London City Bikers - Cornerman Rideout Quiz

Everyone's an individual, man - just go with the flow

The devil and the damned souls

Ride leader, tail-gunner and cornermen/markers

Front man, back-up man and flyers

I have no intention of waiting at corners

The back of my neck tingles

I see a corner not being marked well, or someone hasn't stopped - so I can find a better place to mark the corner and make sure the ride continues smoothly

I am the biker immediately behind the ride leader, and he is pointing with his hand where he wants me to stop as cornerman

When I signal to ask all the bikes to join me at a fuel station, so slowing down the entire rideout for 15 minutes while I fill up the bike.

At organized rideout fuel-stops - approx every 100 miles

When I race forward to tell the leader I've got 10 miles left in the tank

At the start of the ride, as close as possible to the start point so you have a full tank with everyone else

Anything more than 27mph is asking for trouble from the police.

My bike can't tell me the speed when I'm wheelieing all the time.

In general you should be able to travel at the national speed limit of 60mph with some confidence, and observe posted speed limits - otherwise you may be slowing the ride down dangerously.

About 120mph is best, sometimes slowing for bends or cows.

Til I get bored

Only when the tail-gunner comes and signals me to move on and rejoin the ride

After about 5 minutes

Until I get concerned the ride may be falling apart

The ride leader, as he's the one showing us all where to go

Each cornerman is important as they make sure everyone knows where to go next

The tail-gunner is the most important as he is the one who actually collects the cornermen. If he doesn't know which corners to take the whole ride falls apart.

All of the above - though arguable the tailgunner is the most important, as if he gets to the destination okay, then everyone has done a good job.

Being a cornerman is a little dangerous. Its important to mark a corner as safely as possible, ideally out of the traffic but still visible. Its also important not to slow down a ride or the cornermen may be in danger longer than necessary.

Danger is my middle name

Not at all, I like trucks to pass me within inches of me on a roundabout

Its so dangerous I can't sleep at night

Me? I don't mark corners - that's for everyone else to do!

Out of the way of the traffic - ideally up a kerb, in a driveway, or calm/marked bit of road

In the middle of the road so that I am totally obvious

Just before or on the corner so that I am most visible to oncoming bikers as they approach, and oncoming traffic too

After the corner, so that I have time to slow down and hide from the scary bikers

Get off your bike and stand on the pavement

Stand in the middle of the road, directing traffic

Wave your hands at the bikers approaching to tell them where to go

Avoid gravel and nails/sharp-things in the road where cornermen sometimes park, as that could make you slip or give you a puncture.

Use your bike to block traffic so the ride can dominate the roads

Its probably the bike that looks like its the last one, because there's a big gap after it

Its safe to assume that the loudest bike is the tailgunner

I'm a bit lazy and like to assume that someone will tell me everything I need to know

Its the responsibility of every biker to ask the leader who the tailgunner is, or it is not safe for them to join the ride.

Bikers getting lost and re-grouping, possibly due to a cornerman issue

Larger rideouts with more bikers over longer distances getting space apart

A rideout member having an accident

Bikers riding slower than needed and below the posted speed limits

Someone having a problem with their bike - hopefully nothing basic they should have checked before joining the rideout

Bikers holding back at the rear, so they can get a fast run down some of the roads

Bikers having a cigarette, when everyone else is getting ready to head off

Traffic lights turning red

Everyone trying to make good progress along the ride, keeping their cornerman place, and not waiting any more than absolutely necessary.

Someone stopping to have a wee (sometimes this does get urgent ;)

Busy junctions/roundabouts/traffic

5 minutes is about average

It varies depending on the weather

10-to-15 minutes is quite normal on longer/bigger rideouts

Perhaps an hour or more in extreme circumstances - e.g. if one of the bikers has an accident and the tailgunner is waiting for an ambulance. In which case the ride leader will probably travel up and down the line to tell everyone, make sure they're safe, or safely cancel the ride.

Stay at your corner, to make sure the ride still works when everyone gets to you. Phone the leader/tailgunner on their mobile if you can.

Ride back to the previous cornerman to see if he's still there

Ride to the front to tell the leader the ride might be falling apart (cos, it has now!)

Just head home to watch F1 on TV

They don't have to wait too long until the tail-gunner arrives to collect them

Bikers riding in groups with big gaps inbetween

They see a regular stream of bikers passing - everyone making progress, even if there are gaps

Sunshine

He will realise that there are not many bikers following him close behind, so somewhere the ride is slowing down

He must have Extra Sensory Perception!

The tail-gunner and some of the riders are probably talking to him on the mobile phone while he rides

He doesn't need to worry. With enough cornermarkers he just knows everyone will get there eventually

Slow down the ride to let the group catch up

Throw his toys out of the pram, cry, and go home.

Stop the ride, and follow the cornermen back down the line, see everyone's okay, identify the problem and help fix it. This means all the cornermen still need to keep their position.

Stop the bikes to let everyone catch up and talk on the phone as needed

Yes, though as slowly as possible so I can ride into oncoming traffic.

Personally, I like to overtake the ride-leader even though I don't know where I'm going and enjoy getting lost!

Yes - preferably by indicating you want to overtake, and the rider infront of you moves over for you to pass

Yes - Having the faster riders at the front of the group can help speed up the cornerman system too, making things safer.

No! Its rude for people to overtake me - they should all wait behind me for their turn on the twisties.

Yes, as long as there is ample space and its done considerately so as not to surprise the rider you're overtaking.

Preferably as fast as possible, or around blind corners. Undertaking is even better.

Yes - its good to try to get to the very front of the pack, right behind the leader and potentially annoy the others waiting their turn to be helpful cornermen on the ride

Race up and down the rideout waving your hands in "YMCA" sign-language

Twitter

Smoke signals

Every rider should try and get the phone numbers of key rideout members before the ride starts. These numbers will often be sent around by emails in advance, so you should make a note of them then. Failing that a post on Meetup might get you a response too.