About Group Riding

Team sport

Group riding is not for everyone. I, from time to time, like to ride alone; my pace, my rules my stops. Riding in groups, on the other hand, provide a sense of camaraderie and achievement when the destination is reached without significant negative events. Like any team there’s rules and best practices to ride in a group properly, safely and have a bit of fun. As Captain Slow™ for the Enfield Riders Club of Auckland, it is my job to plot out a scenic ride, lead the group while riding and making decisions for safety and keeping the group together. Here are the key rules for riding in a group and why:

Staggered riding; to keep a group tight and prevent split ups, ride staggered with 1 second distance with the next rider, and 2 seconds with the rider on your side. This provides enough distance for emergencies while keeping the group together. Form a single file going through a twisty but back to staggered on the straights.
Most experienced and fastest riders in the back. Slowest, less experienced, newest directly behind the leader. Again: to keep the group whole, the leader needs clues to determine the pace and can only look back a few riders. Oh, and leave the ego (pride, honour) out of this: safety first. We’ve all been there, so speak up and let the leader know. No judgement here.
Watch your tail, slow down if necessary. All group riders are also responsible for keeping an eye on their tail rider except Trailing Tom™ of course. Slow down when your tail buddy falls behind. This will create a ripple effect for the group and the group stays together.
One lane, one group. On highways, follow the leader and occupy one lane. I will ride slower than the maximum speed allowed, to ensure that the 350s are able to keep up. Combined with staggering and watching tails the group remains together.
Overtaking: no. Unless the leader deems it absolutely necessary and safe. Do not overtake the leader or the 2-3 riders directly behind that. There’s a reason for those positions. See previous rules.

Despite all rules and best practices, groups will get separated. on such rare occasions the first group must stop at the first major intersection and wait for the others to catch up. Alternatively, the main group can leave a rider at intersections to signal the incoming groups and riders. Oh, and Trailing Tom™ should have the leader’s phone number to exchange information.

Ultimately, we want to arrive together at our destination or stops safely and without incidents. And have fun while doing it.

Example briefing

I fed my rules to an LLM as one does, to come up with a tidy and short briefing for a ride captain.

Alright team, gear up and gather round. We’ve got a fantastic scenic route ahead of us today, but as your ride captain—and someone who values both a good line and getting everyone home in one piece—we’re going to run through a quick safety briefing to keep this tight, professional, and incident-free.

1. Experience & Pace Setting

Experience Check: Before we wheels-up, I want a quick gauge on everyone’s comfort level with today’s route. If you are feeling a bit rusty or new to group riding, speak up now—no judgment here, we’ve all been there.
The Pace Setter: To ensure we don’t stretch the rubber band, our slowest or least experienced rider will slot in directly behind me. I’ll be leading, but you will be determining our overall pace. If I’m pulling away, I’ll adjust.

2. Formation & Spacing

Staggered Riding: We will be maintaining a tight, disciplined staggered formation.
Timing: Keep a strict 1-second gap behind the next rider ahead of you, and maintain a 2-second gap from the rider on your side. This gives everyone an explicit buffer zone for unexpected hazards while keeping the group compact.

3. The Mirror Check (Watch Your Tail)

Responsible for your Rear: Group riding is a team sport. Every rider is responsible for the person behind them.
Managing the Gap: Keep a constant eye on your mirrors. If your tail falls behind, you slow down. This will create a domino effect up to the front, signaling me to ease off the throttle so the group stays connected without anyone needing to ride outside their comfort zone to catch up.

4. Highway Rules & Overtaking

One Lane, One Group: When we hit the highway, we occupy one lane as a single cohesive unit. Do not spread across multiple lanes or split the group.
No Overtaking: There is absolutely no overtaking within the group unless it is strictly necessary for safety. Any required overtaking will be explicitly indicated by me as your ride captain.

Let’s keep it smooth, watch out for each other, and enjoy the twisties. Double-check your gear, and let’s get rolling.