Group Rides

[Feejer/Weejer man]

You should leave your racing to the track. Spirited riding is one thing but all out racing not only give moto a bad rap, too many kids on sportsbikes, but is also dangerous to all people on the road.

Talk about group rides, everyday I have to ride in a cage is a group ride to me.

 

[weekend rider]

Interesting remarks made by all riders about group rides. It sounds as if most of the fjr riders can be called an army of one, "we are solo riders"

Absolutely nothing wrong with group rides as long as rules are followed. What jumps out here in all the remarks is how insecure one feels with riding with others.. Is it not being able to ride your own way or is it conforming to an alternate style that you think does not fit your riding abilities? Group rides are part of the sacred rite of get togethers. Have you ever heard anyone say , lets all get together for a solo ride and we will all stop and have lunch at the same time, arriving one by one. What excuses we make for ourselves to ride solo.

What makes group rides succesful, is the leader. I have beem on group rides and really still do not care for them, but I am getting used to riding with them and it is very enjoyable. riding is about meeting new people, sharing, exchange of ideas information make a new friend, that is what it is about. Anyone can ride solo try carrying on a conversation with yourself?

So what is needed is a good leader, good riders that understand there own pace (slower ,faster ), and communications amongst all the riders at a pre ride meeting.

And one thing to remember you can not control the other persons actions or be responsible for his mistakes

Just a different twist of thought

When the WFO 6 comes lets have a meeting of all the solo's :yahoo: weekend rider

 

[Derek]

i'll ride in heavy trafic when i have to, but i will not volunteer for it so that i can go to a pig roast.

derek

 

[mdisher]

Certainly a good leader can make the experience more pleasant.

I think it's not that we we prefer riding solo because we like talking to ourselves, it's just less work and it's safer.

I mean even when you do know the guys you're riding with, unless you know them really, really well, and that's not usually the case in *most* group rides, you end up responsible for two other people, the person in front of you and one behind you.

So you have to ride your ride, and make sure you don't run over the guy in front of you and give him plenty of space. But then you're also watching the guy behind you to make sure he/she is still back there, and that they have enough room and aren't trying to run over you.

That's what makes most group rides frustrating when you're not leading or just riding sweep. It's a lot of damn work, and at the pace most of us 'Sport-tourers' ride it's harder to enjoy the ride.

:blink:

 

[rontoride]

I've just about given up on group riding for all of the reasons mentioned above. Historically my "group rides" have been with bikers who's main purpose on the ride was to get to the next bar or restaurant doing a wheelie. If we left early in the morning I would be riding with people nursing hangovers. So my choices were to go out and find a new bunch of friends or ride alone....so I ride alone. No agenda, no anxiety about somebody doing something stupid that is going to cause me to meet the pavement, and a ride is actually a ride, not a reason to go have a beer. The problem with riding alone is that when a group gathering is initiated (EOM, WFO, etc...) I tend to stay away because I know that they will mean groups of riders unfamiliar with each others styles riding technically challenging roads together. Almost a recipe for disaster it seems.

A big +l

 

[wallypiper]

I like riding with the two or three other riders that I know well. We all leave our egos out of it, ride our own pace, watch out for each other without feeling like we need to keep track of each other. We do tend to ride the same pace for the most part and we all mostly know our way around so we don't have stay in sight of each other all the time to keep from getting lost. I don't like group rides with strangers much because of the lack of confindence and trust in each other. Most of my hookups with strangers for a ride have turned out pretty bad in some way or another.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned in the thread much is the risk associated with riding by yourself in the remote areas where we ride. In the mountains of north GA and NC/TN where I do most of my riding, cell phone coverage is limited to a handful of high spots. 90% of the roads are buried in the folds of the mountains and nobody has a signal. If you're by yourself and you screw up, you could lay in the woods 100' down the side of the mountain, nobody knows you're there, somebody at home might realize you're late getting back eventually, but won't know where you are. I generally stay well within my limits in the mountains, but stuff happens. I once watched a guy in front of me ride off the side of the road, just screwed up and ran a bit wide, we weren't going very fast. Where he landed was completely hidden and although he wasn't badly hurt, he was hurt too bad to get himself back up to the side of the road. No telling how long he would have been there if nobody had seen him go over. Virtually no trace on the road or shoulder, certainly nothing that would attract attention from somebody not looking or really even somebody that was looking. Just something to keep in mind on solo runs.

 

[Coyote]

If you're by yourself and you screw up, you could lay in the woods 100' down the side of the mountain, nobody knows you're there, somebody at home might realize you're late getting back eventually, but won't know where you are.

That is definitely on my mind when riding solo. There are places in my area where you might end up as a "Look at the Bones Billy Found" newspaper story ....... 100 years from today. :dribble:

 

[mdisher]

If you're by yourself and you screw up, you could lay in the woods 100' down the side of the mountain, nobody knows you're there, somebody at home might realize you're late getting back eventually, but won't know where you are.

