[Hyrowler]

Well I did my weekend warrior sunday ride yesterday (standard) and teamed up with a buddy from work and a neighbor. Well my buddy from work invites a friend, and his friend tells a friend and soon we got 5 guys (not really my thing). I'm more of a solo rider, but somtimes I'm willing to share my pavement, anyway we go to Mt. Charelston, decent ride, about 40 miles of freeway, turn off to about 80 miles of up down twisties, switch back turns, and a kick ass lodge for hot cider! I came to the realization of how responsible of a rider I've become (didn't used to be) and became increasingly aggrivated at how these fools took the lanes on the freeway, passing on the way up the mountain in some close call fashion, and just all together fucking my ride up. I finely understand what some of the old dogs that bitch about squids mean when they say we are given a bad name, these guys made me feel like a jackass even riding within a mile of them. Point of fact is know who you ride with, this blind date riding thing is definately bad chemistry. :shake

 

[eddynasty]

Ya gettin to be a ole xuk Hyrowler

I quit rididng with groups a couple years ago for the same reasons you stated.

 

[Sean]

It depends on who you ride with. I never rode in groups for exactly the reasons you stated, but tried it a couple weeks ago just so I could do some new routes. These guys were all courteous, intelligent, and FAST.

It's the people you go out with, don't write off group rides forever. Just get a good group.

 

[Hyrowler]

It depends on who you ride with. I never rode in groups for exactly the reasons you stated, but tried it a couple weeks ago just so I could do some new routes. These guys were all courteous, intelligent, and FAST.

It's the people you go out with, don't write off group rides forever. Just get a good group.

True. You spell your name the same way as me. :thumb

 

[vizsladog]

I don't even ride on the street anymore.

 

[Reyndogg]

we have a really good group of very skilled riders that make up our normal group, and that's who I ride with most of the time. On bigger rides, we tend to stick together as well. The squids around here usually can't keep up anyway....

 

[workerant]

I am very picky about who I'll ride with. Last year I had a day that was my last straw. My boyfriend and I went out with some guy I worked with, and he invited two of his friends unbeknownst to me.

Up in the twisties, my bf and I told them where we'd meet up and immediately got out ahead of them. When they failed to turn up at the rally point, we backtracked to find that one of the squids had overcooked a decreasing-radius left-hander, and the other targed-fixated right after him. Both riders were okay, but both bikes were totalled.

While we were getting that mess straightened out, I heard the LifeFlight chopper set down about 2 miles south of me (this was on US 129 just south of Blood Mountain/Neels Gap in GA). Seems that a very accomplished rider whom I knew a little bit had high-sided into a tree. He died.

I have a group of friends whom I'll ride with. The group ranges from an '02 954 to a 198x KZ1000 to a BMW R1200C. I don't give a rat's ass what they ride, as long as they ride their own ride. I'll wait for them at intersections as long as I don't have to scrape them off the mountain because they overrode their abilities.

 

[LeanAngle]

Well, I've been in those kind of situations. At the same time, I've meet a lot of great people/groups by just going out and riding. I just try and make sure that I leave a lot of extra room when it is somebody I don't know.

I have also become a much more responsible rider over the last couple years. Maybe it was due to the fact that I turned 25 and am about to turn 26. More likely, I think it is from being on SBN and now cycleforums. You are exposed to all of the horror stories and get to talk to a lot of very talented and responsible riders. I think that if you come to cycleforums with an open mind, you'll leave a safer more responsible rider.

 

[Kawi250]

Been there, done that, cant stand it! If i take a ride up into the twisties there are only a select few that I ride with and trust.

 

[Nick Name]

I always looked as group rides as more of a fun ride, just cruising around... Ripping the twisties is alone time to me.. I don't need to worry about somebody trying to pass me and fucking up my line or doing something stupid. I wanna pay for my own mistakes, not somebody elses..

 

[Sean]

True. You spell your name the same way as me. :thumb

http://www.ibos.org

 

[Tyler]

Like someone else mentioned, you shouldn't just cut off all group rides. You just need to find a group with some level headed guys who have the same riding style as you do. I am part of a bike club here on campus and our rides range from 3 to 23 on any given week. All we do is, before any of us take off and get anywhere remotely close to a mountain, we have a group discussion at the gas station before we leave. We tell everyone that we won't leave them, ride at their own pace and that we have all differnet levels of riders amonst us, etc. etc. It 95% of the time works out and the more experienced, faster riders take off, have their fun and we wait at the end or whereever we turn off at. I personnaly, will actually stop somewhere after a few miles and wait on the rest of the group and then take up the rear and make my way back to the front for some faster riding. It works well and we have accidents down to a minimum. So, just keep trying new groups until you find the group that works for you.

~ Tyler

 

[Rez]

I keep my riding buddies close. Been on some MASSIVE rides, but the testosterone gets so deep, you need a jetski, not a sportbike.

I like 3 or 4 at the MOST now... I ride better alone tho....

 

[Tick_9se7en3]

I hear ya bro. I keep my riding groups down to about 6 at the most. I prefer 4 people though, that way if something happens to someone, two can stay while one goes for help. The whole safety in numbers seems to work better when smaller.

 

[SportyChick]

I prefer to ride in a small group as well of riders that I've rode with for awhile.

There has only been one ride with over 20-30 bikes that I felt safe in. Amazingly all the riders were responsible and rode very well, that's a rare thing to find.

 

[Johnny T]

I like to keep the group at no more than 5, although I have been on huge rides. And I agree with Rezin...testosterone gets deep on the big rides.

My favorite is to ride with one other person. I don't like riding alone...don't feel as safe

 

[Random]

True. You spell your name the same way as me. :thumb

Seems to me it is the only correct way to spell it. Anything else seems wrong.

 

[SprintST]

The group I normally ride with on the weekends is trying to stagger start groups now. We draw, on average, 20-30 riders on Sat. We all can't leave at the same time. So we send them out in 5-10 bike groups a few minutes apart, hoping this will keep the testosterone poisoning down. It's worked pretty good these last few rides. It keeps the 25th rider from thinking they NEED to keep the lead rider in sight, and the accordian affect isn't as much. We also make a point to stop and wait for the designated group to arrive at main turning junctures. This lets people back off if they feel they are pushing too hard to keep up.

 

[SILVERBULLET-RR]

I like to keep the group at no more than 5, I don't like riding alone...don't feel as safe

this about sums it up for me...i'd hate to wreck and get knocked out and noone even know that i was laying out in a feild somewhere in need of medical attention. i ride by myself sometimes, but its not as fun or safe in my mind as riding with good friends who you know are gonna keep a safe distance from you and be there if you need them, and vise versa.

 

[Speed_Addiction]

95% of the time I have ridden by myself out in the Texas Hill Country. Since I have to ride from about 90 miles away and have one of the three sportbikes in town, I don't ride to there with anyone. Sometimes I will run into a British friend of mine from San Antonio and we will run together. There is another rider out there sometimes who also rides a YZF and I will go with him. On a couple of rides some obviously Squiddly riders have hooked up with us and the have never kept up. Except for when I am with my two friends, I preffer going the solo route. I do worry about going down out there with no one around but TX 337, 336, 335, and 16 are usually crawling with sportbikes on the weekend and I would not lay out there long.