In the Pack

Six things that keep a group safe once it's rolling.

1. Keep your gap, not your neighbor's

Two seconds to the rider in your track. If someone tailgates you, let them past at the next stop rather than speeding up. Closing gaps to look tidy is how the whole group ends up braking at once.

2. Never run an intersection to stay together

Groups get split by lights all the time. That's normal and fine. The lead pulls over past the junction, or the group regroups at the next stop. A rider who runs a red to keep up is worth less to us than a two minute wait.

3. Pass one at a time

Overtaking as a pack pressures the driver and hides bikes in blind spots. Make the pass on your own when you personally have the room, and slot back into the formation afterwards.

4. Ride your own ride

The pace is not a test. If a corner is faster than you like it, go slower and catch up at the next stop.

5. Mind the accordion

The back of a group always moves more than the front. A lead going from 30 to 50 can have the tail doing 65 to close the gap. Leads: build speed gradually and check your mirrors for the whole group. Back half: let the gap stretch and close it slowly. A gap is not a problem.

6. Let cars in

A driver who needs to merge into the group gets space, not a wall of bikes. Don't accelerate to close them out, don't box them in, don't swarm past to punish them. Make room, let them through, and reform when there's room. We share the road with them either way.

In the video, MCrider looks at the following-distance mistake most groups make, and why watching only the bike in front of you can turn one small mistake into a chain reaction. Look past the bike ahead, as far up the road as you can see.

This course is for education. It doesn't replace a state-approved rider course or motorcycle licensing.