Road Captain USA

Being a Road Captain takes time and dedication and the only reward is the appreciation of those that you take out on a ride and the self gratification that comes from sharing what you enjoy with others. That’s it, it’s that simple. Anyone who signs up for this position for the perceived prestige of the title should stay home. I will go so far as to say, anyone who takes an officer position within a riding organization merely for the ego trip should get the heck outa town. These are volunteer positions and the reward is that warm fuzzy feeling you get from helping others. A Road Captain patch should not become some sort of achievement badge that says you are a better rider then the next guy. It should also be understood that this should not become an authority issue. This perception of prestige, authority and achievement attracts the wrong applicants for the job. What you end up with is a bunch of dudes (and maybe some chicks) who show up for the Road Captain meetings but never do anything. If you have a huge group photo of your Road Captain crew and no rides on the calendar then you have to wonder “why did these people sign up for the position?” If they are not putting rides up and are burnt out, why do they still consider themselves an RC? The only answer I can come up with is the prestige, authority and achievement.

If you want to be a Road Captain then plan to learn as much about motorcycles, riding motorcycles and motorcycle safety as you can. Plan on staying up late studying maps and comparing different routes. Plan on getting up early to lead rides, particpate in other peoples rides, and riding sweep for your peers. Plan on putting yourself in harms way occasionally to protect the group. Plan on getting a ticket once in awhile for running a traffic light and getting caught on camera. Plan on spending alot of money on gas, tolls, maintenance, hotels, motels and endless trip expenses. Plan on getting dirty looks from your neighbors because you spend too much time riding to mow your lawn. Plan on pre-riding your local and out of state trips several times until they meet your high standards. Plan on listening to everyone gripe about going too fast, too slow, not stopping to go to the bathroom enough, stopping too often and about the weather when it isn’t cooperating. Plan on managing an accident scene, but hope you never have to. Plan on hearing “Thank you” once inawhile, but don’t expect it. Most of all, plan on feeling really good about yourself that you gave up your time to plan and execute a ride that others enjoyed. Not alot of people are cut out for this position, so if you are doing it well… hold your head up high!

You ask me “how do I know if I’m doing it well?”. If you are practicing all the safety precautions recommended by the MSF and your riders are having fun and the same riders keep coming back for your rides… then you’re doing a good job! If you realize you are not perfect and strive to always learn more and stay humble, then you are the right man (or women) for the job. If you constantly challenge yourself to do better and can balance being an authority figure with being accomodating then this is the right position for you. I hope it goes without saying that a Road Captain doesn’t have to be absolutely the best rider in the group but that he or she should definitely command a high skill level and ride smart. In fact I would put more weight on the “ride smart” part. It’s my oppinion that a smart rider is the best rider, not the one who can make the tightest u-turn. The best rider is the one who can read the road, the one who understands cause an effect, the one who can anticipate what will happen and use this knowledge to keep the group safe. 

If you are a Road Captain and you are thinking that maybe you shouldn’t be, then I hope this article helped you make a decision. If you are thinking about becoming a Road Captain, I hope this article enlightened you that this is not a road to glory but a truley gratifying experience. I tip my hat to all the good Road Captains out there; keep up the good work! Thank you for giving up your time so that others can enjoy the thrill of riding their motorcycles to places they otherwise would not have ventured out to. Remember what this is all about: Having Fun Safely!

Be honest with yourself and ask yourself: “Why do I want to be a Road Captain?” and make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons.

Tags: Road Captain Stuff by Jay Green
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There is no manual for Road Captains that I know of that tells you how to handle specific situations that come up during group riding. Unfortunately you sometimes have to just throw yourself into something and learn from your mistakes. Being a Road Captain is going to be one of those fascinating endeavers in life that you never master, one that you are always learning something new. I think that a good Road Captain is a good student… someone who can be trained and someone who learns from their mistakes.

I made an error in judgement while riding sweep on Wednesday that I wanted to document here for the benefit of those who share my interest in the art of Road Captainhood. Before I continue, I have to say a few things. First, I think that riding in group formation without CB radio communication is as sane as sending out a fighter squadron of Marine aviators without radio communication. Second, the sweep or tailgunner position is the most difficult position to execute properly. The sweep must anticipate what is going to happen before everyone else. He will sometimes have to put himself in harms way to protect the group. This is the position for your best RC.

