Group Riding

[dantama]

From James R Davis' safety site
http://www.msgroup.org/Tip.aspx?Num=062

While most of us know that it takes about 1 second to recognize and begin to react to a threat ahead of us, it usually takes from 2 to 3 seconds for riders to recognize and begin to react to a change in speed (increase) of the bike in front of them when they are riding in a group.

A couple of seconds doesn't sound like much, I'm sure, but while at 2 seconds a small group of bikes can usually manage rather well, at 3 seconds some serious problems result. This is particularly true if there are more than six bikes in the group.

The following, I hope, will convince those of you that lead group rides to behave with new caution.

At 60 MPH your bike moves 88 feet per second. Assuming that you maintain a 1-second gap between bikes in the group then each is about 88 feet behind the next one. At 70 MPH the gaps would be about 103 feet.

A trivial example first - let's say that the lead bike increases speed from 60 MPH to 70 MPH. It takes about 2 seconds to do so if you are casual about it (using an acceleration rate of 7.5 fps/s) though you could do it in half that time. What happens to all the bikes behind that lead bike?

Most people, I assume, think that each will, in turn, simply follow suit. That is, each will also accelerate modestly at the rate of about 7.5 fps/s (5 MPH/Sec) and, thus, maintain 'the group'. That is not at all what actually happens.

After the first second of modest acceleration by the lead bike the distance between the second bike and the first one has grown from 88 feet to 92 feet and one second later the gap has become 103 feet. By coincidence this is exactly what the new distance between bikes should be while riding at 70 MPH. However, the second bike has not yet even begun to accelerate and is now moving 10 MPH slower than the bike ahead of it.

It follows, of course, that the gap between the bikes will continue to grow until the second bike is also moving at 70 MPH - 2 or 3 seconds later.

That is, if the second bike realizes that the first one is pulling away from him and begins to accelerate his own bike within only 2 seconds then he too will be traveling at 70 MPH within another 2 seconds. If it takes him 3 seconds to recognize a widening gap and react to it then it will take another 2 seconds for his speed to match the bike ahead of him.

In the best case (2 second react/respond time) the gap between the bikes will have grown to 117 feet, and if it took 3 seconds that gap would have grown to 132 feet.

Clearly once the speeds are the same the gaps will remain the same. BUT, since the group prefers to travel with a 'one second' gap between bikes, the second bike MUST GO FASTER than the first one for a brief time in order to 'catch up.'

If we assume that the riders in this group are conservative and individually elect never to travel more than 5 MPH faster than the bike ahead of them as they are closing their gaps then the second bike will continue to accelerate for 1 additional second and attain a speed of 75 MPH while the first one continues at 70 MPH.

In fact, the second bike will have to ride for TWO SECONDS at 75 MPH while the first one rides at 70 MPH in order to close the gap to 106 feet, and then he takes 1 more second decelerating to 70 MPH during which the gap between them reduces itself to the desired 103 feet.

This little example of the dynamics between just two bikes is trivial in consequence and easy to understand. With modest effort it can be seen, however, to be anything but trivial farther back in the pack.

Let's look at the third bike in the group. About 2 seconds after the SECOND bike begins to accelerate the third one follows suit. Three seconds later the gap between the second and third bike has, as expected, become 117 feet. But, because the second bike is traveling at 75 MPH at that time rather than 70 MPH like the first bike, the gap continues to widen and within one more second becomes 128 feet. Clearly the third bike must use more effort to catch up to the second bike than the second bike needed to catch up with the lead bike. Indeed, the third bike will have to accelerate to 75 MPH and will have to maintain that speed for FOUR SECONDS instead of the two required by the second bike in order to close up that gap.

WORSE, the next bike will find that the gap he has to close has grown to 132 feet before it begins to shorten and then ONLY IF HE ACCELERATES TO 80 MPH instead of 75. This, because the third bike is traveling at 75 MPH rather than 70 MPH when the gap has reached 132 feet. The gap would be larger still if bike number four merely accelerates to 75 MPH.

In a group of only six motorcycles, the last one will find the gap between himself and bike number five to grow to 143 feet before it begins to close. He will have to accelerate to 80 MPH, hold that speed for three seconds, drop to 75 MPH for an additional three seconds, and then finally drop to the group speed of 70 MPH in order for all members of the group to end up with a 1-second gap between them.

