Runs should be fun

The club run is an integral part of the old motorcycle scene. During 2020, a variation on the usual theme emerged, enabling people to ride in the company of like-minded souls.

- Roy Poynting

There are several types of non-competitive road runs, and the simplest is undoubtedly just ‘follow my leader.’ Even with a large number of participants, this used to work well, but tends to become chaotic now higher traffic densities are compounded by impatient drivers, unhelpful traffic lights, and disruptive roadworks.

There is also the possibility of directing participants by posting arrows or marshals at every junction, but again this process has almost disappeared. Volunteer marshals are increasingly hard to find, putting out and retrieving arrows takes enormous effort, and the signs themselves are magnets for vandals and mischief-makers.

So, the methods most commonly used today are to set out a formal route, and either give a paper copy to every participant and let them find their own way around or to use the ‘drop-off’ system, in which whoever is immediately behind the leader waits to direct followers at junctions until the designated ‘tail end Charlie’ arrives.