Having lead many rides as a lead Road Captain I can tell you that we rely on a good sweep Road Captain to block out cars when two lanes are going to merge into one. The bigger the group, the more critical this becomes. For example if a group of twenty motorcycles was speeding up a hill in the left lane and there is a slow lane for tractor trailers, the sweep will block off the slow lane so that some nut job in a sports car doesn’t try to pass the group and then run out of space before he passes the whole group. If a cager were to find himself side by side with a group of bikes with no place to go it would cause panic for both cager and cyclists; a potentially dangerous situation that we would like to avoid. Should this happen you can only hope that the group will adjust their speed and create an opening for the unexpected visitor. In most cases the lead RC can slow the group down and the “Slingshot” driver can get by as we wave him on to hurry up and pass us before we run out of lane. In other cases the lead RC can call single file and move over to create more space for the cage to manuever. All of these actions are more easily handled by a lead and sweep team that are in communication with each other via CB radio. Having riders in the group on CB only helps.

On Wednesday I found myself riding sweep for a talented group of eight motorcyclists. Only one of the motorcycles was CB equiped, so we were not in communication with each other. We had an awesome day of riding with one exception. On the way home from Pottsville, PA we had an agressive driver in a gold mini van come up on my tail. I created extra space between him and the group by slowing down a bit. We were traveling along a twisty piece of one lane road and the agressive driver was chomping at the bit to pass us. We came to a mountainous uphill that had a slow lane for slower moving vehicles and our lead RC read the situation correctly and took us up the slow lane on the right giving the mini van his much awaited chance to pass us. Unfortunately I read the situation wrong!

I wanted to do a good job and keep the cager from slingshotting up the passing lane with the potential to get caught in the middle of the pack; so I moved to the left lane to block the pass. I thought he would recognize that I was “closing the door” and hang behind us. WRONG! He was determined to pass us. He floored the death mobile to “ramming speed” and ran up on the last motorcycle in the group. I answered the challenge by dropping a gear and hitting the throttle hard as if to say “Oh no you don’t!”. We were side by side and as he came as close as he could to the last rider in the group he steered hard left as if to say “Oh yes I am, and here I come!”. I locked up the rear wheel, steered left and started to fishtail as the van successfully got past my stupid attempt to keep him from passing (which is probably illegal to begin with). I regained control of my motorcycle and my emotions as the van passed the group only after running out of lane and flipping off the lead RC.

I discussed the occurance with our Head Road Captain and Safety Officer and they both told me I made a mistake. I beat myself up about it and decided to learn from my mistake and stay on my journey to someday being a wise old master Road Captain someday in the far future.

I share this story with you so that those who are Road Captains can also learn from my mistake. For those of you who are not Road Captains I hope this story enlightens you as to the amount of strategy and teamwork that is involved in getting a group of motorcyclists from point A to point B. Being an RC is more than being a glorified Tour Guide, and being a good sweeper is akin to being an Ace Pilot.

I wish that we could all compile all our lessons learned on the road and benefit from these experiences… and even then there would still be new situations to surprise us.

Most importantly I leave you with this warning: Watch out for nut jobs in death mobiles at ramming speed!

Tags: Road Captain Stuff by Jay Green
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I received an e-mail last night from an aquaintance in the motorcycle industry who said he had volunteered to become the Road Captain for his riding group and was looking for guidelines, rules and hand signals for group riding. I was flattered by the request and gave this advice: “watch the MSF Group Riding Video available on the MSF website.”

I think this video should be a prerequisite for anyone even thinking about going on a group ride. It covers alot of vital information in a short ten minute clip.

Of course I gave a lot more advice on being a Road Captain, but I won’t bore you with all the details.

Tags: Cool Video & Pics, Rider Skills, Road Captain Stuff by Jay Green
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I find this software infinitely useful and highly recommend you buy it now unless you have a better “make your own map” solution. In that case please share in the comments section what you suggest.

Using this software you can zoom in on any area in the country to help you study motorcycle ride routes and how to get to unfamiliar places. It has a “Find” feature where you can enter a place and let the software find the location for you. You can also view restaurants, gas stations, motels and other important landmarks on the map using built in software functions.

I use the software to make my own ride maps. I crop the area that I want to see at the proper magnification that gives me the information I want to see, then I print it on 8.5″ x 11″ paper. I trace my route with a marker and sometimes a highlighter. Then I place it in my map holder on my tank and I’m good to go. This system has been working great for me. Below is my map of the Southern Berkshires; a ride route I read about in Motorcycle Journeys Through New England.

I don’t like how the software creates a ride route, so I don’t use that function. It is not user friendly. You have to select many points along the route for the computer to follow the specific path you desire. If you don’t, the software will pick a slightly different route than you intended. If the computer highlights the route for you, in my opinion it makes it more difficult to see the route. Each of the selected data points will be shown which makes the map very cluttered and hard to read. The only good thing about having the computer outline the route is it gives you time and distance information. I’ll stick to my Sharpie for tracing the ride route!

Another thing I don’t like about the software is it comes on DVD. My computer has a DVD drive, but Diana’s does not. She is bummed she doesn’t have the software on her computer.

