08-15-2016, 01:29 AM
Our esteemed moderators can feel free to move this to its own topic, but I'm not sure that a discussion about group riding is that far off-topic for this thread, so I will post here.
I had never heard the expression "pack riding" in this context before Rotor's comments. If he is using the following definitions, as procured from a motorcycle safety website (link below), then at least I understand some of his concerns.
Pack: a number of motorcyclists who ride together, generally without maintaining fixed positions or distances between bikes. Packs are occasionally seen with 20-50 motorcyclists in a single formation.
Group: a small number of motorcyclists who ride together maintaining a generally fixed distance between bikes and maintaining fixed positions within the formation (usually no more than six per group).
Here's what MSF has to say about group riding.
https://www.msf-usa.org/downloads/Group_Ride.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erpkyD7SMfw
Here's what an insurance company has to say about group riding.
https://www.esurance.com/info/motorcycle...cle-riding
Here's the safety website from which I got the above definitions.
http://www.msgroup.org/GroupRidingGuide.aspx
There are other sites and sources of information, but none of them said that group riding was inherently more dangerous than solo riding and some indicate that group riding is actually safer. It occurred to me as I read over some of the tips and rules for a safe group ride that they mostly are designed to prevent a "group" from becoming a "pack".
Incidentally, many of the characteristics that would define a "pack" are already illegal in most, if not all, states in the US -- side by side riding, passing within the same lane as another rider, and following to closely to name just a few.
I have ridden with groups that wander and groups that plan and had fun and safe rides with both. I have ridden in a "group" that devolved into a "pack" and I will not ride with those folks again...it was neither safe nor fun.
And to tie this all back to Rotor's original question, I echo TheFerret's comment that Rotor should probably ride solo. A ride leader has a responsibility to know where his riders are at any given point and some of the greatest places to ride are also the least conducive to electronic communication. I don't love the idea of hanging out in a hotel lobby wondering if one of my riders decided to turn around and go home or if he's laying in a ditch someplace. If I was Rotor's friend, I would indeed be relieved to know that I don't have that responsibility any more.
I had never heard the expression "pack riding" in this context before Rotor's comments. If he is using the following definitions, as procured from a motorcycle safety website (link below), then at least I understand some of his concerns.
Pack: a number of motorcyclists who ride together, generally without maintaining fixed positions or distances between bikes. Packs are occasionally seen with 20-50 motorcyclists in a single formation.
Group: a small number of motorcyclists who ride together maintaining a generally fixed distance between bikes and maintaining fixed positions within the formation (usually no more than six per group).
Here's what MSF has to say about group riding.
https://www.msf-usa.org/downloads/Group_Ride.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erpkyD7SMfw
Here's what an insurance company has to say about group riding.
https://www.esurance.com/info/motorcycle...cle-riding
Here's the safety website from which I got the above definitions.
http://www.msgroup.org/GroupRidingGuide.aspx
There are other sites and sources of information, but none of them said that group riding was inherently more dangerous than solo riding and some indicate that group riding is actually safer. It occurred to me as I read over some of the tips and rules for a safe group ride that they mostly are designed to prevent a "group" from becoming a "pack".
Incidentally, many of the characteristics that would define a "pack" are already illegal in most, if not all, states in the US -- side by side riding, passing within the same lane as another rider, and following to closely to name just a few.
I have ridden with groups that wander and groups that plan and had fun and safe rides with both. I have ridden in a "group" that devolved into a "pack" and I will not ride with those folks again...it was neither safe nor fun.
And to tie this all back to Rotor's original question, I echo TheFerret's comment that Rotor should probably ride solo. A ride leader has a responsibility to know where his riders are at any given point and some of the greatest places to ride are also the least conducive to electronic communication. I don't love the idea of hanging out in a hotel lobby wondering if one of my riders decided to turn around and go home or if he's laying in a ditch someplace. If I was Rotor's friend, I would indeed be relieved to know that I don't have that responsibility any more.