Frequently Asked Questions

Group Riding Hints/Etiquette

Please be aware on the ride calendar that all times stated are the leaving times.
Due to circumstances for breakfast/lunch rides there are usually time frame commitments and rides must leave on time unless otherwise stated on the calendar or at the meetings.

(All advice and information is given as a guide only. All riders should be licensed and insured. Always observe road rules and ride safely.)

1. Arrive on time for the ride with your tank full.
2. If leaving a ride tell the leader and tail end charlie, wait until ride leaves, then leave ; or depart well before the main group, so others don't get confused.
3. Never pass on the left on a single lane road and only pass when safe.
4. Always check your mirror and over your shoulder before overtaking.
5. If you pass the ride leader you are on your own. If you miss a corner we won't come looking for you. In some branches overtaking the leader is not allowed.
6. There is only one person responsible for your safety. You. Always ride within your limits.
7. Riding in a staggered formation ie: One to the left of the lane, the next rider to the right, gives a greater view of the road ahead.
8. If you spot something on the road ie: a pot hole, a piece of wood etc, point to it with an out stretched arm and the rider behind will be alerted and hopefully avoid it.
9. If you are slowing down, either by using the gears or just easing off the throttle, tap the brakes. Your brake light will come on and alert the rider behind. 10. You should check your tyre tread and pressure and fluid levels before each ride.
11. Try not to keep the group waiting when they are ready to leave.
12. Always leave at least a 2 second gap between you and the vehicle in front.
13. If you are behind slow moving traffic and are not going to over take, keep to the left so that others may pass you safely.
14. After you over take, move to the left hand side of the lane so there is room for the next person to slot in.
15. If you are leading the ride please give everybody 10 mins notice so they have time for toilets and pay for meals etc.
16. It highly recommended that all riders do an advanced rider course (half the cost may be refunded by the Ulysses Club).

Chris Glover
Ride co-ordinator
04/05/06

Four Second Rule

Most of us have heard of the 4 second rule i.e.. keeping a 4 second gap between the rider in front and ourselves. The rule goes out of the window in built up areas as someone will always take up the space. However, on the open road following this simple rule can make riding your bike safer and more enjoyable. When people ride too close they tend to stagger so as to give themselves a better view of what's ahead but there is only one best line through any corner or down any road and we should all be trying to get on it. Using the 4 second principle as a minimum requirement in good conditions (we may need a longer gap in bad weather) allows us all to get on that best line and gives us time to react with confidence and avoid any nasties that may try to upset us.
Best regards Brian.
(Dec 2006)

Ride Leader

So you want to lead a ride!!

Leading a ride is easy, and there is nothing quite like looking in the mirror and seeing a long line of bikes behind you. There are a couple of things to remember, but if you need any help just ask our ride co-ordinator.
1. Avoid the freeway if possible. It is boring and at times can be dangerous.
2. Pick a road which has fuel stops around every 180 kms, plan which ones to use and inform riders of these.
3. Stop every 1-2 hours for a leg break and toilet stop, these can sometimes be incorporated into a fuel stop.
4. Before the ride give a quick talk about the route to be taken, how far to the first fuel stop, ask if everyone understands our second man corner marking system and ask for volunteers for tail-end-charlie.
5. In general, shorter rides not too far from the coast are best in real hot weather or very wet days and longer country rides on the milder days.
6. Try to eat places that offer a variety of food and prices. Remember to book and give approx numbers. Confirm numbers on the day.
7. If on a longer ride, consider exchanging phone numbers with tail-end-charlie.
8. If you only have one person behind you, stop with him on the next corner and have a chat till some one else catches up.
9. Try to avoid roads with lots of corners that need marking.
10. Try to avoid main highways. Back roads have less traffic and are normally more interesting.
11. If possible ride the route a few days before the actual ride day to check for road works etc.

Chris Glover
Ride Co-ordinator
07/04/06

Second Man Marking

Our branch uses the second man corner marking system. It is a very simple system, but it is amazing how often it goes wrong. In this system, who ever is behind the ride leader (the second man) , stops on the corner with indicator flashing and/or gesturing (no, not with the middle finger!) so that those behind know which way to turn.
He stays on the corner until tail end charlie ( the last rider) is in view and he is sure he has seen him (he may wave or flash). If we come to a roundabout and are going straight on, there is no need to mark the corner.

That's basically it.
How can you stuff that up, I hear you ask.