That is definitely on my mind when riding solo. There are places in my area where you might end up as a "Look at the Bones Billy Found" newspaper story ....... 100 years from today. :dribble:

Yes, I like riding with company... (1-2 folks you know. You know their skils, and for the most part their tendencies, the ego's are in check as mentioned above. Notbody needs to one-up anyone, and everyone rides their own pace and it's all good.) which in my mind isn't a group. It's company. (So 3 riders for me _total_ is about the limit).

More than that is a group, to me and where I start to think I'd probably rather not.

 

[weekend rider]

For all the riders riding long distance or weekend rides or what ever we chose there might be a simple but helpful solution. With all the ekectronic gagetry we need not look any furthr than the handle gars on your bike .

That has always been a concern of mine having an accident and not being found for an extended period of time . It seem most everyone carries a cell phone or has some type of GPS to help them in getting arond the country.

Most of the newer cell and GPS'S have a locator signal that can be activated for emergencies or in need of help. This might be the start on a new product or just needs to be added when one purchases the afore mntioned.

Any others that have information maywant to add or correct me if I am in error in any of the above information.

I carry a cell phone and have no GPS or other elecrical equipment to aid in location.

thanks weekend rider

 

[twowheelnut]

In fact, on the WFO Big Dog ride I lost my patience after sweeping 15 miles the wrong direction and was about to bypass a turn to get back on track, almost causing an accident between two other riders scrambling to follow me. I guess I'm just not cut out for adult day care. I find it's impossible to lead and sweep a group of more than one, so I'll probably not be putting together any more randomly attended rides anytime soon.

Um, Gretta Garmin screwed the pooch on that one. Twice. :blink: I have no idea what happened, but every time I turned following the GPS voice instructions, it had me 'off course, recalculating...' and I finally tossed in the towel and dropped in behind someone else that had an equally ******-up GPS. Bad sat juju in that area, I suppose.

As far as group rides go, I pretty much enjoy them and I always run my own ride within the group. If I don't like what's going on, I'll move positions or bail completely.

 

[Minuteman]

B) First off, I would like to thank Toecutter and Twowheelnut for leading and trailing our ride on Saturday. Our group was a mix of Two-up and less experienced riders. Right off I new we were in for a mix of conditions and frustrations. Everyone was late and later to start since we were the last group leaving. So to be expected we hit the most traffic and it seems the most Cops. Mostly it went off well considering we were a little pushed for time to get back for the banquet. And then we somehow lost, then found a rider or two?

I would like to see a standardization on communication systems so we can talk to each other if necessary and groups be limited to 5 or less people with similar riding styles, maybe a questionnaire to match up similar riding types. I like to push the corners and had a lot of fun chasing down Twowheelnut and Toecutter when they were in the lead position. I like spirited riding in the corners but racing I leave on the track.

Anyway, I had a fun and safe day and would do it again, just let me know where and when.

Thanks, Dan

 

[SMC]

+1 on the lone wolf philosophy. Not really trying to be anti-social, but I am familiar with too many scenarios where diverse riding abilities caused accidents and injuries, not to mention the testosterone factor when you get a bunch of guys together who end up trying to show off to one another or out do another...having been involved in that and being lucky enough to survive without injury, I learned that lesson and ride at my own pace, on my own schedule.

Downside is if you go down in a desolate area, there is no one to help or if you have a mechanical break-down there is no one to assist or give you the benefit of their mechanical knowledge and abilities.

But have been doing the solo riding scene across this country since 1978 and will probably continue to do so.

Am in the early planning stages of a two week ride next June from Dallas-Fort Worth to Pismo Beach, Morro Bay, San Simeon, Carmel, Monterey, San Francisco, Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, highway one, Crater Lake, Columbia river gorge, Seattle, Vancouver, Banff, Glacier National Park and back to DFW.

I know this might be overly ambitious and will very likely have to shorten that list, but does anyone have any personal experience on really good twisty and scenic roads to and from those areas, good restaurants and hotels or B & B's to stay at?

 

[evil_henchman]

+1 on the lone wolf philosophy. Not really trying to be anti-social, but I am familiar with too many scenarios where diverse riding abilities caused accidents and injuries, not to mention the testosterone factor when you get a bunch of guys together who end up trying to show off to one another or out do another...having been involved in that and being lucky enough to survive without injury, I learned that lesson and ride at my own pace, on my own schedule.
Downside is if you go down in a desolate area, there is no one to help or if you have a mechanical break-down there is no one to assist or give you the benefit of their mechanical knowledge and abilities.

But have been doing the solo riding scene across this country since 1978 and will probably continue to do so.

Am in the early planning stages of a two week ride next June from Dallas-Fort Worth to Pismo Beach, Morro Bay, San Simeon, Carmel, Monterey, San Francisco, Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, highway one, Crater Lake, Columbia river gorge, Seattle, Vancouver, Banff, Glacier National Park and back to DFW.

