Stopping Traffic ?

[Couchy]

Sat in a line of traffic on the way for a family day and I see several bikes approaching, more than several about 20. A mixture of adv bikes, 80’s bikes and a couple of cruisers. The first rider goes through the roundabout but then the second stops the traffic and the rest of them go through. WTF is that about and what gives them the right to stop traffic, they weren’t a back patch club but did look like some sort of bike club with a mix of bikes and riders. Prob be the first to moan about car drivers who don’t see them yet are happy making rules for themselves.

[Yorick]

I did some rides with the early VD lot and that happened sometimes.
The arrogance was embarrassing.

[Cousin Jack]

A group I used to ride with in MK had a couple of blokes who would do that.

I was not happy with it then, as you say it just pisses other drivers off

[Bigjawa]

That's all well and good, but sooner or later they'll meet some Kenneth Noye type and it'll not end well. I had a row with a couple of HOG types because I had the temerity to overtake them. Some people are just arses.

[Couchy]

That's all well and good, but sooner or later they'll meet some Kenneth Noye type and it'll not end well. I had a row with a couple of HOG types because I had the temerity to overtake them. Some people are just arses.

These weren’t HOG types but I did have one of them swerve out and put their hand up to try and stop me when I was overtaking a line of them cursing at 45mph on an A road, to sure why they think they own the road tbh although prob goes with the territory of being a lawyer, accountant etc

[The Spin Doctor]

Bunch of arses... maybe doing a charity run and thinking that makes them able to police traffic?

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Were they following the Road Captain?

[JackyJoll]

Were they following the Road Captain?

I think that’s the main thing.

[Trinity765]

I'm a ride leader for a very large club and this is not something we do for all the reasons above. We've stuck to covid rules since they existed so we've only been doing rides of up to six bikes or none at all for the last year. Prior to that it was any number with large events of 100+ bikes. FWIW I hate large ride outs and would avoid them if I could but I'm a valuable part of the organisation We have never and will never do this and do not advise any of our members to do it.

Someone in my group of around 25 did it once and I explained to him that he didn't need to as we use the marker system which will keep the group together and he was putting himself at unnecessarily at risk (and pissing car drivers off).

The only time I've seen it practiced intentionally by a group was on an Easter Egg run with the blood runners many years ago - from Worthing to Eastbourne on the A27 - every roundabout Did I see angry motorists - Yes I did. Did I ever go on another charity run with any other group - No.

Having said that, I was phoned last week by the father of a severely autistic girl who I arranged a ride past for a few years ago. She's 18 this month and he's asked if we can do it again. So we'll be riding past her party in a few weeks - max 30 bikes inline with the government guidelines . The gratitude he expressed last time was very sincere and he has offered to make a donation to a charity of our choice - how could I say no.

[Alan PBTD]

Am in the same boat as Trinity - and it's totally illegal. Did do it once tho' for Alvin's Stardust's funeral with 90 bikes the ''flying marshalls'' stopped the traffic and spoke to the lead car to explain what was happening - again not strictly legal but it seemed to work that day. Been out with some French Harley Clubs and they do it all the time - but things are different over there.

[Asian Boss]

If some twat on a motorbike did that I'd be getting the bat out the boot of the Astra.

[Rockburner]

I've done it for the Ace Cafe Christmas Toy Ride once or twice, but that's 500+ bikes in a procession, it's pretty obvious to drivers what's happening.

I've also "blocked" fast traffic on the road while following Vintage riders on the Pioneer Run, mainly to try to keep not-so-aware drivers a safe distance from doddery old riders on even more doddery old bikes. Some of those bikes are no faster than a pedal bike.

But for a club run i wouldn't countenance it.

[Taipan]

They did it on the Sarfend Ambulance run thing. I felt embarrassed by it and split from the group. I thought it incredibly arrogant to assume we had some sort of priority over other road users. That said Rockburner makes a good case for it on some occasions.

[Yorick]

I did a Xmas toy run in about 1994 in Bradford. About 10 mile route and hundreds of bikes.

The police blocked off roads and cars saw that we had presents for kids.

[Couchy]

Just to be clear this wasn’t a charity run just a group of bikes on a ride through the peaks. Tis what it is but it’ll give all of us a bad name even though we don’t have anything in common with these ‘bikers’.
It’s the reason I’m a person that rides motorbikes and not a biker

[Mussels]

I've been on a run years ago (first and last large organised one) run like that with the police involved, they had marshals stopping the traffic. Even with police there it seemed wrong and possibly some groups think it's fine to do any time because they did it with plod at some point.
It is every bit as bad as gypsies blocking town centres for funerals, maybe it needs some examples made in court to remind people they aren't allowed to manage traffic by mob rule. Does anyone know where the law is on this and how the hell motorists are meant to spot if it's legal?

[The Spin Doctor]

I did a Xmas toy run in about 1994 in Bradford. About 10 mile route and hundreds of bikes.

The police blocked off roads and cars saw that we had presents for kids.

Police have legal powers.

I was one of the first members of the National Motorcycle Escort Group and we were trained by police to escort cycle races and so on to near-police standards... but it was also firmly explained we had no powers to stop traffic.

[Mr. Dazzle]

The first time I did the Ace Cafe Toy Run, which would probably have been Christmas 2001, there was no police escort but there were so many bikes the roads were de facto shut anyway. The next year the police started providing an escort.

I remember one year a fella was trying to edge out into the stream of a few hundred bikes all running a red light and inevitably getting waved at alot etc. Someone stopped to speak to him - it may have actually been our own RB come to think of it - and it turned out he was actually trying to get his daughter to hospital! IIRC he got his own police escort through the bikes after that.

[GuzziPaul]

I bloody hate that sort of thing. As a bloke that hangs around on street corners with a yellow jacket on and can legally stop people with traffic signals I won't direct traffic by waving my arms about. The Highway Code is very clear who can and cannot control traffic and should you decide to ignore it you could be liabil for any collision. Often when we have signal off I get drivers asking if thay can go, I either suggest they do what the highway code says or tell them it's up to them. However, I will help old people and parents with kids across using the yellow jacket of invincibility to stop traffic.

[Rockburner]

The first time I did the Ace Cafe Toy Run, which would probably have been Christmas 2001, there was no police escort but there were so many bikes the roads were de facto shut anyway. The next year the police started providing an escort.

I remember one year a fella was trying to edge out into the stream of a few hundred bikes all running a red light and inevitably getting waved at alot etc. Someone stopped to speak to him - it may have actually been our own RB come to think of it - and it turned out he was actually trying to get his daughter to hospital! IIRC he got his own police escort through the bikes after that.

Now you say it - yes I remember that.