Seeing there is a cruise coming up soon and more in the future. I thought i would add my input on the way you should go about cruising in a pack of 8 cars or more. The reason for my input is most cruises end up were people get lost or fragment on the journey. The reason for this is peoples lack of experience in a pack situation, even though its not rocket science you need to pay attention. There are two main points to it without writing a long winded story. One keep up with the pack never drop back to far, if you do for a number of reasons traffic hazards, lights, people cutting in to name a few. You need to get up with the pack as soon as possible. So keep the car in front of you close, if you do this it works all the way down the line. Drop back and you will loose the pack and others behind you drop further behind you so keep up. As in the animal kingdom if you do not run with the pack you get left behind. On the other side of cruising, the leaders of the cruise must keep an eye on the cars behind, and do not think that one car behind you means everyone in the pack are there. Do not change direction till all the pack catches up. If everyone sticks close it will not take long to fall into line. I could go on with other points, but i am done with what i think are the main reasons to a good cruise. if others want to add to the discussion feel free to do so. Cheers bigmax.
Given the wide age gap and experience levels of our owners, I'm not sure saying that it is up to the driver behind to keep up is the safest idea. It may put peer pressure on inexperienced drivers to push past their comfortable limits raising the risk of accident. If all the drivers attending had the same experience I would agree, but in the real world I don't think it's safe. Or is it a case of having a few more cruises so newer owners become familiar with our "cruise as hard as you can as long as you keep the car behind in your mirrors"? Good topic though. Any other suggestions?
in part your right In part Col i think your right. But what i think happens is the front runners take off, some break the speed limit and have there own cruise and break away. and this encourages the back markers to also speed to keep up. i say if they want to bugger off and leave everyone in there wake they should go cruising in a small group on there own. After all it a social event and the younger drivers just want to meet other zedders and have fun with out breaking the law.
In qld, starting from my very first cruise with captain rob at the helm, the simple rule is: Always keep the zed that is behind you within sight. If it means slowing down, slow down, then everyone in front will also slow as the following cars do. /cruise lesson
Yep, that's the way we've always done it in Vic too. But for whatever reason we're having some trouble. Not sure if it is people unfamiliar with how we cruise, longer term members forgetting some basics, pure adrenaline, or something else entirely. Any of the newer members want to chip in and put forward some thoughts?
This is the start and the end of it really. Just a shame that it sometimes seems tricky to convince people to actually do it.
yep, Mikey and Col .... add : Clear and comprehensive cruise notes. UHF 2 Way radios liberally spread throughout the cruise line. My experience has been that well documented, mapped cruise notes aid tremendously when a split does occur .... and our mob used the radios pretty much as a means of fun contact which also helped with staying in touch/sight.
For a large cruise, it could be run by having multiple leaders, or at least multiple people with UHF who know the route to be taken. A briefing of the route to be taken so that people wont be completely lost. In case the first group speeds off, there will be a alternate group to follow without deviating from the route. Checkpoints that will be used if someone does get lost along the way as a meeting point or just to wait till the other groups catches up. Phone number of one of the leading cars as backup in case someone does get lost.
I'll chip in for the younger, less experienced members and say that what Col said, is correct. I got pushed outside my comfort levels at a cruise involving a few cars, and it ended badly. Not saying that it was poor organisation by members of aus300, as I was behind a car that wasn't involved with us. It's a car "cruise" not a thrash your car to the limits and watch people try and catch up to you. Some people need to put their ego's behind them and care for others on the cruise.
Many times i have been looking in the rear view mirror, keeping an eye out for back markers and again i would say this is hard work. If they do not keep up to the zed in front of them, and they have other drivers cut in front of them, then you have traffic lights etc cars over the distance get strung out to far. You must pay attention and stick as close as you can to the zed in front of you. As long as the leaders do not take off and speed. If they are doing 110 in a 100 zone for you to catch up you need to do 120 or more, depending how far back you are. Its not easy if the guys behind also do not think of the guy leading the cruise. But as others have said nothing is perfect or absolute.
