These are only guidelines, use as much or as little as you wish.
Getting Started
Rideouts are meant to be fun for everybody, but you can easily end up with a disorganised and disgruntled bunch of riders. Especially if they came a long way just to be there.
Here are a few ideas to help things go a bit smoother.
First thing you need to do is to decide what type of rideout it is going to be.
Its no use advertising a bimble when you are going to ride like Rossi. You will simply end up with a lot a out-of-their-depth people who scare themselves witless.
Vis-à-vis advertising a fast rideout when you are not capable of keeping ahead will do you head in in the first 10 minutes.
Next try to find out the numbers.
Having 20+ people behind you is very hard to control so taking them down twisty, single track lanes that people have difficulty passing cars on or having lots of turnoffs will generally result in a very fragmented rideout and many lost riders.
Try to adapt the route to the number.
Check the route
Last time you rode that road it may have been dug up or there may be a serious problem with gravel from last weeks floods.
You need to check the route at the last possible moment before the rideout, if you can.
Get some maps.
If you can post the maps to people before the ride it allows them to get familiar with the turns and towns on route. If not the try to give them out on the day.
Pictorial maps are particularly useful when you have people coming a distance to ride with you as they can orientate themselves and work out a route to get back on track.
Try to work out places where you can have a regrouping or fag break and mark them on the map
On the day
Set the start time with a bit of thought for people who are travelling to the meeting place. Its not helpful to start at 8 o'clock in the morning when it means someone is getting up at 5 just to be there.
Make the meeting place as obvious as possible and park in a place that can be seen directly as people arrive
Make sure you have enough room to fit all the bikes in.
Preparation
You may know some of the riders through past rideouts and could pair them up with someone of about equal ability. Or slot them into the line. Along the lines of not having someone who rides close up to the rider in front behind a nervous rider etc
Talk to people you don't know, try to get an idea of their skill level. Suggest possible riding buddies for them.
Tell the group to get petrol as soon as they arrive, its very frustrating to say, "let's go" and have to wait for fill ups
If there are Gatso's nearby tell people about them.
General
For the riders
Dont block the lead riders mirrors
When arriving at a rideout if you have a problem with going fast or you want to learn by following somebody, say so. It gives the organisor a chance to sort
something.
Try to work out who is likely to be at your experience level and try to start off near them.
Ride at your own speed for the first 5-10 miles. You will find that you naturally pair up with someone of equal ability (although not always )
During the ride. Ride your own ride. Only you know your limits so if you get in a race with a better rider then you may well end up having a scare which will
mess you up for the rest of the rideout.
Take a map if you are in unfamiliar country. You could get lost.
Dont be afraid to admit you are having problems, someone might be able to sort something out for you.
Learn group riding ettiquette.
Do not cut other riders up.
Do not blindspot the rider in front.
Do not overtake when the rider in front is about to overtake themselves.
Do not try to keep up if you are making dangerous manouvres (mainy through traffic) to do so
Do not ride up another riders arse.
Respect the other riders, because an angry rider is a bad rider.
Look out for the rider behind you, try to make sure he turns the same way at junctions.
For organisors
Try to get at least one other person involved. They can lead slower groups or take turns at the front.
Do a simple briefing at the start. Explain hazards ahead.
Respect speed limits (well 30 and 40's anyway)
Make a pictorial map available, either at the rideout or through e-mail. Itemised maps are ok, but only if you are in the right place first.
Try to avoid starting on a dual carriageway or a really twisty bit cos it gets peoples adrenaline going before they are are warmed up.
If you come to a really tricky bit stop and explain what up ahead.
Count the amount of riders in the group.
Remember that riders cant catch up in towns if you are riding at the speed limit. You may as well go a little slower cos there nowt to be gained in a 30 limit.
Try to make routes easy the less turn offs the less chance of losing people. And less stops.
Avoiding Pissing off other People
Rideouts are meant to be fun for everybody, but you can easily end up with a disorganised and disgruntled bunch of riders. Especially if they came a long way just to be there.
Here are a few ideas for the Individual riders to help things go a bit smoother.
The idea of a rideout is to have fun and possibility to measure your skill against other riders. But do things wrong and it could become an expensive and painful nightmare for you, or worse, for somebody else.
Remember it take one bad apple to spoil the barrel (shit example- I know)
Before the rideout
If you can get a copy of the map and get an idea of where the rideout is going. Even the best riders can get lost and you cant ride and read a map at the same time .
Check your bike. Make sure it is going to stay the course. Bald tyres and bits hanging off do not inspire confidence in your fellow riders.
Make sure you are ready for it. Read this post, and the others as they may help you understand what is going on.
Try to get to the meet with some time to spare. Socialising is almost
an important part of the event as the riding
When you get there.
Fill up first. It takes a couple of minutes and wont make you look a bit of a pratt when everybody else is sitting on the forecourt watching and waiting.
Take a piss. You might not need it but you cant put your hand up and ask to be excused half way through.
Find out the leader and his helpers. You want to be following the right person.
If you are new or nervous. Tell the leader, he is there to help.
Talk to as many people as you can. It gives people a chance to find out who you are and what experience you have got. If you are new someone may well offer to baby-sit you.
Don't boast about how good you are cos you will either look silly when you find there are better people or will make people nervous about you.
On the ride
If you don't know the other riders in the group, don't jump straight up the front. You could well become a hazard when you find out your not as fast as you thought. You can always make up places as the ride goes on.
If you do need to make up places do it with some thought - covered later.
Respect other riders. They may be slower or they may be faster than you. It doesn't mean they are stupid. They may not be wearing the gear you think they need but that's up to the leader to sort if it's a problem.
Do not in any circumstances ride up some-ones chuff (tailgating) it makes then nervous, restricts their view and could well cost you money if they pull up quick.
Do not overtake unless you know its safe. This goes for cars and other riders. With other riders try to indicate that you are going past first.
Don't cut other riders up. Usually happens at roundabouts, junctions or when overtaking. It is dangerous and seriously annoying.
Do not show off - buzzing slower riders and charging up behind then is just bad form
Do not speed - you may need to catch up after a car road block. Towns are not the places to do it.
Do ride your own ride. Doesn't really matter what Joe Bloggs does because he isn't you
Do enjoy the day. Getting annoyed effects your riding more than the persons you are getting annoyed with. You will then simply annoy someone else. If you are getting frustrated with someone in front, drop back and then move up the line at a rest stop (if you cant get past them safely on the road).
If you move up the line at rest stops do it nicely.
Do not play follow my leader. I have seen too many emergency braking moments when people follow someone past a car only to find there wasn't a big enough gap.
If you are tired or simply having a bad day there is no rule that says you have to stick it out to the end. Wait for the next stop and have a word with the leader.
Don't just disappear without telling anybody your going.
Enjoy
even after all these years 
Sept 08
, we're not even that hairy 
