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Part 3: Ride Leadership

Now that we have our ride members trained in fundamental skills (Uniform Rider Education) and everyone is aware of the "two-second rule" (Ride Safety), the next important issue is the selection of ride leaders. Without properly trained and experienced ride leadership, you run the huge risk of accidents, dangerous intersection changes, and so on. This article will elaborate on the proper development of ride leadership, in the position of Ride Captain.

The Ride Captain is the person in charge of the ride. He or she is responsible for the safety of everyone attending the ride, as well as the planned route, the determination of stops, possible alteration of the route due to unforeseen hazards, the speed, and general behavior of the formation. All decisions regarding the ride come from the Ride Captain. No other person will make any decisions about the ride without the permission of the Ride Captain.

You can see that the importance of the Ride Captain cannot be underestimated. It is vital; therefore, that the person chosen for this very important job be well qualified to perform his or her task. This is not a job to be assigned on the basis of friendship, long acquaintance, or any other personal judgments. This is a job that requires training and experience to be done well, and that is precisely why a comprehensive training program for your Ride Captains is a sensible idea.

Your training program can be as simple or as elaborate as your Constellation desires. Any basic program should include several rides where they are monitored and given feedback on their technique by the instructor. Training should also include the opportunity for the trainee to demonstrate familiarity with all hand signals, lane change procedures, and all situations which require alteration of the planned itinerary, including stoplight separations of the group, last-minute changes in the route, and so on.

We of Rocky Mountain Dark Star are currently using a three-ride program, which has met our needs so far. If a trainee needs an additional ride to polish his or her technique, that is acceptable if the instructor agrees. Training rides should include changes in traffic density; changes in road type (freeway to two-lane roads), and questions regarding the responsibilities of the Ride Captain are presented to the candidate at stops along the way.

Once the trainee has passed the training required of them, they should then train as a Tail gunner as well. Knowledge of both positions and their attendant responsibilities brings a level of understanding and awareness not generally available to a trainee who has passed only one position's requirements. Ideally, all ride leaders need to be trained on both positions.

With proper training, a Ride Captain can successfully and safely lead hundreds of motorcyclists on a safe and comfortable ride. Everyone benefits from a properly trained Ride Captain, and the development of all ride leaders will benefit the Constellation as well.

Part 4: The Tail Gunner

The next time your Constellation goes for a ride (it's 23 degrees here in Colorado as I write this), pause for a moment to consider the significance of your tail gunner. If your tail gunner is good at his or her job, I'll wager most of you rarely think about the tail gunner. And, it would probably surprise you to realize just how very important this job really is.

Although many would readily understand the importance of the ride leader, any of you who have done the job of tail gunner can attest to the vital importance of the job. Your tail gunner is the person who verifies that everyone is ready, or not, for departure; who initiates all lane changes as a signal to the ride captain (whom everyone is ready to follow), and who is the sole person to stop with anyone making an emergency stop. In states that permit this procedure, the tail gunner is also the person who holds the lane open to permit the entire formation to remain intact.

When you consider the size and sheer numbers that many constellations and other organizations must deal with on rides, you can understand that a ride captain cannot see past the first dozen rows of riders and therefore cannot verify himself that everyone has seen AND COMPREHENDS a hand signal. Riders must rely on a trained tail gunner to look ahead of them and make sure that everyone has seen and understood whatever hand signal the ride captain has indicated. As discussed in an earlier article, electronic communications devices are great, but they are unsafe to use while moving and can fail, so the need for hand signals still exists.

When the ride captain signals a departure from a stop, it is the responsibility of the tail gunner to verify that everyone is indeed ready and has indicated that they are ready. When initiating a lane change, the ride captain waits for the tail runner to move into the indicated lane, thereby indicating that everyone ahead of the tail gunner has verified their readiness to make the lane change. In so doing, the tail gunner "closes the lane" to other traffic and thereby makes the lane change safer for everyone ahead of him or her.

NOTE: This maneuver is good for smaller groups of twenty or less; however, in larger groups, this could create problems if your entire group is not properly trained in lane-change techniques.

In the unlikely event of a breakdown, mechanical or otherwise, only the tail gunner should attend the person making the actual stop. These unfortunate events usually occur in less-than-ideal places where no one should stop unless absolutely necessary, so the fewer people who stop, the better. The ride captain should continue along the designated route to a safe place to pull the entire formation off the road. Once everyone is accounted for, the ride captain can contact the tail gunner via radio or telephone and determine a proper course of action.

Our training program for tail gunners is similar to the program for ride captains in that it requires a minimum of three rides, monitored by a certified instructor. At each stop, feedback should be given on the trainee's progress, until the instructor is satisfied that the trainee can perform the job expected of him or her.

Now you can see that the tail gunner isn't just the "guy in back," as the Navy used to call them. The tail gunner performs a vital multi-functional task, which makes your ride that much safer. So next time you see your local tail gunner, just tell them "thanks" for the job they do.

Part Five: The Importance of Ride Shepherds

As your riding skills, both as an individual and as a group, improve, you will discover that, like every other activity that requires multi-tasking (walking and chewing gum, for example), some people are better at it than others. Once your constellation has established its ride "style," you will find that it takes new members a little time to assimilate that style. This assimilation can be enhanced considerably though the presences of ride shepherds.

The position of ride shepherd is the third in the triad of ride leaders. Their function is to "nursemaid," if you'll pardon the term, new members until they have adopted the ride style of the constellation. For some riders, this comes very naturally; for others, it takes a little time. In either circumstance, the ride shepherd is there to lend advice and suggestions to make the new rider's experience that much more pleasant.

In order to be a good ride shepherd, the person must have a somewhat nurturing nature to begin with. Whereas the ride captain and the tail gunner are more like policemen or park rangers, the ride shepherd is just that, a shepherd, tending the flock. This is the attitude that makes for great shepherds. As such, this is often a good position for women riders, if they desire to do so. I'm not a chauvinist, but I think I would just prefer to hear soothing words from any woman than from a 6'4" bearded guy. Call me crazy, but it just seems right to me.

In all seriousness, many women riders want to assist with the ride and, while not leaving them out of other offices; this position is also good for them and for any person of a warm and friendly nature. It requires the ability to encourage a member after they have done something they feel was dumb. Sometimes you will need to be stern, but not overbearing; caring but not excusing; encouraging but not a cheerleader.

The ride shepherd is the third of your ride leaders. Together with the ride captain and the tail gunner, your ride leadership team can get you there and back again safely. More importantly, though, they, along with uniform ride rules, make the event less stressful and more fun.

 

 

 

 

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