Group ride etiquette: the dos and don'ts every rider should know

Most group ride etiquette comes down to one idea: make it easy for everyone else. The riders people invite back are rarely the fastest. They're the ones who turn up on time, ride predictably and say thanks at the end.

Before the ride

Do:

• Arrive 10 to 15 minutes early. The time on the ride is usually when you leave, not when you meet.
• Fill up on the way. Turning up with the fuel light on means the whole group stops in twenty minutes.
• Check the bike. Tyres, chain, lights. A five-minute pre-ride check saves the group an hour at the roadside.
• Say hello in the ride chat. Your name, your bike and your riding level help the host plan.
• Tell the host if you're new to group riding. It's useful information, nothing more.

Don't:

• Join a ride well above your riding level and expect the group to adapt to that alone.
• Bring a friend who hasn't joined the ride without asking the host first.

At the meeting point

Do:

• Listen to the briefing. Route, stops, who leads, who sweeps, how junctions work.
• Ask questions. If you don't know the marker system, say so now, not at the first junction.
• Park so others can get out. Bikes nose out, in a line, off the pumps.

Don't:

• Rev your engine in a café car park. Locals remember.
• Start your bike and roll off before the lead does.

On the road

Do:

• Keep your place in the line. The order set at the start usually stays until the next stop.
• Keep a two-second gap to the rider directly ahead, more in the wet.
• Ride single file in corners and take your own line.
• Pass hand signals back so the riders behind see them too.
• Mark junctions when asked, and wait until the sweep arrives.
• Ride your own ride. If the pace is too fast, drop back. The sweep stays behind you.

Don't:

• Overtake other riders in the group. If you need to change position, do it at a stop.
• Overtake the sweep. Ever.
• Ride side by side in the same lane track.
• Follow the rider ahead through an overtake. Pass traffic when it's safe for you, not because they went.

At the stops

Do:

• Park together and tidily. Leave room for other customers.
• Buy something at the café you're using.
• Check in with the newer riders. "How's the pace?" goes a long way.
• Be ready on time. When the host says ten minutes, put your helmet on at nine.

Don't:

• Disappear without telling anyone. The group will wait and worry.

If you need to leave early

Tell the host or the sweep at a stop. If you have to leave between stops, signal and let the sweep see you go. Then post in the ride chat when you're home. Nobody should be wondering where you went.

After the ride

Do:

• Say thanks in the chat. Hosting takes planning.
• Add the riders you got on with. In MotoBFF you can add friends from their profile and message them about the next one.
• Rate the route. If the host used a published route, marking it Would ride it or Not great helps the next group.

Don't:

• Post a clip of someone's wobbly corner without asking them first.
• Criticise someone's riding in the group chat. If something needs saying, say it in private, and be kind.

A quick table