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Here's the story in a nutshell. I have 4 months of riding a mc under my belt. In those 4 months I have ridden over 3K miles. I have done twisties, country roads, freeways, bridges, hills and dales on the mc at all types of speeds. I have discovered what speeds I'm comfortable with on different roads, etc. I didn't buy my mc to go flying down roads at warp speed. I bought it to cruise and do tours/ touring.

In the last month I have been notified by 2 mc groups that my riding skills are not up to par with their particular ride (both of which were over night rides) The latest message stated, "Our two day ride to hwy 36 is going to be at the very least a moderate pace for seasoned riders. Day 2 has 140 miles of twisties and over 300 miles in all.
I welcome you on any day ride, but I'm sorry I don't believe you are ready for this 600 mile two day ride"

Now what they don't know about me and is that I have 5+ yrs road & mountain biking experience. I have done the AIDS Lifecycle ride 2 years in a row. That's a 600 mile bicycle ride over 7 days from SF to LA (on roads very similar to these I'm riding on the mc). All the skills I've learned on the road and mtn bikes I utilize on the mc and you know what...they have proven to be applicable.
So what I'm saying is that my time on a mc may only be 4 months but it is backed up with several years of other 2 wheeled vehicles.

So my questions are 1) are these groups trying to save my life by keeping me off these particular rides based on the mere knowledge that I have only ridden 3K miles in 4 months? 2) am I being too optimistic & confident of my abilities with all my accumulated skills and experience? 3) are these groups just wanting to ride fast and not have to "babysit" a slower rider?

Without knowing the people you're riding with , I can't make that call. But, and this is a big but.... Maybe it's not so much your skills riding the bike, as opposed to your skills riding in a group. I would politely confront this person and ask exactly what is being referred to so maybe you can correct the supposed lack in skills...

Probably all three.

Have they seen you ride and are basing it on skills they've observed, or are they just assuming based on your perceived lack of experience? That would be your first question. If these are people you've ridden with a lot, then you might ask if they've actually seen things that concern them. If you've never ridden with them, then they might indeed be assuming.

Katharine wrote:Have they seen you ride and are basing it on skills they've observed, or are they just assuming based on your perceived lack of experience? That would be your first question. If these are people you've ridden with a lot, then you might ask if they've actually seen things that concern them. If you've never ridden with them, then they might indeed be assuming.

Thanks for the reply...
I'll talk with them whenever I go on a ride with them. I believe they were going by the 4 Month criteria cause I have not ridden with then and they are not aware of the places I have ridden in that time frame.

That story is a tuff call. I would say a lot of what has already been said. Bicycle riding helps but isn't all that applicable in a group ride at a SPIRITED pace if you will. I don't know man, maybe they are doing you a favor. I have said no to guys who wanted to ride with us when we were on a SPIRITED adventure and they get ticked cause I am old and fat and they think I am being condescending but they were not ready for it and when I did let a couple noobs go it bit me on the watsus and them more cause they were not ready. Hitting decreasing radius, off camber, banked pot hole right and left handers one after another is demanding add to that the pace of the group and one mistake can be BAD IMO build up to it the guys are doing you a good one.

kerwink040 wrote:Thanks for the reply...
I'll talk with them whenever I go on a ride with them. I believe they were going by the 4 Month criteria cause I have not ridden with then and they are not aware of the places I have ridden in that time frame.

Ok, since they haven't actually ridden with you, basing the opinion strictly on time is kinda presumptuous. On the other hand, when it comes to your own experience, you didn't mention doing either big-distance multiday rides or riding in a group, and they might be aware of this lack of experience in these two specific areas (in which case, their decision is actually pretty sensible and responsible). Group riding changes a lot of the dynamics of motorcycling. Even something as simple as taking off from a light to cross an intersection, making a U-turn, or even just parking, gets a lot more complex when riding in a group. Plus of course, there's the issue of the group's pace when the riding gets a bit spirited. Because of all these variables, some people enjoy group riding and feel that the hassle is worth the camaraderie, but many don't, even though they're excellent riders with loads of experience.

Anyway, you wrote that the group welcomes you on any day ride. That's perfectly reasonable. Why not join them on one then? The group might decide that you'll be ok to ride with at the pace they're used to and over long distances. Conversely, you might decide that this is a group you wouldn't even want to spend two days riding with for whatever reason. Just ride your own ride. If they don't fit with the way you ride (or vice versa), it'll be easy enough later on to find other motorcyclists that do.