Group rides and Red Light Etiquette

[Simmy74]

Hey guys, looking for your thoughts on this one, as I've had enough...

A group of coworkers I sometimes ride with has a policy of running the last bikes through even if the light is red.  In a tight group of 4-5 bikes I can almost  (but not really ) see the reasoning as clearing the lane, but 8-10 bikes leaves a lot of guys with their arse in the breeze.

I don't ride with them anymore,  and if we happen to meet on the road, I've slipped back to ride last.
Clearly,  they don't share my insight having been hit by a truck in the past. I have a map.  I'll meet you at the end, don't wait for me-

What do you guys think?  I know a lot of you group ride.
(Not trying to start a debate here, just trying to get to the best mindset. )

[MP]

Some will even block oncoming traffic.  I do NOT like that.  Always waiting for a texting driver to run them over.  When I lead a ride, I always tell them "Obey all laws.  If you get separated by a light or such, we WILL wait for you on the other side".  And, I ALWAYS do.

I think some run the light, because the leaders just keep going, and they are worried about losing the group.

[The emperor has no clothes]

A friend of mine was just hit from behind by a fellow Harley rider. My friend has been riding with a club for a couple months as a "probie". He figures it will be fun as he will be retiring in a year or so. They evidently have a policy of riding side by side and always staying together as a group. They were pulling out of a parking lot onto the highway, he was next to last in a group of 8. There was a motor home coming done the road and he stopped to let it go. The last guy was so fixated on staying with the group he ran into the back of my friend and knocked him over. I think he is rethinking whether it would be fun to be a part of that club. The people I ride with will always pull over and wait in a safe spot if somebody gets separated. Even better yet most of us have CB's and just communicate where we are. Also riding side by side may look cool in a group, but it's not for me.

[GiG]

Stopping to let an rv turn in front of you while riding in A group is a very bad idea

[Moonshot_1]

Hey guys, looking for your thoughts on this one, as I've had enough...

A group of coworkers I sometimes ride with has a policy of running the last bikes through even if the light is red.  In a tight group of 4-5 bikes I can almost  (but not really ) see the reasoning as clearing the lane, but 8-10 bikes leaves a lot of guys with their arse in the breeze.

I don't ride with them anymore,  and if we happen to meet on the road, I've slipped back to ride last.
Clearly,  they don't share my insight having been hit by a truck in the past. I have a map.  I'll meet you at the end, don't wait for me-

What do you guys think?  I know a lot of you group ride.
(Not trying to start a debate here, just trying to get to the best mindset. )

I dunno, seems pretty simple to me. Light is red - stop. If your light is red the light for the other guy is green. If I got the group running red lights, as a policy, I'm finding another group to ride with as I have an aversion to getting killed. Everyone in the group should know where they are going and how to get there. If that is not an option then the policy should be the lead group waits for the tail group to catch up or some kind of similar accommodation.  But running red lights is a real bad idea unless you have got LEO support in doing it.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Stopping to let an rv turn in front of you while riding in A group is a very bad idea

As usual I wrote incorrectly. The RV was continuing on the highway, he stopped as to not pull out in front of it.

[msb]

Never understood the concept of larger group rides especially in urban areas where there is so much focus on staying together. Not talking about parades or anything like that and I understand and respect the fact that certain organizations like to keep their riders together, but for me personally that is one reason I've never enjoyed riding in groups of more than 3 or 4 bikes (and yes, I do have more than 3 - 4 riding friends ). On longer hauls its easy to plan meeting points and catch up or wait for stragglers, but I see so many large groups around town etc doing everything they can to stay together, it's unsafe for not only them but for others as well.

[Simmy74]

These are just fellow riders, out for a cruise so it's not even that tightly organized.

I had few get on me for stopping mid group, two passed me sitting at the light-  whatever.

If I was that worried about looking good while I ride I would have bought a Grom.   I like my limbs right where they are.