Further, it will be at least 11 seconds after the lead bike has started to accelerate before the sixth bike does so. Imagine what will happen if during that time the lead bike applies his brakes in anticipation of entering a curve!!!!!!!!!

Though this was a trivial example it demonstrates very well what we have all experienced in the past - the 'rubber band' effect.

Imagine how PROFOUND this effect becomes when the example changes. For example, imagine what happens at the end of a string of 20 bikes rather than only 6. Or what happens if the lead bike, upon exiting a 35 MPH curve, gooses his bike to 60 MPH as fast as it can get there.

There are things that tend to mitigate these problems:

* Lead bikes can change speed more gradually.


* Lead bikes can announce speed changes over the CB and, thus, reduce reaction times for all.


* All bikes in a group can react to changes in speed of bikes that are farther ahead of them than just the one immediately ahead.


* The members of a group can simply NOT crank their throttles up to excessive speeds just to keep the group spacing 'correct'.


* A good group leader does NOT accelerate within 15 seconds of entering a curve (assuming he has to then slow down before actually entering that curve.)


* The '1-second between bikes' rule should be abandoned whenever the group is riding 'twisties' - it makes sense only when traveling in a straight line on open highway.


* Never allow a group to become larger than SIX bikes if even one of the riders is inexperienced with group riding. Never larger than EIGHT bikes even if all are familiar with the riding habits of each other.

[dantama]

Another from the same place

When you ride in a group it is unquestionably your first priority to take care of yourself - to ride within your limits and the limits of your bike, regardless of what the rest of the group does. That's often been described as 'Riding your own ride'.

But you ARE in a group and that means some new responsibilities and behaviors apply. You ride at the speed the group rides, you stay in the lanes chosen by the lead bike, You stop when and where the group stops. Sounds a lot like you are riding THEIR ride as much as your own, doesn't it?

In business, management has recently come to realize that 'team work' is not always the best way to get things done. Sometimes it is better to work as a group of collaborators than as a team. A motorcycle drill team is a clear example of team work - everybody is expected to do no more nor less than what is required by the boss to get the job done. Independent thought is valued, but only to the extent that it contributes to the team doing its job.

When riding in a group there is certainly some team work going on, but each and every person in that group is expected to 'ride their own ride'. Doesn't that sound just a little bit different to you than each person being expected to do whatever it takes to make the team effort successful?

In collaborative efforts the assumption is that each individual is expert/proficient in some specialty while generally being able to function in team efforts. That is a very subtle difference in attitude. For example, in a collaborative effort, it is not unusual to find debate about what should be done next as each individual contributes based on their expertise. What IS unusual in a collaborative effort is that there is any rancor in these debates [well, there are sometimes rather harsh arguments, but the point is that each member is heard and contributes based on their specialty.] Each member RESPECTS the expertise of the other members and will generally defer gracefully to that expertise. Further, in a collaborative effort the group will do what the boss (lead bike) tells them to do unless there is a good reason not to.

The result is that almost invariably you have the best of the best from the best, though it looks like team work.

Back to motorcycling in a group ... some in the group have more stamina, some have better night vision, some have better navigation skills, some have better familiarity with the surroundings, some have better emergency preparedness or EMS training, some are better diplomats. You get the picture.

Respecting the skills and uniquenesses of each of the rest of the team results in getting the best of the best from the best. Respecting yourself is riding your own ride. Respecting the others is collaborative group riding. The group leader/road Captain in a well functioning collaborative effort has certain responsibilities, each of the rest have theirs, and with respect, together they all decide on the best way to do things for the group.

Rather than the lead bike making all the decisions for the group, in a collaborative effort, he/she will consult with the others and give serious consideration to the expertise therein. Strategic decisions (destination) remain the leader's responsibility while tactical decisions (how) might well come from the members. Dictatorship it's not. Nor is it a drill team. Rather, it is a group of 'professionals' engaged in a cooperative effort designed for the benefit of all. Safe arrival and a good time with maximum contribution and participation by each may look like team work, but is more.

This is merely a proposed way to organize and function in a group. I posted it to invite you to think about it and, possibly, to create a new dynamic in how we all function when riding as a group.



When you ride in a group it is unquestionably your first priority to take care of yourself - to ride within your limits and the limits of your bike, regardless of what the rest of the group does. That's often been described as 'Riding your own ride'.

But you ARE in a group and that means some new responsibilities and behaviors apply. You ride at the speed the group rides, you stay in the lanes chosen by the lead bike, You stop when and where the group stops. Sounds a lot like you are riding THEIR ride as much as your own, doesn't it?