I know this might be overly ambitious and will very likely have to shorten that list, but does anyone have any personal experience on really good twisty and scenic roads to and from those areas, good restaurants and hotels or B & B's to stay at?

I'd suggest a new topic for tips on your upcoming ride, you'll get a lot better response. Nice hijack though :good:

 

[rogdeb]

Really interesting thread.

Group riding for me & Deb initiates mixed feelings, all starting with our low-side 2 years ago, which has since put me more into a "touring" mode of riding, especially with Deb on the back.

I have thoroughly enjoyed every group ride with my fellow FJR'ers but now feel that if I'm mid-pack I'm a hindrance to the group. Just a feeling I cannot shake.

At WFO-3 I felt so bad that I ruined the ride for the other 5 in the group just by low-siding, which then left me to wonder how they were affected by witnessing it. How would they have felt if things had been worse?

The responsibilities to oneself, the pillion, and others in a group ride is enormous.

Now I'm rambling huh?

My point? If the group is small (5-6 tops) I enjoy the ride better, especially if I am familiar with their riding styles. Deb & I like riding alone - but the company of good friends is invaluable.

A mix huh?

Deb just reminded me of TC's post and the near disaster with the "looking at the Bear" - group ride.

Why did this feel cathartic?

 

[Geezer]

I prefer to ride alone so I can keep my own pace and speed up or slow down as the whim hits me. Even riding with just one or two othere bikes makes me more conscious about the pace and the route and makes me feel somewhat less free to do as I please.

That said, I enjoy the ocasional group ride. Riding with other FJRs lets me determine where my skills are as compared to the more and less experienced riders. And, I enjoy the company or other like minded people.

 

[madmike2]

................................maybe a questionnaire to match up similar riding types.

But there is no standard by which to gauge these qualities. One rider will tell you he is of a certain category, but if you ever ride sweep in a group, you will be amazed at some of the cornering lines riders take and the corrections they are constantly making in turns. Speed isn't the issue, its how one controls that speed and where one applies it that becomes the issue.

The above are some of the concerns I have about starting or leading a group ride (and I do both). I am currently rethinking how I want to approach "groups" and "group riding" as a whole. Spacial issues and close-calls are the bane of my enjoyment. One moment's inattentiveness can ruin a day or the life of a fellow rider. I love the friendships and people I've met, but a 20-30 person group ride is becoming too cumbersome to enjoy. Some can let it pass, I can't...I worry about every detail and each person in the group and try to adjust the pace and choose the roads accordingly.

It's certainly easier and more enjoyable to have a "core" of a few riders you can just enjoy the road with. But then, I'd have missed the fondness for and from those I've met during group rides posted on this forum, and the various WFOs. I suppose, for me, I'll have to do "both". If I could just find a cure for the "stomach churning".......I will admit that lately, my prerides, are much more fun than the "events". Just me, the bike and the roads. Stop (or not) when I want, ride my own pace, etc., etc., certainly add to the joy of the ride.

Post script: I was in the group of 5 with the Rogdebs. In fact, I was the #2 bike, they were #3. Our day wasn't ruined but our care and concern for our fallen friend wasn't in the original ride plan. Plus, hospital food for lunch really sucks! (Note to self: Don't let Deb pick the lunch stop!). Plus, I'd always wanted to ride an '03...but without mirrors was a bit of an adventure. Riding "*****" with Rocketdoc to go back around the lake and get your bike was, uhm, interesting. Heck, we (Rogerfaster and I) still got to complete the loop around Lake Coeur d'Alene while you were relaxing in an "altered state". Aaannndd, we made it back to Moscow in time for the group photo and the banquet! So there! If anything, it made us appreciate the friendship began around the FJR.

 

[Windjammer]

I've done group rides of several types, ranging from big rally runs to small groups. These days I usually ride solo. The main reason is I simply enjoy it more. To me, motorcycling is partly about "rugged individualism" - the risk of KNOWING no one will find you if you fall into a gorge is part of what makes me focus intently on the ride - forcing my mind to forget other thoughts. This creates the perfect diversion from daily life.

When riding alone, I choose when and how often to stop, where and when to eat, which roses to stop and smell and which ones to pass by. In a group, I find myself frequently annoyed by all the necessary compromises - people with small gas tanks, small bladders, need to stop and eat every 50 miles, need to smoke every 50 miles, choosing restaurants that suck, riding too fast or too slow - you get the idea. When I become annoyed by this crap I'm distracted from my "perfect diversion" mode and that sorta sucks. And hey, no need to talk to myself. I can ride alone for hours and not speak a single word. There's plenty of babble in the world, so I figure I can always catch up later.

I found benefit in the groups by sharing the experiences and learning from others, but in the end I decided the gain wasn't worth the annoyance. Just my .02, each to his own. People who are more group oriented would not enjoy my style of riding.