Thanks for the feedback guys

[Oss]

If I am leading a group ride (next one is columbus day) I ask if the group gets separated that the last one thru the light is to pull over safely at the next turn off the present road so when the riders that
got caught catch up there is no problem finding their way

In a group situation I am usually not screaming thru the road tho so its pretty easy to find me


I like running tail anyway  on other folks group rides    

[ridingron]

The group I ride with uses a method called Drop and Sweep. The leader is always the leader. When turning at intersections, the second rider stops at intersections (safely) and signals turn left or right. When the last rider (Sweeper) gets there, the marker pulls in front of the Sweeper and they continue on the route. The Sweeper is always the last rider. Slowly the marker rider works his way back to being #2 rider and he marks a turn again. We allow passing, it gets you to the #2 position and a turn at marking a turn.    The wait marking a turn is usually no more the 5-10 minutes out in the country where everyone gets spaced out. Everyone can ride their ride and not worry about getting lost.  In towns or cities turns usually aren't marked because the group can see where to turn. If they're split up, out of sight due to red light or what ever, the turn gets marked.  It works a lot better than I've explained it.

[Jess from VA]

It depends on the light, where it is (town or country), how much traffic (some or none), is there a traffic camera, and most importantly, are there any cops watching?  

(In a group) I'll roll a right turn on a red (or stop sign) without stopping (slow down to a brief California lurch, but don't come to a stop), if there is no traffic, no camera and no cops.  I'll even run a late yellow in these conditions, but I'm not running a red across an intersection (without blue lights and a siren, which I don't have).    

(I can fake a pretty good siren with my lungs, but I can't fake flashing blue lights)

Group rides should only be in a city or big town briefly (getting out of town ASAP).  Group rides belong out in the countryside.  I pass on all group rides in town/city.

If my ride leader in the pre brief says were all running red lights, I'm waving bye bye.  Hail Mary, full of grace...... and so on.

Remember the story with the cop who was told that.... I slowed down, but didn't stop.  So the cop begins beating the guy with his baton and asks the guy if he should stop or just slow down?  There's a lesson in there somewhere.

[John Schmidt]

I don't ride in groups. If it turns out that I end up in a group of 3-5 riders and a stop light comes into play, I always stop. I don't care who is leading or who is behind me....I stop. But in general, I ride alone. Once in a great while I end up with a fellow rider whom I have ridden with before, he knows how I ride. In my 60+ yrs. of riding I've covered a rather substantial number of miles and the vast majority have been solo. I like it that way.

As a Life Member of GWRRA, I have taken a few group rides with them in the past. I hated it, haven't ridden with them in at least 10 years, maybe longer. Part of it is I simply don't like everything being so structured, but the group rides always made me nervous so I don't do it anymore. Even our Fla. group has become a bit too structured on rides for my taste. So now, just give me an address and a time....see ya there.

[Gryphon Rider]

Ignoring the rules of the road because you're in a group is just stupid.

My CMA chapter splits into sub-groups of five bikes, each with a leader who knows where we're going. We have a rendezvous point just outside the city so we can make sure we're all there, then continue as sub-groups.

[Rams]

Ignoring the rules of the road because you're in a group is just stupid.

My CMA chapter splits into sub-groups of five bikes, each with a leader who knows where we're going. We have a rendezvous point just outside the city so we can make sure we're all there, then continue as sub-groups.

Sounds like someone has their thinking cap on.    I assume your wife came up with that plan, having met her, I know she's a smart lady.     Don't understand her taste in men but, we all make decisions we have to live with.   

[Alien]

I don't ride in groups. If it turns out that I end up in a group of 3-5 riders and a stop light comes into play, I always stop. I don't care who is leading or who is behind me....I stop. But in general, I ride alone. Once in a great while I end up with a fellow rider whom I have ridden with before, he knows how I ride. In my 60+ yrs. of riding I've covered a rather substantial number of miles and the vast majority have been solo. I like it that way.

As a Life Member of GWRRA, I have taken a few group rides with them in the past. I hated it, haven't ridden with them in at least 10 years, maybe longer. Part of it is I simply don't like everything being so structured, but the group rides always made me nervous so I don't do it anymore. Even our Fla. group has become a bit too structured on rides for my taste. So now, just give me an address and a time....see ya there.

Same here.  I want to enjoy MY ride MY way and let others do the same.  We can meet up for a beer at the end of the day.

[Gryphon Rider]

I assume your wife came up with that plan, having met her, I know she's a smart lady.     Don't understand her taste in men but, we all make decisions we have to live with.   

I caught her at a weak moment.    It helped that I got her mom on my side.