So long as this is your view...... then the basic rule works and works well...... As the leader, I tend to try and keep 2~3 zeds in my mirrors but its not allways posiable.... for example, where is the 4th zx in the pic ??? and at 100kph are the other cars in the pic zeds or other makes ?? ... easy to tell from looking at the pic but at speed its not clear at all, so in reallity I only have 3 ZX's on me. I recently went on a cruise with another car group as an "ordinary participant", and the group of 60 cars was splintered into 3 groups at a turn point, a simple mistake saw one group (middle pack) heading off in the opposite direction alltogether. Once I'd managed to turn them around and we'd caught up after some time I found that the issue wasn't so much the keep the car behind you in your mirror but the last car in the 1st group was more concerned with being left behind and getting lost so she peddled it to stay in touch with the lead group and forgot all about the rest..... it was only 5mins down the road that she realised she'd lost those behind. Even tho she then slowed, the group had split enough to get cars lost, when the 3rd group caught up she simply moved on again unaware of group 2 that was way behind..... it was only that I'd heard the leader say one name of a place we were going to on the run and that I am a local that I was able to get the pack back into the main group .... it took an hour to reform the entire cruise back together. It's obviously not just a case of keep a car in the mirror but also an issue of not being left behind, and in doing so the basic rule is ignored for a few minutes ...... long enough to cause a major split. I've got another cruise in a few weeks time...... this mob just gives you a list of address' and its entirely up to you to find your own way to each "point" and there is, unlike the GOR, multiple routes between each point.... This will be my 2nd year on this run and last year I was one 8 that got it right out of the ~25 that started good disscussion .... more thoughts ? :br:
May I just elaborate on a point ? A "cruise" is just that. By all means have a little safe,responsible fun but maybe even do slightly under the speed limit (in dual lane) roads to keep the group together and driving comfortable. It Also allows people to overtake and get pictures . Not mentioning a "cruise" to Dubbo z fest *cough* lol
I don't think "keep up with the car in front" can possibly work. Even if you ignore the safety of those trying to keep up with better drivers in faster cars...all it takes is one set of traffic lights, and the group can be cut in half. I think the problem we've had is that some people just don't want to have to slow down and wait for other cars. It's a simple rule to keep cars in your rear-view, but it only works if everyone sticks to it.
I tried to add some rules from the bike world for my cruise coming up. But decided is doesnt particually work for large vehicles. so ive scrapped it. The main obvious rule of "keeping the one behind you in sight" works! and it did work on the GOR when I pulled over along with two others when I noticed no one behind them! the rest of the pack caught up. But one car went past me -_- and the others in front of me didnt care I pulled over and continued -_- The other thing which im pushing for and wish we had for the GOR, is a map of the run. Ive provided the route we will take and stopping points, so that EVERYONE can print it off and study it and know it before the day, so they have a rough idea. Point is dont be a hero and think you have to drive fast to impress, slow down if the guy behind doesnt want to go that fast! for all you know there may be something wrong with his car!? its a "cruise" not a "race". Its a time to take the roof off and enjoy the sights and smells, why rush through it all???
In the past we have always had group mother and group father - give your quickest and slowest drivers the route plan, then break into 2 groups. Group mother is typically the slow girl in the group - she LEADS the people who just want to drive, keeps an eye on the person behind, and keeps the pack condensed. Works best if you put the slowest in the pack first then fastest at the back. Group father is typically the organiser, whereby he might vanish into the distance, followed by whoever wants to keep up. Another trick is to let everyone know where to meet when you are going through intersections, so it quickly gets a pain in the a$$ if you go through alot, and it pays to plan a route with the smallest number of intersections/stops. By keeping this secret, people can get lost and you lose the numbers. Just my 2c ...
yep, Cam ..... my reference to cruises notes was also meant to include a route map .. that is what used to happen up here, along with a cruise Director, radios and telephone numbers shared around.
This would of came about due to the issues of GOR. Yes? Anyway, as stated in the other thread sometimes the route is made up on the day. The whole thing about keeping the person behind you in the mirror works BUT EVERYONE must abide by it..
