H.O.G. Hand Signal Chart

Listed below are the hand signals used by our chapter during all chapter rides. These signals are to be used by all riders in the group.

Please use common sense when passing signals back! You may see a road hazard in the road, but have not seen the road hazard signal. START THE SIGNAL! It's possible the rider in front of you missed the signal and/or didn't see the hazard.

Pass the signals back with proper timing! Slow down, stop, turns... These signals should be passed back immediately. It allows the riders to know what's coming up. Signal file, staggered, hazards... These signals should be passed back with proper timing. Meaning that the signal should be passed within approximately 50-150 feet of the issue, or more. Just use common sense to provide enough timing for the person behind you to react to the issue. Signals can be passed back very quickly. If you are in a large group, sending a single file signal back immediately can cause the riders behind you to modify their ride, and formation changes opens opportunity for errors and accidents. The tractor, or bicyclist you were passing that caused the single file may have turned off before the tail end of the pack has approached the issue. Thus they would not need to have changed to signal file, nor once again, change formation back to staggered. Where hazards come into play, passing those signals back immediately rather than at the site of the hazard, can cause people to miss the hazard. Especially in large groups. A hazard signal passed back immediately in a large group will almost certainly guarantee that the trailing end of the group will miss the hazard, they will get the signal, and having not seen the hazard for several feet may discount the signal as a mistake, and go back to site seeing and enjoying their ride. Then a few feet later, end up hitting the hazard everyone was passing the signal back for. So please keep these thoughts in mind when using hand signals.

Start Your Engines                                            Stop

Single File                                                Double File/Staggered Formation

Left Turn                                                            Right Turn

Hazard Left                                                    Hazard Right

Slow Down                                                        Pull Over