In business, management has recently come to realize that 'team work' is not always the best way to get things done. Sometimes it is better to work as a group of collaborators than as a team. A motorcycle drill team is a clear example of team work - everybody is expected to do no more nor less than what is required by the boss to get the job done. Independent thought is valued, but only to the extent that it contributes to the team doing its job.

When riding in a group there is certainly some team work going on, but each and every person in that group is expected to 'ride their own ride'. Doesn't that sound just a little bit different to you than each person being expected to do whatever it takes to make the team effort successful?

In collaborative efforts the assumption is that each individual is expert/proficient in some specialty while generally being able to function in team efforts. That is a very subtle difference in attitude. For example, in a collaborative effort, it is not unusual to find debate about what should be done next as each individual contributes based on their expertise. What IS unusual in a collaborative effort is that there is any rancor in these debates [well, there are sometimes rather harsh arguments, but the point is that each member is heard and contributes based on their specialty.] Each member RESPECTS the expertise of the other members and will generally defer gracefully to that expertise. Further, in a collaborative effort the group will do what the boss (lead bike) tells them to do unless there is a good reason not to.

The result is that almost invariably you have the best of the best from the best, though it looks like team work.

Back to motorcycling in a group ... some in the group have more stamina, some have better night vision, some have better navigation skills, some have better familiarity with the surroundings, some have better emergency preparedness or EMS training, some are better diplomats. You get the picture.

Respecting the skills and uniquenesses of each of the rest of the team results in getting the best of the best from the best. Respecting yourself is riding your own ride. Respecting the others is collaborative group riding. The group leader/road Captain in a well functioning collaborative effort has certain responsibilities, each of the rest have theirs, and with respect, together they all decide on the best way to do things for the group.

Rather than the lead bike making all the decisions for the group, in a collaborative effort, he/she will consult with the others and give serious consideration to the expertise therein. Strategic decisions (destination) remain the leader's responsibility while tactical decisions (how) might well come from the members. Dictatorship it's not. Nor is it a drill team. Rather, it is a group of 'professionals' engaged in a cooperative effort designed for the benefit of all. Safe arrival and a good time with maximum contribution and participation by each may look like team work, but is more.

This is merely a proposed way to organize and function in a group. I posted it to invite you to think about it and, possibly, to create a new dynamic in how we all function when riding as a group.

Ride smart.

[dantama]

Group Ride Lane Changes
Orchestrate for Greater Safety

By: James R. Davis
http://www.msgroup.org/Tip.aspx?Num=184

When a group of motorcycles is changing lanes, many safety considerations come into play. Should every rider move into the adjacent lane at the same time? If not, should the Lead Bike go first, or should the Drag Bike move first to “secure the lane”? When the Drag Bike radios to the group that the lane is secured, is it really? What if another vehicle sees a gap in traffic and tries to cut into the group? If part of the group gets separated from the other riders, should everyone change relative positions (tracks) so that the new Lead Bike is now riding in the left track? The recommended procedure for a group lane change maneuver depends on how the surrounding traffic is moving at the time. The goal for the bike which moves first is to create a gap into which the other bikes can fit.

Regardless of what other riders in the group are doing, each rider must personally check to see that the new lane is clear of traffic before entering it.

Changing Lanes as a Group

There is virtually no time (absent an emergency) when a group of riders should all move at the same time into a different lane, in regular traffic conditions. The wide gap required for a whole group to move is difficult to find in heavy traffic, and if it exists, it will be an invitation for other drivers to jump into it, perhaps while the group might be moving. Additionally, such a maneuver could be interpreted as “parading”, which may arguably not be covered under some insurance policies.

Changing Lanes into Slower-Moving Traffic



In most jurisdictions traffic laws prescribe that, on a road in which there are two lanes of traffic moving in the same direction, the lane on the right will be the slower lane. If a group of motorcyclists is going to move into the slower lane from the faster one, the first bike in a group which moves is responsible for creating a gap into which all the following bikes can fit. This is accomplished by maintaining a constant speed in order to enlarge the gap after the first bike moves. Each bike moving in succession should also be aware of this dynamic. Thus, the group moves from first to last. (An exception is the Drag Bike, which may move on its own for reasons explained later.)

