Just for my own knowledge and understanding.......
I am riding down the highway, traffic is somewhat heavy....another bike comes by....what's the protocol if i wanted to ride behind him but not side by side nor real near to him....i figured two bikes are better seen then one.....
Do other bikeers mind, i certainly wouldn't if another joins behind me and doesn't impede my lane or escape route......i would ne ok in a staggered formation....

 

I's say if you don't know them keep a distant stagger so the other rider doesn't think your closing in on them. Riding solo has a lot to do with personal space. My $0.02




BOB

 

As long as you don't crowd him, it's a public highway.

If I were up front, I wouldn't object to you running "back door".

 

Unless I know them, I never get beside another rider at stops or while we're riding. I treat another rider like they're in a car.

 

Whats a good distance between riders 10 yards? 15 yards.. Wouldn't want to leave too much room, where a car would sneak in, but as you said " not crowd " the other rider.

 

You're overthinking it a little. You're not riding with that person, they're just another person on the road.

I do the distant stagger--it's basically just safe following distance and offset.

 

He's not overthinking it at all. It's a solid question, and the answer is the same for cars or bikes:

The safe following distance if you're behind the vehicle in front is two seconds. So, you watch the vehicle in front of you pass a fence post, count one-one-thousand-two-one-thousand and you should be at the fence post.

At 60 mph, which is 88 feet per second, two seconds is 176 feet.

If you're actually riding with someone and you're in a stagger, you should be at least one second behind the bike in the stagger, two seconds from the bike directly in front of you. Not in a stagger, but riding single file? Two seconds.

 

This. I failed to add, because I go the speed limit or a little above, I rarely get the chance to "ride with another rider" or them with me.

 

That's about it, if you come up behind someone, Don't Blind Spot him/her.
Put yourself in a position so you can see his face in his rear view mirror.
If you can see his face he can see you.

 

I know all of that.

-What I don't know is their experience/if they can maintain their side of the lane
-I don't know for sure if they see me
-I don't know if they had a beer or two...or more
-I don't know where their head is at/appreciate my presence

It's a stranger, not a group ride. I keep normal following distance like a car, the offset is just a bonus.