Staggered Riding Style

The Staggered Riding Style is the preferred riding style for general riding for it's overall safety for all participants in a group ride.  It is alternating rider positions on either side of the lane being traveled so that everyone is able to maintain visual contact of all riders.

NOTE: This is the riding style we use in the Foothills Chapter and is presented here as information on how we in the Foothills Chapter ride in groups.

REAR ROAD CAPTAIN RIDES CENTERED IN LANE FOR VISIBILITY OF LEADER INTERVAL IS MINIMUM FOR SURFACE STREETS WITH POOR LIGHTING AND SHOULD BE ADJUSTED FOR CONDITIONS DURING RIDE.

STAGGER BROKEN BY RIDER NOT STARTING CORRECTLY. THE #5 BIKE SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE LEFT-HALF OF THE LANE.

SOLUTION FOR THIS WOULD BE FOR THE #6 BIKE TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE LEFT-HALF OF THE LANE. THE #5 AND #6 BIKES THEN WOULD ADJUST THEIR FOLLOWING DISTANCE TO REBUILD THE CORRECT STAGGER.

STAGGER BEING CROWDED BY #3 BIKE. BIKE #2 CANNOT SAFELY AVOID ANYTHING IN THE LANE WITHOUT LEAVING THE LANE INTO ADJACENT TRAFFIC.

BIKES #4 AND #5 ARE HOLDING INTERVAL WHILE #6 HAS MOVED TOO FAR FORWARD AND IS CROWDING #4 AND #5.

BIKES #7 AND #8 ARE MAINTAINING PROPER DISTANCE RELATIVE TO #6.

STAGGER IS SPREAD-OUT EXCESSIVELY BETWEEN #3 AND #4 BIKE. THIS IS THE PRIMARY REASON CARS WILL MOVE INTO A GROUP AND CUT-OFF THE BIKE(S) BEHIND THEM. MOST DRIVERS ONLY SEE THE BIKES BESIDE OR AHEAD DUE TO NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO THEIR MIRRORS.

WHEN YOU BECOME THIS SPREAD OUT IN TRAFFIC BE PREPARED TO BE CUT-OFF. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH RIDER TO MAINTAIN A SAFE FOLLOWING DISTANCE WHILE NOT ‘HANGING-BACK’ BEHIND THE SECTION.

THIS SPACING CAN ALSO LEAD TO CARS PULLING-OUT FROM SIDE STREETS BECAUSE ‘ALL OF THE BIKES’ WENT PAST… IT DOES HAPPEN AND RIDERS DIE BECAUSE OF IT.