The first bike to move under these conditions will be the Lead Bike. The maneuver is accomplished in this way: the Lead Bike signals for the lane change and announces to the group via CB and/or hand signals that the group is moving to the right, front to back. Then, after checking by actually turning the head to see that the new lane is cleared of traffic sufficient for one bike to safely enter it, the Lead Bike moves across the tracks of the current lane, taking up a position in the left track of the new lane where the Lead Bike usually rides. By maintaining the maximum speed which the traffic in that lane will allow, the Lead Bike creates a gap into which the next bike in the group can insert, moving into the right track there. Each succeeding bike follows this pattern: signal right, move right in your own lane, head-check, enter new lane, maintain speed to create gap, and take up regular position (left or right track) in the new lane.

The Drag Bike in this pattern is normally the last to enter the new lane, unless “closing the door” was possible. As the bikes move quickly and re-form their group, it is rare that a four-wheeler will move up into the gap in the new lane. If a cage moves into the gap, the next bike to move must tuck in behind it and wait for the group ahead to slow up, encouraging the cage to pass. When the cage passes the slower forward group, the whole group can re-form into a normal riding configuration.

Breaking Up is Hard To Do

If a lane change results in the group’s changing formation -- the bike which was unable to move into the new lane slows down and becomes for a time the Lead Bike for the left lane, while the rest of group moves ahead in the slower lane -- or, the bike which was unable to move right is forced to PASS the slower group -- should the new Lead Bike take the left forward track?

Ordinarily, no. Only if the group breaks into two obvious sub-groups and becomes separated for a substantial period of time should the “new Lead Bike” move into a new track to the left, if that has not been that rider’s normal position. Otherwise, this will be only a temporary break in formation, and the riders will quickly enter the new lane and re-form as usual behind the Lead Bike, in the positions they had originally.

Why doesn’t the “new Lead Bike” change tracks? Because during any period in which the bikes are changing tracks, the spacing between them is cut in half, drastically reducing the reaction time and space available to the rider in case the bike directly ahead of him becomes a problem. In a lane change, this period is fairly short. If the “new Lead Bike” shifts position and all the bikes following attempt to adapt to the new configuration by changing to a different track, they will then have to change back when the original group re-forms. There is no real reason to put the riders in additional jeopardy this way in order to have the “correct” formation, just for short periods.

Forcing all the bikes in the rest of the group to change track position is especially hazardous in the case of a new group rider who has become accustomed to riding in the protected “slot” as opposed to facing oncoming traffic in the exposed left track position. In most cases, anyone who is riding in a group will quickly adapt to this change of conditions and track positions, but there may be times when a new rider who is trying to learn this whole concept will be very uncomfortable changing tracks. The Drag Bike should pay special attention to inexperienced riders under these conditions.

This pattern may occur not only during a lane change, but also during a passing maneuver or when a group gets separated in traffic because of signal lights and traffic flow.

The Drag Bike will usually notify the Lead Bike and the rest of the group after a brief separation by one or more riders that the group has re-formed by saying, “We’re family.”

Changing Lanes into Faster-Moving Traffic



The same basic lane-changing principle for entering slow-moving lanes also applies when a group is entering faster-moving traffic where at least two lanes of traffic are moving in the same direction; that is, moving from the right lane to the left. The first bike to move creates a gap for the remaining bikes. Since traffic is pulling away from the group as each member enters the lane, this maneuver is done back to front.

The maneuver is accomplished in this manner: The Lead Bike signals for a lane change and announces to the group via CB and turn signals that the group will be moving to the left, back to front. Then the Lead Bike asks the Drag Bike to “secure the lane” to the left to which the Drag Bike should normally respond with “Stand by.” All station-keeping bikes maintain their position while this occurs, putting their own turn signals on to indicate the move to be made. The Drag Bike then moves first when a space in the lane to the left opens up and radios to the Lead Bike and the group, “The lane is secured.”

No one is to change lanes at this point, however! First, each rider must make certain the lane is clear by actually turning his head to insure that there is no other vehicle still approaching the group in the left lane. If a vehicle is still moving up beside the group, the Drag Bike will usually say, “After the red truck,” or “After the station wagon,” etc. Whether or not a warning is given by the Drag Bike (who may have other concerns with the traffic to his rear), each rider must do a head-check before entering a faster-moving lane.

