Don't be a lemming...

(2/22/2014) I had a major stupid moment today while riding...the kind that can lead to serious bodily harm. Fortunately, I managed to avoid any damage, this time. I was in a group of four, in the number two position. The lead rider is relatively inexperienced and his riding skills are average at best. I was in the number two position because neither of our other two mutual friends wanted that spot for fear of danger and stress...a well-founded fear as it turns out.

We were out on a North Carolina country road in Halifax County when we came to a T-stop in the road. We needed to turn left to continue in the desired direction. The lead rider was on my left and we were signaling for a left turn and in position. Our friends were right behind us, also stopped. The lead rider started to go, so I began to pull out slightly behind him and to his left. I was watching him rather than traffic. Bad idea.

The lead rider pulled out in front of an oncoming car from our left. He had obscured my line of sight down the road just long enough for me to not see the car. But my key mistake was following him and not looking out for myself. Why this struck as me as really stupid is that I just took a safety class with the Cary Police Department last fall in which we discussed this very subject. We had even watched videos in which we laughed at the foolish riders who followed their leads into ditches, off cliffs, etc. And there I was, doing it myself!

Fortunately, the driver of the oncoming car was paying attention and saw us pull out in time to skid to a stop. As you can imagine, he was very unhappy with us, but clearly relieved that all that was lost was some rubber from his tires.

The lead rider pulled into a gravel parking lot a couple of miles down the road for a break. In the parking lot, my friend Mike gestured with his hand toward him, in the manner of a priest giving Last Rites. The lead rider looked at us and asked me what he was doing, and I told him, "He's giving you Last Rites." The entire idea was lost on him. Mike knew how close we had come to real disaster.

I have no idea why my lead rider pulled out.* I do know that I was thoughtless at that critical moment. I let my mind wander and depended on a rider who I knew had a habit of getting into dangerous situations. I got lucky today; but that's the kind of luck that can run out in a heartbeat.

Here's what I learned from this experience:

1. When you go on a group ride, consider who is leading. Consider who is riding in front of you or next to you. Ask yourself how safe, experienced, and skilled they are, and then adjust your personal ride plan accordingly. Rather than enhancing your safety, sometimes riding in a group increases your risk when the riders around you introduce dangerous behaviors.**
2. Remember that you are responsible for yourself and that even in a group, you need to take responsibility for your own safety. It's also helpful if these same actions protect the other riders in your group. In other words, try to be safe but also consider the needs of the group.

Coincidentally, a tractor trailer separated me from the other three on a ramp onto I95 south on our return trip; and though I rode just at the speed limit for several miles, there was no sign of them. I suspected they were just going slowly, which I wanted no part of, especially on I95! After several miles, I bumped up my cruise control to 75 mph (in a 70 mph speed zone) and enjoyed a smooth ride all the way to US64 west and home solo. I was very relaxed and had no problems the entire way.

Last fall I enjoyed a ride out to Little Switzerland, North Carolina with members of the Raleigh HOG Chapter. These were all experienced riders, most with many training courses under their belt. It was the best group ride I've ever been on. We all could cruise down Interstate 40 and other roads at a steady speed in formation for hours with great fluidity and safety. Group riding can work when done right.

As always...keep the shiny side up.

-The Long Rider

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*Our lead rider said nothing about this incident. I discussed it in detail with my friend Mike, who took the class with me last fall. He agreed I had a stupid moment and was extremely relieved that it ended OK.

**The rider in the third position had a bad habit of leaving large gaps between himself and the rider ahead of him. More than once on today's ride, other motor vehicles took this as an invitation to move in there.