaccurate by one to Five miles an hour for a number of reasons ranging from tire size and wear to irregular calibration at the factory, to aftermarket modifications.
Speedometer Error of up to 10% is not unheard of. 35

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37. Speedometer Error
In other words, your speedometer may be telling a “fib” in order to prevent you from speeding.
Many of our Ride Captains make use of GPS for setting the pace. GPS units will report driving speeds with errors down to about 0.1 to 0.5 MPH. A GPS using Ride Captain may appear to be riding faster than the posted limit according our our speedo. 37

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39. Sweep - the “Mother Hen”
This job is to ensure everyone else in the group ride arrives at the destination safely.
Having at least a basic amount of Accident Scene Management and/or mechanical experience and tools is a plus, so field repairs may be made if necessary. 39

40. Sweep Help the Captain maintain the group
Move into the left/passing lane to let all the group members pass a slower vehicle.
When the Captain sees this, they can initiate the pass ONLY when there is enough room for the entire group to pass.
Captain should allow enough space after passing for the entire group to enter back into the right lane 40

41. Sweep
Stop to help members of your group who pull off to the side of the road, or have any other type of accident.
Go back and find members of your group who have become lost/miss a turn. This is why you know the route, have a map and your ride captain’s phone number :) 41

42. Ride your OWN RIDE
Do not get sucked in by other riders riding ahead of you, as you know your capabilities and do not know theirs!
Do not assign responsibility to your ride captain or others in the group for your carelessness and naive indifference to your own riding safety. 42

43. MOST OF ALL, ENJOY!!! 43