The second bike to move will be the one in front of the Drag Bike. That rider moves across the tracks of the current lane, does a head-check, changes lane and then takes up a position in the track of the new lane where he was originally riding. By dropping to a speed slightly slower than the rate at which traffic in that lane has been traveling, each bike creates a gap into which the next bike forward can insert. Each rider follows this pattern: signal left, move left in your own lane, head-check, enter new lane, maintain (slower) speed to create gap, and take up regular position (left or right track) in the new lane.

The Lead Bike in this pattern is normally the last to enter the new lane. As the bikes move quickly and re-form their group, it is rare that a four-wheeler will move up into the gap in the new lane. If a cage moves into the gap, the next bike to move must wait for the cage to pass, so that a gap appears again. Then the maneuver can be completed and the group can re-form into a normal configuration.

[dantama]

Highway Group Riding 'rules' ...
never trump safety

By: James R. Davis
http://www.msgroup.org/Tip.aspx?Num=210

There are some common misunderstandings as to what the 'rules' are for group riding. For example, virtually everyone who has ridden in a group understands that they should try to keep the group together. That has become almost 'gospel' knowledge, yet is absolutely wrong if to do so involves increasing risk.

Said another way, though group riders know that they are to follow the lead bike, there is a caveat to that understanding - unless it is in to danger.

Keeping a group together can never have priority over safety.

Let's look at a common highway scenario to explore this from a realistic perspective. Below is a diagram of a situation in which a group finds itself riding in the right lane of a two lane highway as they approach an on-ramp. The lead biker has apparently failed to notice that a car is about to try to merge into the highway traffic.


Now if the group insists that it keep itself a group then that means one or more bikes in that group are going to have an encounter with a car's bumper. So, what should they do? Well, for sure it is NOT up to the lead bike to determine what actions to take as EACH rider is responsible for his own safety. Each rider in the group must decide for themselves what to do about the threat though there are a couple of things that they can do as a partial group in order to try to keep some semblance of order within their ranks.

For example, the third biker might turn on his turn signal and, after doing his head check, begin moving to the left lane. Group dynamics in that event will probably find that all the bikes behind that third bike will follow him into the left lane.



That is not the best thing they could have done but it demonstrates positive action on the part of at least one of the group's riders. What it leads to, however, is that after they move to the left the group now covers two full lanes and blocks all following traffic totally. Since group riders understand that they are not supposed to under any normal conditions pass the lead rider, the group in the left lane will in all probability not do so. And that leaves the car that entered the highway boxed in - and probably angry!



A second, and in my opinion far more appropriate action to be taken by biker number 3 is to simply slow down and widen the gap between his bike and the bike ahead of him. That allows the car to gracefully merge with traffic and you can be sure that as soon as that driver sees a way to move left into the next lane he will do so. (It apparently is 'threatening' to many car drivers to find themselves in the middle of a group of motorcyclists.)



When the car has entered the lane there are then two independent motorcycle groups in that lane - that is, they are no longer 'family.' The third biker has become the lead biker of the second group and he is then responsible for the navigation of that group. He can decide after awhile, if the car does not move left and out of their way, to move his group into the passing lane and increase speed until they can safely merge back into the right lane behind group one or he can decide to bide his time and simply maintain visual contact with the group ahead of him until the car moves out of the lane.



This has merely been an example of a real world situation in which keeping the group together MUST be subordinated to safety. It points out that though it is often believed that only the lead and drag bikers make decisions for the group, in fact each rider is REQUIRED to do so on behalf of himself, first, and the group, second.

Obviously the first thing that should have been done was to move the ENTIRE group into the faster left lane BEFORE approaching an on-ramp. And though that is not always appropriate it usually is.

Now, please, consider the situation in which the same group is approaching an off-ramp instead of an on-ramp. If there is a car in the left lane that must make that exit there is going to be an accident unless someone in the group is courteous enough, AND SAVVY ENOUGH, to slow down and let that car gracefully (and safety) merge through the group and exit the highway.

One more thing - this example demonstrates one more reason why you should not build your group rides with more than 6 to 8 bikes.

[dantama]

And here's Nico's excellent link.

http://www.scrc-sd.org/riderrules.htm

[cactusjack]

Ow! My head hurts from reading all that. Thanks, Dan for the info.

[ringadingh]

It was definately a few eyefulls of reading, good article though.

[flightdoc]

I'm never going on a group ride again. To much to remember.

thanks Dan.

One thing I will mention about minimizing the accordian or surging issue is this:

The group leader, and any intermediaries or outriders should make the "wind it up" signal just before they accelerate. This reduces the lag time before each rider reacts, and the sweep or "drag" rider doesn't up hitting 95 MPH to catch up with the group.

