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This is the first in a
series of talks regarding Group Riding. For the upcoming BMMC
breakfast meetings, you can expect to get a short message from me
or another Ride Captain.
The BMMC
Riders Guide pamphlet that was created in 2007 is a great
document and I certainly hope that you have a copy, have read it,
and have it available for reference. It covers so much ground,
however, that it can be difficult to keep it all correctly in
mind. Just as airline and corporate pilots must undergo refresher
training regularly – Recurrent Training, it’s called – to be
reminded of information they already know, so also may we benefit
from being reminded of what’s contained within the Guide. You
unlikely will be hearing much, if any, new information, but rather
a revisiting and emphasizing of what you already know.
The topic for today is Spacing.
There are two formations for riding: Single File and Staggered.
Most of the time, we utilize the staggered set-up, but single file
is usually used for freeway on and off ramps as well as for riding
through a series of tighter curves. In the staggered formation,
the goal is to maintain a two-second interval on the rider in
front of you, the one ahead in your third of the lane.
Divide the lane into thirds. The Lead rider should be in the left
third of the lane, the second rider should be in the right third,
the third in the left third, and so on, and no two-wheel
motorcycle should be in the center. Trikes and sidecars should
ride in the center, near the back of the group in front of the
Sweep rider. As a side note, realize that the center of the lane
tends to be in worse shape than the left and right thirds. Why?
Less cleaning action by tire treads and more oil and other fluid
leaks there.
The goal is to be two seconds behind the rider ahead of you in
your section of the lane. Since we cover more ground in two
seconds at faster speeds than at slower speeds, the distance
varies from city to highway: Closer in town, further apart on the
highway. Jim Whiting did some neat spreadsheet work and sent me a
thorough break-down of exact distances based on various speeds and
intervals. A neat, simple, rule-of-thumb emerges from this study:
For a two-second interval, the speed (in MPH) and the spacing (in
Yards) are identical! That is, at 30 mph, remain 30 yards behind.
At 70 mph, aim for 70 yards. Enough of us are golfers and can
visualize the difference between 100 yards and 50 yards from the
fairway to the flagstick.
Here’s a pop quiz: What is the spacing distance when the speed is
zero, when we are stopped? According to the rule, it’d be
zero…we’d all be jammed up front tire to tailpipe. But think: When
is it most likely to have a bike tip over? When stopped! What
about that gravel or leaked antifreeze that your foot hits? Down
you go! Does it make sense to be right beside another rider when
there is this risk of dropping your bike and hitting your
colleague as you fall? Of course not. So although it is very
tempting to pull up along side each other at the stop light, lift
the helmet visor and share some witty observation, it’s best to
maintain a slight stagger even when stopped.
Although this rule-of-thumb that relates spacing distance to speed
works well and is correct, the classic – probably better – method
of adjusting spacing is by counting seconds: one-one thousand, two
one thousand, three one thousand, etc. For this to work well, you
need to have a very precise point for a reference, something that
is clearly seen and can we closely correlated with the passing of
the bike ahead. An obvious change in the road surface – maybe
where some new pavement has been added over old – is the best
visual reference for timing. Where a solid yellow line starts or
stops is another good one. A distinct shadow from a telephone pole
or saguaro works well. Where the bike passes the start or the end
of a guard rail beside the road is good. The idea is to pick an
obvious point as close to the bike as possible. When we start
getting further from the bike and using a more nebulous point – a
side road, a tree, a mail box – we start to lose timing accuracy.
Realize that a full two seconds should elapse between when the
front tire of the rider ahead passes the point and when your front
tire hits the point. So it’s “One one thousand, two one thousand,
NOW!” as you get to the point.
Another crosscheck that the Sweep may do – or anyone else riding
near the back of the group – can be easily done on a wide sweeping
turn where all the bikes ahead may be seen. As the lead bike
passes the point, start counting. For every second, another bike
should pass that same reference. Since now we’re counting both
lines in the group, a bike should pass the reference every second.
If you are the seventh rider in the group, your count should be
ending at six when you reach the point. (Six, not seven, since the
first rider passed at time zero.)
Watching that even, tight formation of motorcycles sweep left and
right around the gentle curves is, for most of us, a thing of
beauty. Perhaps the best example of beautiful formation keeping
are the displays put on by our military precision flight teams,
the Thunderbirds or the Blue Angels, for example. Now, why do you
suppose these teams work so hard at formation flying. Is it just
for show? No, it is also for safety in combat. There is strength
in numbers, there is safety in having a wingman to cover your six.
Not as dramatic, but in a similar light, there is safety in group
riding when the group maintains consistent, tight, formation.
Other vehicles are much less likely to pass part-way and dive into
the group when no big gaps are apparent. The group is more visible
as a coordinated entity when the speed and spacing are consistent.
Some days, it’s not to be. Sometimes, we are all going to find
ourselves in a biorhythm funk. Our concentration just isn’t there.
Our throttle control is all messed up. Maybe it’s obvious why,
maybe it’s not, but the problem is there. What do to? Drop back.
When you see that you have dropped well back and the spacing has
gone to pot, with a much larger than desired gap ahead of you,
wave the next rider around…and the next, and the next, etc. You
will gravitate to the back of the group, still ahead of the
patient Sweep rider and still a part of the group. But now the
pressure is off. You get to ride at the pace that is right for you
right now. Later in the day, probably the biorhythms will improve
and you’ll be back up in the pack.
Now listen up, this is important: Each group rider has both
the authority and the duty to pass the rider who is allowing a big
gap to develop, even when you are not signaled around! When a
group gets all strung out, the fault is not with the rider
immediately behind the gap alone. No, all of the riders – except
the Sweep – behind that person are also at fault for not passing
and reforming the proper spacing ahead of the lagging rider.
Harsh? No! It’s for the safety of the group.
Finally, let’s suppose that it’s really not your day and you
realize that you probably should be riding alone on this ride, not
sharing in the group. Now what? Well, as you wave people by and
gravitate to the rear, and now only the Sweep remains behind, go
ahead and wave that person by but give the Thumbs-Up, “I’m OK,”
signal so that they know you are making a personal decision to
drop out on this leg. Yes, it would be even better to have done
this at a previous gas/bio break where you can talk face-to-face,
but if you missed that opportunity, an acceptable alternative is
to do it as I’ve described. |