1. Forgetting to stop when you are second. (hopefully the person who is third realises this and stops to mark the corner)
2. Not stopping long enough on the corner. Sometimes you might be on a corner for 20-30 mins. This could be because you have a slow rider, a small mechanical fault, a bee sting or some other minor upset. Sometimes people have mistakenly thought tail end charlie must have passed and they did not see him, but usually it is one of the aforementioned reasons for the delay. Leaving your corner early could cause the remainder of the pack to get lost.
3. Turning where there is no corner marker and the second half of the group follow. The first half then retrace their steps to find the second half vanished! A variation of this is where someone sees riders who are actually not from their group turn a corner, and, thinking they have forgotten to mark the corner, sits there and proudly directs the rest of the group down the wrong road, pleased with himself for picking up the unmarked corner!

So what happens if I'm there for ages and no one turns up?
If possible, leave your pillion on the corner to direct any other riders that may come along, and proceed back to the last corner marker (if he is still there). He should go back to the previous corner and so on. When the reason for the hold up is found a plan of action must be made, probably some one will stay with the person in trouble and the others will continue on, don't forget that there is probably others marking corners in front of you as well.

So there you have it. Till you see how it works just stay back from the second man position.

Chris Glover
Ride Co-ordinator
(Feb 2006)

Tail End Charlie (TEC)

Arguably equally as important as the ride leader,

TEC rides behind the slowest rider in the group and is there to help any rider who has mechanical or medical problems (quite often a flat tyre or no fuel).

Ideally TEC has basic first aid knowledge, a first aid kit, basic tool kit, a mobile phone and the numbers of bike recovery, police and ambulance.
If a rider is in trouble, sometimes the ride leader is oblivious to this and its TEC left to deal with the problems.
If a bike breaks down, he should try to help the owner repair the fault or phone for someone to collect the bike and rider.
If no phone service, send a rider or flag down a car to ring from the next town. Likewise, if a person is injured or unwell, ask them, if conscious, if they would like you to seek medical help or an ambulance.

When approaching a corner marker TEC can assist the corner marker by flashing his lights or waving his arm to let him know you have seen him. This allows him to rejoin the ride and TEC to negotiate the corner without the need to slow or stop.

Leaving A Ride

Please ensure ride leader and tail end Charlie knows of your intentions when you leave or break away from a ride.
If you don't wish continue on a ride please wait while the main group leaves before you leave to ensure those who wish to continue may do so.
This avoids confusion for all.

Origin of the name "The Pottymen"

In 1987 I was working in the same office as Janet Kent and for my 42nd birthday she gave me a big wooden spoon. For some as yet unexplained reason she thought I was a stirrer.
Fast forward to 2001 and the start of Warnbro Sound Wanderers. Pat and I at that time were also attached to Fremantle branch having been inaugural members and we used to attend all their meetings. To liven things up I started taking along my spoon and at every meeting I would stand up and have a go at someone or all of them depending on how I felt on the night.

Fast forward about 6 months and they decided to get me back by presenting me with the Potty inscribed with the following

The Brian Lowther Bull**** Mixing Bowl.

1) add one or more fresh stories using good friends as the base.
2) add a hint of credibility plus generous amounts of "white lies".
3) sprinkle in a pinch of truth for extra flavour.
4) with the spoon provided stir vigorously until most of the truth has disappeared.
5) leave to simmer then serve hot.
6) garnish with a smile and lots of laughter.
7) serve in large portions.
8) Enjoy.

At our next meeting I introduced the Potty and told the members that we were to be called the Pottymen and to this day the name has stuck with us. The Potty is at every meeting as is the spoon.

Well that's the story of how we became the Pottymen. But in knowing we are superior to Fremantle I couldn't let them have the last laugh so I went to their next meeting and making up a story about a chicken presented them with a stuffed one which they still have today and that is how they became the Chickenmen.

But that's another story,
Best Regards Brian and Patricia.

Which badges are given out by the branch?

The badges that are given out by the branch are 60, 70, 80, etc for the ages and 15.20.25.30, etc for continuous years of membership. This is why our secretary is always asking for people to make sure they have filled out their contact details so she can keep all records up to date.

In 2005 it was decided by the committee that WSW branch would buy these badges and give them out rather than members buy them. Unfortunately, it was also decided that the 50 age badge wouldn’t be given by the branch as there were too many of that age coming up and it would have been too expensive for the us to cover.

To the best of my knowledge WSW is the only branch covering the cost of badges for their members.

Dianna