Whilst on the Isle of Wight last weekend I followed a medium sized group of bikes - some sort of Sunday Ride out. Lots of junctions and twisting roads, good fun. Through crash helmets and the sound of engines, one of the riders mentioned something about some rule of someone staying on the left side of the road after a junction. So when everyone arrives at a junction you will see someone pulled over and know where you have to go. Does anybody know what all that is about ? - I think everyone is supposed to have a turn at pulling over at the junctions (including me sorry ). In my defence I had no idea where we were going . Anyway, there was clearly some rule at work that mostly everyone understood. I just wonder if it is something used by other groups for their ride outs , and what is it exactly ! Thanks
Yes it's a common thing Mattie...& it filters down so everyone is a marker, so riders behind can keep with the pack...... Unless they've ginger hair....or riding an R1.... In which case it's customary to leave the f#ckers to work it out themselves
We do miss out on cultural stuff like that ! - out here in the Channel Islands we just ride round the coast - dead easy !
It is called the "drop off" system. The lead rider always stays at the front and you have a permanent tail end "Charlie". The in-between riders take it in turn to mark junctions etc.
Its called the Marker or Drop System, and should have been explained before you started the ride. More info here or by a look on Google
Thank you - now I know that it is called "drop off system" I can Google it and get a squillion results. To be fair I just tagged on to a moving ride out. I saw them come through Newport and let them pass, and just tagged on to the back, but made a bit of progress through the ranks, as they dropped off. No idea there was a lead rider, or a tail ender - let alone who they were and what they looked like. At a stop line a dude on a Triumph mentioned something as he leaned across to quickly say something - he did mention something "......system" but I did not catch what he was saying - I had no idea of any system understood by everyone. They all pulled in and were going for lunch so I said good-bye. I hope I did not spoil their day ! I just thought they were going to a local caff, so figured I would follow them to see where it was.
At least now you know, but please don't do it again, if you don't follow the system, you could totally mess up the groups ride out - just think, the leader turns off, see's you behind, expecting you to mark a junction, but the rider behind you is not in sight - the whole group then goes straight on! You can imagine the chaos. Either stick behind a group, or follow the system.
