Algona H.O.G. Group Riding Techniques

The following is the official group riding procedures for the Algona H.O.G. Chapter. All official rides will follow these procedures.

The Road Captain will be in charge of all official group riding. He or she will make decisions concerning direction, route, rest stops, speed and riding positions.

If the Road Captain does not participate in the ride, a H.O.G. officer will act as Road Captain for the ride.

The Road Captain will plan the route of travel and the stops along the way. Everyone should be aware of the route and stops before departure. If the elected Safety Officer is not present the Road Captain will appoint a rider for this position. The Safety Officer will ride at the rear of the group in the right 1/3 of the lane. The Road captain at the rear of the pack is the tail gunner. The tail gunner shall ride at the rear of the group in the left 1/3 of the lane. All Road Captains will ride in the left 1/3 of the lane

HAND SIGNALS: There are two kinds of hand signals.One is to communicate the Road Captains intentions to the group. The other is to communicate an individuals intentions to other riders and drivers on the road. The use of hand signals are not mandatory; If they are to be used the Road Captain will make it known at the pre-ride briefing. If the Road Captain uses hand signals they should be passed back so that all riders know the Road Captains intentions or for hazards in the roadway.

BASIC HAND SIGNALING: 

Left turn and passing - left hand pointing straight to left.

Right turn - left arm bent at elbow left hand straight up.

Stop or slow down - left hand down palm to rear.

Hazard to left - left arm pointing down at 45 degree, index finger pointing down. Or or left foot pointing out towards ground. 

Hazard off road to right - left arm up bent at elbow over head index finger pointing to right. (No Image Available)

Police or emergency vehicle - left hand patting head. (No Image Available)

Staggered formation - left hand up with two fingers in a V pattern.

Single file - left hand up with index finger up.

Come around or Pass - Left hand waving for vehicle to pass.

Other Hand Signals

RIDING AT YOUR OWN SPEED: If you would rather ride with a small, faster group,you and your riding buddies may choose to head out first and meet the group at rest stops or at the destination. The same safety factors should apply regardless of any other factors.

STAGGERD FORMATION: The Road Captain will ride in the left 1/3 of the lane. The second bike will ride in the right 1/3 of the lane and so on. All bikes should have a minimum of two seconds following distance behind the bike in front of them. The bike on the right should be 1 second behind the bike on left and two seconds behind the bike in front of them. It is very important for all riders to maintain this spacing. Changes in the following distance causes the group to stretch and retract like a rubber band. This forces the bikes in the rear of the pack to, ride faster, then slower, to stay up with the group. This spacing gives each bike one second in front and one second behind and the space next to him/her to swerve into if needed to avoid a hazard.


SINGLE FILE: Single file riding is for two lane roads with lots of curves and hills. and for roads with lots of hazards [ such as pot holes or debris on the road ]. In a single file formation you should have a minimum of two seconds following distance.

BRAKING: If you must use heavy braking, remember there is another rider two seconds behind you who may not be able to stop. If you need to dodge an obstacle or brake hard, try to divert your bike out of the line of bikes so you don't get rear-ended by the bike behind you.

SPEED: As much as possible the speed of a group should be maintained plus or minus one mile per hour. Once the desired speed has been achieved it makes it easier for riders to stay properly positioned in the pack. The maximum speed is the posted speed limit. Most cars that travel in the far left lane drive faster than the posted speed limit, therefore, the group should not ride in the left lane unless it can be done without getting in the way of traffic.

FREEWAY PASSING: When the Road Captain signals that he is going to pass, the Tail Gunner may pull out to signal all bikes to move to the passing lane. This should only be done if the group will not interfere with other traffic in the passing lane. It is sometimes safer to break the group in half and wait for another passing opportunity. Passing should be done in the staggered formation. Before starting to pass each rider should do a mirror check and then a head check of your blind spot. Never return to the original lane until you can see the car you have just passed in your mirror.

TWO LANE PASSING: When the Road Captain makes the decision to pass, only that number of bikes that can safely make the pass should follow him into the left lane. When those bikes have passed and returned to their original lane, a few more bikes can pass. Don't think that because you are a group that you have some right away over other traffic, you don't. If part of the group gets separated from the rest of the group, don't panic.Catch up when you can do so safely.

TURN SIGNALS: Turn signals should always be used when turning or changing lanes. If you use your left arm to signal as well as your left turn signal, you will be much more likely to be seen. As well as right.

HEAD LIGHTS: Head lights should be on high beams until one half hour before sunset, then use high and low as necessary.

NEW RIDERS: If you are a new rider or have not ridden with a group, let the Road Captain know so you can be placed with riders that can help you learn the rules of group riding.

BLIND SPOTS: The blind spot is a NO zone. Don't ride in the NO zone. This is where the rider of another bike( or car ) cannot see you in their mirror. This NO zone also apply's to cars and especially large trucks. The NO zone is any place you can't see the driver of the other vehicle in his/her mirror. It is best not to ride along side or directly behind large trucks.

LEAVING THE PACK: If a rider drops out, an open place will be left in the group. Each rider should check their mirror, do a quick head check of their blind spot and then cross over to the other side of the lane and fill the opening. If a rider has a mechanical problem, The Safety Officer and his helper should stop with the disabled rider. The rest of the group should keep going until it is safe to pull off the road.No bike should be parked closer then 8 feet to the white line. After the problem has been ascertained, one of the riders will ride forward to the group with information on the problem and the Road Captain will decide what action the group should take. If you have plans on leaving the group in the middle of a ride or on the way back let the Road Captain and the Safety Officer know of your intended departure. So as not to stop the group unintentionally.

COURTESY: It is our goal to ride safe and have fun. During freeway riding give way to cars that need to merge to be able to exit the freeway. Or if they miss judge the time it takes to pass, and need to merge into the group to avoid an accident on a two lane road. It's better to be separated and safe, then catch up when it's safe.

PASSENGERS: Many in our group are passengers and need to know hand signals also. Please take time to learn them. You are able to see a lot more of what's going on ahead as you're not driving and you can scan a lot more and farther ahead than the driver. Also please keep hand and arm movements to a minimum. Arms waving around could be seen as a hazard or problem ahead and could confuse the other riders. Remember you're not just a passenger you're one of our group.