sapaul wrote:So, we are putting together a skills set for leaders and Tail end charlies. A list of do's and dont's. What do you like to see on the group rides, what do not like. What are absolute musts.
This is exactly why I don't do group rides. Just tell me where we're going and I'll meet you there when we're supposed to be there.
I agree. I try to avoid them too. Went on a poker run last weekend. Nice ride with exception of that streight pipe Harley in front of me. After the headacke started to get real bad, I pulled over and rode alone from there on out.
ZooTech wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2020 9:00 pm
Probably not a bad old thread to have bubble back to the surface, for anyone unfamiliar with group ride etiquette...
And the "Oldest Thread Resurrection Award" goes to...
ZooTech wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2020 9:00 pm
Probably not a bad old thread to have bubble back to the surface, for anyone unfamiliar with group ride etiquette...
And the "Oldest Thread Resurrection Award" goes to...
blues2cruise wrote: ↑Sun Feb 02, 2020 5:42 am
I stopped riding with groups because they don't practice what they preach.
Seconded. I was heavy into the riding club scene for decades, but in the last 3yrs I've been doing solo rides and avoiding group runs. There are very few people I trust enough to ride with and I find the journeys are more enjoyable without the stress of keeping up or slowing down while wondering what the rider in front and/or behind is going to do next.
I have led individuals and small groups down to the Windy 9 in Athens where I know the roads quite well and they've never been. We have very strict protocols about riding your own ride, fastest to slowest rider front to back, stop for yellows, stop and wait for the group to catch up, etc... Yes, I prefer solo rides as well, but I have a good (and small) group of riding buddies that I enjoy riding with a couple times a year. I also have a 19yo son and 20yo daughter who now ride so I oftentimes have one or both of them in tow. A little bit of discussion beforehand saves a lot of confusion later once communication is pretty well cut off.
The largest group of riders I've ever ridden in was 4, and that was just for a local jaunt spanning less than 50 miles or so.
I could run down a list of all the reasons we don't ride with large groups, starting with trust in their skills and ending with trust in their sobriety, but what it really boils down to is, we're just not comfortable in large groups. We may end up riding in a group as large as six this year, if things work out, but we'll see.