Before we got this software we had our own method to make maps. Diana would print about twenty sections of the ride using Map Quest. She would print out the little maps which were about 5″ x 6″. We would have to trim them out of 8.5″ x 11″ paper with scissors and tape them together like a big puzzle. It was a big arts and crafts project to make a map this way.

I like this software for the simple function of zooming in on an area I’m interested in and printing an 8.5″ x 11″ map with the option of printing it landscape or portrait. For our Connecticut trip I had maps of the local HD dealership, my friend’s neighborhood, our Motel, restaurants and of course our ride routes. I was prepared to navigate anywhere we needed to go. I did not have that I’m lost because I don’t know the area feeling.

The enlarged blowup sections of local roads is so much more helpful than a Road Atlas or traditional street map. Let’s say you’re going on someone else’s ride and you are unfamiliar with the area, or you are going to help lead a Poker Run. All your friends give you is a list of turn-by-turn directions. You can get on your computer and print out detailed maps and you are prepared for anything! There is no way you will get lost. If your motorcycle breaks down, you can let your friends go on ahead and you can catch up with them later.

I highly recommend you bust out $40 and buy this! Anyone who likes to plan trips will find this software helpful. I think it is especially helpful for Road Captains.

Click here for more information on this very useful software.

Tags: Product Reviews, Road Captain Stuff by Jay Green
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Group motorcycle riding is a sport unto itself, different from riding solo. To illustrate my point please imagine a Blue Angels fighter pilot. He will use different skills and tactics if challenged to a one on one dog fight then when he is flying in formation with the famous 6 plane flight squadron. A group ride is usually planned and lead by a Road Captain. This individual gives his time and takes on the responsibility of leading the group because he enjoys sharing the sport of motorcycling with others. The Road Captain is essential to group riding. He is the warrior leading the tribe through the jungle. He is the strategist predicting what the highway will throw at us and deciding how we will approach the challenge. He is the planner, the navigator and most importantly the leader!

There are Road Captains of all levels. Each is traveling on their own journey to mastering the art of Road Captainhood. No one starts out from day one as a black belt. Like a Samurai warrior or Kung Fu master, the Road Captain develops his skills over time. Someday I hope to be a wise old master Road Captain who can look up at the sky, listen to the wind and know from the flow of energy in the universe which direction to travel, which road to take, how fast to ride and when to take a comfort break. For those of you who travel solo this might sound strange. For those of you who ride in a diverse group, you understand the challenge of trying to please everyone.

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Tags: Road Captain Stuff by Jay Green
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Like Joker illustrates in his August 23rd post the preride is an integral part of being a good Road Captain. Leading a ride on roads you are unfamiliar with is chancey. You might not like the roads, they may be unsafe or just plain boring. Who knows? You will only know by doing a preride!

I really enjoy planning seasonal trips for First State HOG. In October I’m leading a group of our members up to western Connecticut and the lower Berkshires for a foliage trip… or a peeper trip. Diana and I just got back from our 4 day preride. We’ll post the pictures and the stories soon. Savor the new pictures because the Dianacam may retire anytime now that she has her own big V-twin.

I am so stoked that I did the preride. Just like my spring trip to Mansfield and my Red Roost ride, I don’t like the original route and am able to change the ride for the better. The new route is kick butt awesome! If we hit the fall colors just right this will be a spectacular trip. By doing the preride I have not only familiarized myself with the route, but I have found the strategic butt breaks, gas stations, lunch spots and even the motel. The Preride is not 100% necessary, but it helps tremendously.

On Friday we rode up to the motel in Bethel, CT. I attempted to meet up with Doorman from the Ghost Chapter in Stamford, CT for dinner, but he couldn’t make it. We ate at the restaurant he suggested and it was incredible! It was called Rosy Tomorrows in Danbury and the Fisherman’s Chowder was to die for! I could eat that chowda everynight and be a happy man. Good thing we were on a motorcycle because parking is scarce at this popular tavern.

On Saturday we rode the scenic route up into the lower Berkshires of Massachusetts and then back down to Kent, Connecticut. After we checked out the 200′ waterfall in Kent Falls State Park and riding all day we met up with my buddy, his family and friends at an Octoberfest. This is my best friend from college who I lost touch with over 15 years ago. It was like we never missed a day. After the Octoberfest we went to a party at one of their friends house.

On Sunday my friends John and Margie had a Labor Day party that was unbelievable. We ate and drank from 2:30 in the afternoon til bedtime. I ate so much I couldn’t move. The food was unbeatable. The weather was great! We didn’t do any riding, but we had a great time!

We rode back today and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky all day. I couldn’t have asked for a better trip. Reconnecting with John and his wife Margie was priceless. Their boys are fantastic. I am so happy for them and how their life turned out. I rode awesome roads and can’t wait to go back for the real deal in October! It’s all good!

Tags: Road Captain Stuff by Jay Green
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