Signal Guide.

Maybe there is one that I've missed but what would be really helpful for me personally is some kind of guide to learn. As I've experienced on ride outs, different people from different places often go by a slightly different signals from what another person would.

From my last ride out there was a person behind who had left there right hand indicator on. So I put my arm out straight and opened and closed my hand at the same rate to hopefully tell the rider. I did this twice but the indicator was still going. I caught up with the rider and they thought I was just flexing my hand which is fair enough.

I personally think it would help if there was a standard set of signals so I know I'm not giving the rider in front/behind a signal they may not know about or vice versa. The last thing I want to do is flex my hand and find an unexpected overtake from the person behind because they interpreted it as a signal to overtake.

The sort of signals that I would like to be clarified:

Person behind please overtake. (I pull in the clutch and wave them past but I've seen others use the left hand indicator. Am I doing it wrong? Or are they both right? Which is the best to use?)

To warn other riders of a police car. (I clench my fist and tap the top of my helmet, but I know there's many varieties of this signal so which is best used?)

Danger. (From what I've seen you point to whatever the danger is like oil on the road, is this correct?)

You have left your indicator on. (Like I said above I put my arm straight and open and close my hand, is there another way that is more obvious?)

How do you go about flexing your leg muscles? I've read that some people use there legs/feet for signals. For example a leg out can mean pass me on this side or hello.

I just want to make sure I'm giving out understandable signals whenever I'm on a ride out. If there's any others I've missed please explain them to me.

I always pull alongside & tap my own indicator..

[fizzwheel]

I've been on loads of rideouts. I've never seen anybody give anybody else any specific signals.

I'd be inclined not give any signals apart from using my indicators or brake lights just as I would do normally. Then that way theres no way any of your actions can be mis-interpreted.

If somebody gave me a signal that they wanted to pass. I'd also be inclined to ignore it and overtake when I felt and thought it safe for me to do so. Last thing you want to be doing is relying on somebody elses judgement especially in a big pack of bikes IMHO.

Best advice I've been given and can give. Is to ride how you want to ride, dont be goaded into riding faster than you want to and most importantly leave plenty of space between you and the bike on front of you.

I can see where your coming from Fizz, but if I have someone behind that I personally want in front then I'd like to have some idea as to when they are going to overtake. The last thing I want to do is to get setup for a bend/junction/whatever and find a rider that I wasn't expecting to be there down the side of me.

But I'm pretty in-experienced at all this so this could be in-experience talking or maybe I'm thinking way to much into this.

[fizzwheel]

Some people are going to overtake you no matter want you do or dont do.

If you want to let somebody by, flick your left indcator on and move to the left of your lane, but dont ride in the gutter or put yourself at risk. Theres no point flappping our arms about its to open to mis-interpretation IMHO.

But even if I was behind you and you did that and I didnt think it was safe for me to overtake I still wouldnt.

You shoudl find during a rideout that everbody is very courteous and behaves themselves so the circumstances you describe above are'nt IMHO going to happen. Just keep an eye on your mirrors keep your obs up.

The person running the rideout will normally give a brefiing and this normally includes "please dont ride like a d*ckhead" or words to that effect

I think you're worrying about it to much, the big secret to riding in a group is to leave plenty of space around you, that way if anything does go wrong then you have time to react to it and do something about it.

I'm no expert, its just how I've seen things work on the rideouts I've been on and organised.

I'm with Fizzwheel on this one, being a driving instructor I would say that if you give signals such as these then they can be interpreted in a number of ways, say for example someone flashes their headlights at you, what could that mean?

highway code states that you should only do this when you think someone hasn't noticed you, people use it when (some examples)

letting someone in
a rebuke
theres danger ahead
you've left your indicator on
alright mate hows it going?
Errr, you seem to have something hanging off your bike at the back, wait its a monkey!

I think its best to keep ambiguous signals to a minimum

Oh, and on the subject of TELLING someone to overtake, Fizzwheels right again, its for the person overtaking to deem that its safe to go not the person in front, when you do this you are in a way putting pressure on the person behind to go (even if they don't) and this is not safe. What if they overtake you and theres somone that does come the other way out of a junction for example, you told them to go, let them make up their mind then you can't have the finger pointed at you if something goes wrong. if you want to help someone overtake you could slow down a bit and move over left slightly in my opinion this would be the safest option, no signals necessary, no pressure

Hope this helps

Thanks a lot Fizzwheel and Endellion for your detailed explanations, that has made it allot clearer to me. I can also see where your coming from in regards to making it more unsafe by flapping my hand.

I get a lot of hand signals from other road users, they sometimes look like a clenched fist being shaken up and down in short jerky movements,bit like this dunno what it means but after many years of trucking the only signal I ever use is to give the '' thumbs down '' like the emperors give to gladiators if there times up, to warn others of speed camera vans, police presence etc.

the leg thing is from the continent. genrally see it when some fruitcake frenchman blitz past you and is saying thanks.

as you are on the other side of the road you cant wave with the hand nearest as this would mean taking your hand off the throttle. conversely people passing on the other side of the road will always wave instead of nod.

Hand held out and rapidily clinching fist means to me "turn your indys off you knob"

Right leg waving in the air means to me " I know you're there, now for goodness get that noisy bike out of my earshot"

Left hand pointing skyward and to the left " you're about to get your picture taken courtesy of local constabulary"