Top tips for riding in a group
Riding in a group is very different to riding either on your own or with just a mate, particularly when you are in a different country, on unfamiliar roads and this is compounded even further the bigger the group gets. When planning that adventure to the alps it may not seem much to add a few extra people in and suddenly your group isn’t 4 bikes its 8 however the difference once you’re out on the open road can be quite profound as the group gets spread out because of traffic and different rider capabilities and bikes.
We’ve got some basic tips we use on our travels than may seem obvious but can make such a difference so here goes;
You’re only responsible for the bike in front and the bike behind
When in a big group you can’t be expected to keep track of all the bikes so agree with the other riders you’ll keep the bike in front and the bike behind in sight
Don’t rider faster then you’re comfortable riding
Many riders get into trouble because they are riding faster than they would normally just to try and keep up, ride at your own pace if others want to race off, let them.
Make sure everyone has the address of where you’re heading to
May sound obvious but you’d be surprised how many people rely on the bike with the sat nav. If you have the address and get split up at least you can work out how to get there
If you want to race off or get split up all agree to ride straight until you need to turn off at which point you’ll wait
Really important this one as it lets the fast riders have some fun but means that you don’t have to worry about trying to keep up
Ride staggered
When in a group that’s close together always give your crew the best chance of seeing you by riding staggered and in their mirrors, also you don’t need to be right on their back wheel so give yourself some thinking time by giving them space
Make sure you have everyone’s numbers
Again sounds stupid right, what about the person who’s a friend of a friend, it only takes one to get split up and it impacts the whole group, what if the person you know has forgot to charge their phone. Having everyone’s contact details just reduces the risk of wasting time trying to track people down
Give a mate a spare key to your bike
Ever lost or forgotten where your key is, well the stress you’ll find yourself under in a foreign country with all you’re mates waiting for you will be massive. Make sure before you go you get a spare key for your bike and give it to a mate so that if you loose yours or there’s any issues you have a back up. This can also apply to copies of insurance etc. we’ve been on a tour before when a tank bag has come open and paperwork etc has been seen flying down the road, luckily we were able to find everything.
Got some useful tips of your own, write to us and let us know and we’ll add them to this page and give you a shout out….