Of course that's part of what makes riding sweep fun: you don't get to lead the group, but you get to crank on the throttle harder.

OTOH it does not make for an enjoyable ride if the group is surging and then backing off all the time, and good signals can go a long way to mitigate that.

[ringadingh]

Ive ridden with groups where its a smooth flowing seamless stream of bikes for the most part. Then Ive also ridden with guys that make it an uncomfortable day of constant on and off the throttle. I think a lot has to do with people automatically slowing down for curves when there is really no need to do so in most cases. Some riders don't like to lean a bit into a curve and choose to back off the throttle instead. This is what causes the accordian effect for the people further back. Ive noticed also that some riders feel they have to have a 200 yard space in front of them also, instead of keeping a nominal distance to ride as a group. I experienced this last summer with one guy who seemed to like a huge gap no matter what.

Wow!!! I saw pages of words!!!! Maybe late tonight I'll put on some reading glasses and read it all!! It looks GREAT!!

[unwind2]

Wow - lots of good info - thanks for putting fingers to keyboard.

[Scoot]

I've been in a riding club for years, we do alot of group rides. Never had any problems that alots of y'all seem to be concerned about. Now I understand alot of you have never ride in a group, the best suggestion I can make, really comes from Dan practice,practice, practice. Join a riding club of get a group together and ride. I feel like I can ride with anybody. I've been in groups of from 20 to 30 up to some with 1000's. But like you showed there are rules and everyone needs to ride by them.

[dlarue]

Wow! That is a lot of great info. I saw the Thread Name, and just had to comment on something that honestly scared me pretty bad... As a treat for ourselves (we have had a ton of bad experiences lately, and they just seem to keep coming) we thought that we would take a break and take a ride up to the highest point in Arkansas, Mt. Magazine. If anyone has ever ridden here, it is absolutely gorgeous, but the roads are very dangerous. Got to the top and didn't spend much time there, because it looked like rain, and we could hear thunder in the distance. So, we started down the hill. We part way down before we saw a vehicle pulled over on the side of the road with their flashers on. We immediately slowed to see if we could help, and I knew from the look on their faces that something was very wrong. As I looked up the the tree line on the side of the road, my heart sunk. Trees torn up pretty bad.... I followed the aftermath, and saw what looked like front wheel in the ditch. "Oh NO!" I said, and we stopped to see what we could do. Apparently, the rider of the Suzuki Rocket that had crashed was with a small group coming down the mountain. The rider was pretty confused, and talking in circles, but he said that his brakes completely went out. There were no skid marks anywhere on the road, and he had ended up in a concrete drainage hole with his bike completely on top of him. Pulled the bike off, and he pulled himself up a little, and I realized where all of the blood was coming from. His leg was almost completely severed... It was terrible! I got his phone from him, and called his family. The rangers came, and found his helmet (he had taken it off after the crash in order to breath easier) and it had a huge dent in the side of it. I don't know how he managed it, but his head and back were completely fine. Now, this entire time felt like forever, but I finally saw his party members ride up.... 20 mins later!!!! How could it take that long to figure out you have lost a party member? Anyway, We left when the ambulance arrived... But as we rode home, I thought about how many bikes we had seen that day, and how that could possibly have been avoided. The man said his breaks went out, but from the look of the trees, and rocks that he hit, he was at a pretty high speed. All I have to say is be careful. We are at the height of riding season. If you are riding with a group, watch your fellow group members. It might save their life.

Originally Posted by dlarue

...his brakes completely went out....he had ended up in a concrete drainage hole with his bike completely on top of him....His leg was almost completely severed... his helmet...had a huge dent...I finally saw his party members ride up.... 20 mins later!!!! How could it take that long to figure out you have lost a party member?...

This is a big BIG deal to me. When you ride as a club or as a group, you keep each other in sight. If one member of the group is so far ahead or so far behind that he's out of sight from everyone else in the group, this is a definate screw up. Unless there is an arrangement or agreement that someone is breaking off from the group, you simply do not do this.

This poor guy was riding with people who either don't know better (and ya gotta be pretty stupid to not understand such a simple thing) or they simply do not care what happens to each other. I don't group ride in such situations. Even if it turns out you've got someone who has absolutely no business on such a ride, you do not abandon them on the road somewhere. Totally uncool.