Every ride starts with a7:30 a.m. open A.A. breakfast meeting at the Alano Club in San Francisco, followed immediatly at 9:00 a.m. with the ride. Breakfast is six bucks and  the meeting lasts an hour. The route is pre-planned with a leader and a sweeper, so just print a map from our home page and enjoy the ride. Faster riders are free to go on ahead; wave as you pass us and we'll assume you know the way. You don't ride so fast? Don't worry. Ride at a pace you're comfortable with and rest easy knowing the sweep is happily bringing up the rear so no one gets left behind. We typically ride 200 to 250 miles a day and stop every 90 miles or so to refuel, stretch our legs and shoot the breeze. There's a midday stop for lunch (we avoid fast food joints in favor of sit-down restaurants), and we're usually home by dusk. Don't want to stick around all day? No problem. Cut out any time. Just let us know you're leaving so we don't think you're lost.

Do you guys ride Ducs-in-a-row?                              

  Group riding makes me kinda nervous.

It's common for newcomers to be nervous about riding with strangers. As Bill CCs It is dedicated to safety, and we follow tried-and-true group riding techniques. We ride in staggered formation on the highway and single file on the twisty bits. We're mindful of other riders and don't crowd anyone.

Absolutely. If it's got two wheels and a motor, c'mon out. Everyone is welcome, regardless of what they ride or what size engine it has. Take a look at some of the pictures on our site. You'll see every type of motorcycle you can imagine, including a Honda Reflex 250 scooter (that's it in the photo below). We haven't had anyone show up on a trike, but if you've got one, c'mon out and play with us.

  How fast do you ride? Will I be able to keep up? Or are you all slowpokes who'll keep me waiting at every intersection? 

This is another common question, and often a big concern among new riders. We've got some fast riders. We've got some slow riders. Most are somewhere in between. Everyone rides at his or her own pace, and NO ONE is left behind. Every ride has a designated sweeper who happily brings up the rear, and we've found that even the slowest riders are rarely more than 5 minutes behind the leader. We move along at a steady pace, regroup whenever there's a change in the route and make regular stops for gas. You won't get left behind, and no one's gonna think you're too slow.

We'd prefer that you have at least a year's experience and a couple of hundred miles on your bike. Please don't show up the day after you buy a new motorcycle; it's better if you've taken some time to get used to it before riding in a group. You should have a thorough understanding of riding basics -  cornering, controlled stops, riding on rough roads and handing a motorcycle in all weather conditions.

  What happens if I break down?  

Everyone should make sure his or her bike is in solid condition before riding, which means making sure your tires are properly inflated and have good tread, your brakes are in working order, your chain is clean and lubed, you've got enough oil and there's nothing obviously wrong with your ride. Do at least that much and your chance of breaking down is greatly diminished. Everyone also should have the tool kit that came with the motorcycle when it was new, plus an assortment of zipties, a tire patch kit and a cell phone. We've got enough experienced riders in the group that we can probably get you going if it's a minor problem. If it's something we can't fix, we'll make sure you and your bike get home safely.

    What happens if I crash?  

We're not going to lie to you - we've had riders go down. It's rare, and serious crashes are rarer still, but it has happened. In the event someone goes down, the entire group stops. If the rider is OK and the bike rideable, we'll continue on our way. If the bike is too damaged to ride, at least one or two people will stay with the rider and his or her bike to make sure they get home safely. In a worst case scenario where a rider is seriously injured, at least one or two people will wait for police and/or paramedics to arrive, then accompany the rider to the hospital while another member of the group tends to the motorcycle. We've got a handy "vehicle release form" (download it here) that you can use to designate a "guardian" for your motorcycle so the CHP does not impound it. We recommend you carry one in your tank bag.
We want to stress that accidents are very rare, but we want newcomers to know we have a protocol for dealing with them.