Dragonhawk wrote:
As for people who have replied to this thread and ridden in groups where people ride side-by-side all I can say is WOW those ride-organizers are MORONS. You should only ride side-by-side where EVERYONE in the group is experienced and KNOWS each other and is comfortable with riding together.
Heck, most of the riders I ride with on group rides all know each other now, and we STILL ride staggered. It's just a lot safer.
Yea it was my first charity ride and I was not enjoying the side by side, this was only done for maybe a 1/2 mile in the beginning and a little at the end the rest of the was it was staggered. I can control my bike but it does not mean the guy next to me can which was what happened with me he came very close to hitting me and would have if I did not watch him and take corrective action. I do not want to think about what woud happen if it was two newbie's side by side.......
I was a member of a local riding club for a short time. I found the experience totally unsatisfying and went back to riding alone. Here's why -
1. no matter how thoroughly the ride captain covered the rules, there was always at least one a__hole who refused to follow them and jeopardized the safety of the rest of us.
2. Rules and regulations that applied to the group took a lot of the sense of freedom I so enjoyed right out of the ride.
3. The particular club I belonged to consisted of small groups of individuals who knew each other outside the club. If you didn't belong to a group, you felt no camaraderie.
4. Riding in a group is too much like work.
Last weekend I rode to the Smoky Mountains all by myself. Was I lonely? Hell no. I stopped when I felt like it. I rode as fast or as slow as I felt like. I ate where I wanted to eat. I slept where I wanted to sleep. And I came home when I wanted to come home. I covered about 1150 miles and totally enjoyed ever one of them. The only way it could have been better is if I had a woman on the back but that's a different story.
In short, I enjoy riding alone. Not because I'm anti social but because riding alone gives me that sense of freedom I ride for.
NightNurse wrote:Ack! I would be terrified to ride side by side. The bf and I go on poker runs, sometimes 100 bikes are involved. Everyone rides staggered. They are a lot of fun, but NO WAY would I ride my own bike in one! Maybe next summer....
This weekend I will ride in a small group, bf, and a few good friends. They all have been riding for years, and understand I may be a bit slow, need a break...etc and are cool with it!
Hmm, poker runs. I wonder if they are still outlawed in my state. Eh, probably... along with all the other dumb things Texas finds the need to outlaw.
Major, major thanks to everyone who'se responded so far!
Not to suck up or anything, but I am really glad I joined this forum. Boatloads of useful info, without all the squidly, competitive BS that I've seen in other forums.
Anyway, riding with a big group sounds phenomenally complex and maybe I'll pass on that for a while. It seems like you get the benefits of a group without the logistical hassle if you go the "ride with two or three more experienced friends" route.
"If you ride like there's no tomorrow, there won't be."
Just like to add that at the time I was group riding, I had a Honda Shadow. I had the least range of any rider and more than once had to drop out to get gas because the ride captain decided to take the group beyond my range before pulling in for gas. I didn't really mind because it relieved me of stress and made me a lone rider for the rest of the ride. I made no attempt to catch up with the group. This alone was enough to convince me to quit the club.
Yeah, the group I rode with in my earlier post - I never rode with them again. They were nice guys, but didn't want to ride with anyone who wasn't willing to push their luck, even though they talked that way at the start of the ride. Beware, and be your own boss.
* 2003 Kawasaki ZRX1200R *
"What good fortune for those of us in power that people do not think. " Hitler - think about that one for a minute.
