Charity Rides

[Harvey]

I have participated in only two charity rides here in the Boston area over the past several years and have seen several of them pass by my house. The rides I joined were not pleasant. What I have experienced is that these participants are predominately Harley riders. Ridng among the "loud pipes" crowd has turned me off to the whole thing. I have "biker" friends but continue to turn down their group ride invitations because I don't enjoy this. Is it like this everywhere with charity rides?

 

[colin]

Never done a charity ride. Not sure they even exist out here.

How do they work? Does everyone pay something to participate which goes to charity? Curious how the ride raises cash....

 

[dcarver]

I've become less tolerant of riding with ANY group who I don't know the rider proficiency factor these days..

 

[harfooz]

I've only done one -- a Toy Run for a local orphanage. There were several hundred bikes, and by far most were HDs. I didn't like the pipes blasting in my ear from the bike on my left, but the pace was comfortable and everyone had a good time. There were plenty of burgers, hot dogs and coffee for us at the beginning of the ride. People were welcoming -- even to the guy on the Ninja (i.e. me). I'll do this particular ride again for sure. Just be sure you wear your ear plugs!

There seem to be a lot of other charity rides that go from bar to bar -- at least it seems that way from the write-ups in local biker magazines you find at the shops. Those don't interest me at all.

 

[old&slow]

I've become less tolerant of riding with ANY group who I don't know the rider proficiency factor these days..

I went on one charity ride ,, a Christmas toys for kids thing. One sport bike (me) ,, one sport-touring bike ( my buddy) the

rest Harley's.. Rode about two miles to drop off the toys.. The other riders looked at us and acted like we had the plague when we showed up..

Now I just donate money to known charities and enjoy riding by myself...

I Don't like riding in herds...

 

[mdisher]

Yes, that's what Charity rides are all about.

- Loud Pipes

- Slow parade like pace

- Lots of hootin and hollerin over nothing.

I suggest you look into Rally's Start with a nice 12 hour rally like the Void next year, or the MD20-20 for a good 24 hour fix.

 

[user 6393]

I've become less tolerant of riding with ANY group who I don't know the rider proficiency factor these days..

Now I just donate money to known charities and enjoy riding by myself...

I Don't like riding in herds...

woof

 

[Silver Penguin]

I have participated in only two charity rides here in the Boston area over the past several years and have seen several of them pass by my house. The rides I joined were not pleasant. What I have experienced is that these participants are predominately Harley riders. Ridng among the "loud pipes" crowd has turned me off to the whole thing. I have "biker" friends but continue to turn down their group ride invitations because I don't enjoy this. Is it like this everywhere with charity rides?

Harvey, I share your opinion. When I had a cruiser, I did one of these rides. Must admit that the people were very friendly. I paid a fee to enter, which went to the charity. There was coffee and bagels at the start point. We left, in a herd, to ride about 15 miles to a local bike show (the ****s and booze one, not the IMS). It was pretty impressive to see all the lanes of the freeway filled with bikes, as far as the eye could see but there were some jokers in the pack who couldn't hold their place and had to overtake. Foks, this was a parade, not a race. Not safe to be cutting in and out.

It is my personal preference to ride in a group of no more than 3-4 riders, of similar ability on similar bikes, with similar goals. There is nothing quite like an icy cold beer after a ride but I can't enjoy it unless my bike has been put to bed for the night. Bars and bikes don't mix, in my book.

 

[Harvey]

Never done a charity ride. Not sure they even exist out here.

How do they work? Does everyone pay something to participate which goes to charity? Curious how the ride raises cash....

Yes, every rider pays to participate and the proceeds go to the charity. There are many of these in this area.

The rides are usually short, about an hour or so, ending at a cookout with some kind of entertainment.

I live on a main city street which is also the route of the Boston Marathon. Several charity rides (and walks) choose this route.

There is a ride the day before the marathon that follows the route.

It's entertaining to see so many "real riders", the loners and bad boys rumbling by on their individually customized American Iron.

There is an annual ride to benefit the Ronald McDonald house in my town. Each year in an August evening, over a thousand bikers will cruise through chi-chi neighborhoods to raise thousands of dollars for that charity.

My favorite to watch go by is the Halloween ride.

You can't miss these rides because they are so loud and long.

I don't participate because I am so out of character.

I do find these things can be entertaining to watch though.

~Harvey

 

[harfooz]

Never done a charity ride. Not sure they even exist out here.

How do they work? Does everyone pay something to participate which goes to charity? Curious how the ride raises cash....

In addition to the fees charged, there is often a "50-50" type of raffle where riders buy a raffle ticket for 50% of the cash raised, and the other 50% of the cash goes to charity.

'fooz

 

[FJRay]

Would rather donate when and where I can and avoid the noise of the rolling road block syndrome.

 

[FJRGuy]

We need to organize charity rides where people sponsor by the mile (like the walk-a-thons when i was a kid). One FJR would pobably raise more than a dozen HDs!

 

[Rogue]

I've done a few, the worst was the Love Ride.... 15,000 bikes and about 100 of the riders knew how to ride. :dribble: :dribble: :dribble:

The Pediatric Brain Tumors rides aren't bad, the kids are there & you have anything from Dual Sports to Sport Bikes to Cruisers to Gold Wings to Sport Tours with the kids riding along on trikes and in side hacks.

 

[Fred W]

Skip the chopper boy wannabee charity toy ride BS and keep an eye on the FJR group rides in the Northeast subforum. We know how to have fun day rides, it costs nothing to attend (except whatever you opt to spend on food) and we don't ride around the city. Plus you'll meet people with more similar life interests that can make multi-syllabic words fit into real sentences.

I do not want to appear to be an elitist (even if I am one?) but some of those loud piped charity riders remind me of the greeters at Walmart. :dribble: I'm jus' sayin'...

 

[happyPuppy]

No. I have in the past and I do not care for them. I donate my time and money to the Salvation Army. A few reasons: I have no idea if the money and what percent is going to the cause. They usually wind up at a bar + riding + people I do not know can equal problems. Last year a woman rider fell of her bike in the parking lot. Not crashed, she just fell off and then the bike crashed itself. That pretty much did it for me.