Since our rides each month are at different
locations, and many may not be farmilar with
local roads. The Host will best know the
location for a lunch or dinner or dessert,
and the best location to meet.
Each person should establish the day, time
and starting location for the meeting (most
months have already been selected). Directions
from major arteries will be very helpful.
We can have the business meeting before,
during or after the ride, depending on the
time of day and location.
The rides shouldn't begin before 9am to allow
people to leave after sunup, or later than
about 4 hours before sunset (that depends
upon the season). Motorcycling should be
enjoyable, not stressful. Since some people
may take 1-2 hours just to get to the location,
the local ride should be limited to 1-2 hours
(or about 50-60 miles, depending on the roads).
Plan a stop about 1/2 way through. That way
stopping to get gas during the ride won't
be a problem. It will go smoothly if the
route is checked out for detours, etc during
the last couple of weeks prior to the ride.
The Sgt At Arms will be responsible for making
sure that each rider holds a valid motorcycle
driver’s license. Each rider must have insurance,
helmet, motorcycle, registration, and current
license plates. It would also be a good idea
to bring a small tool kit, including a tire
gauge. Be sure to check your tire pressure
before you leave home.
We will limit our groups to 10 to 15 motorcycles.
Larger groups are just too unwieldy. If we
have more, then we will break into 2 groups.
Before we leave, we will establish the leader
and a Sgt in Arms for each group. Other than
that, any order is fine, as it is fun to
ride with other people occasionally. The
groups will take the same route, but will
be separated by about 3-5 minutes, depending
on the roads.
Any member hosting or leading a ride will
stay within the posted speed limit. At no time should a leader ride above those
limits. This will ensure that all members are enjoying
the ride and are safe. Due to the fact that some of the roads are
new, members should feel safe when riding
with the club. One of the Sgt At Arms (or an officer) will
remind the leader if he/she exceeds the limits.
There will be no blocking or running lights
during MD VRA rides. This has proven to be an unsafe and illegal
maneuver. If the group gets separated the lead will
ride until a safe location is found to wait,
till remainder of club catches up.
As the rides progress, we will learn what
works and what doesn't. The important things
are to be safe and have fun.