Front guy on a ride
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 2,717
Likes: 273
From: Minnesota
Sucks doesn't it?
Don't lead. But if that's the kind of group your with,, you probably won't like following either.
Walk away.
It's Ok,, It's your bike, you get to ride it the way you want.
All that crap about being in a group,, is for people that think they need to be in a group and so much fun for them.
(Let me guess,, there was 1 or more sporties in the group??)
Don't lead. But if that's the kind of group your with,, you probably won't like following either.
Walk away.
It's Ok,, It's your bike, you get to ride it the way you want.
All that crap about being in a group,, is for people that think they need to be in a group and so much fun for them.
(Let me guess,, there was 1 or more sporties in the group??)
Last edited by JohnMn; Aug 26, 2018 at 08:38 PM.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 3,072
Likes: 1,727
From: Dallas, Texas
The Group Ride Leader is responsible for keeping the group together. ScottinAZ nailed it on the spacing of the formation but there's more to it than that. The Leader needs to watch (in the mirrors) where everybody is. Riding nice n tight or falling behind? If they are falling behind . . . SLOW DOWN Hot Shot and let em catch up regroup. Hand signals AND turn signal to communicate to everybody what yer doing. Here's a good way to judge the distance between bikes. Look at a fixed point ahead of you. A light pole, stripe on the road, a tree or something not moving. Now count it down. 1 1 thousand, 2 1 thousand. There's your 1 and 2 second rule of group riding. When I'm not riding in a big group, I ride with a very experienced rider . . . my Wife. There is 1/2 second between us because we know exactly how the other rides. No oops, no close calls just pure fun.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 2,717
Likes: 273
From: Minnesota
Bullshit.
My point is if it's a group that rides differently than your used to, or the way you like to ride,,
Walk away.
There's all kinds of riders out there dude.
NOBODY is safe riding no matter what the "leader" does,, if the "leader" knows he's riding with a bunch of new riders,, then he should "slow down and let them catch-up"
If he want's to ride differently then baby sitting new riders,, and die sooner,, so be it.
He should walk away.
And that choice is Ok.
My point is if it's a group that rides differently than your used to, or the way you like to ride,,
Walk away.
There's all kinds of riders out there dude.
NOBODY is safe riding no matter what the "leader" does,, if the "leader" knows he's riding with a bunch of new riders,, then he should "slow down and let them catch-up"
If he want's to ride differently then baby sitting new riders,, and die sooner,, so be it.
He should walk away.
And that choice is Ok.
Club Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 22,861
Likes: 17,917
From: Lafayette, Louisiana
Originally Posted by JohnMn
Sucks doesn't it?
Don't lead. But if that's the kind of group your with,, you probably won't like following either.
Walk away.
It's Ok,, It's your bike, you get to ride it the way you want.
All that crap about being in a group,, is for people that think they need to be in a group and so much fun for them.
(Let me guess,, there was 1 or more sporties in the group??)
Don't lead. But if that's the kind of group your with,, you probably won't like following either.
Walk away.
It's Ok,, It's your bike, you get to ride it the way you want.
All that crap about being in a group,, is for people that think they need to be in a group and so much fun for them.
(Let me guess,, there was 1 or more sporties in the group??)
Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 146
Likes: 20
I can relate to you. A bunch of the guys I work with ride. Nothing do but we get together for a ride. I rode in the back to see how it would work. To start we were
pushed up a couple mountains by cars, that should never happen.Then the leader suddenly decided to pull over with no signal, nothing. He pulled across the road and everyone was locking their brakes down, It was a sight. It went from bad to worse, doing 50-55 on the interstate, crawling by tractor trailers, it was ridiculous. I finally had enough and went on with a couple others in tow. When we stopped I got brow beat for riding so reckless. We finished the day and I never went back.
pushed up a couple mountains by cars, that should never happen.Then the leader suddenly decided to pull over with no signal, nothing. He pulled across the road and everyone was locking their brakes down, It was a sight. It went from bad to worse, doing 50-55 on the interstate, crawling by tractor trailers, it was ridiculous. I finally had enough and went on with a couple others in tow. When we stopped I got brow beat for riding so reckless. We finished the day and I never went back.
Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,681
Likes: 233
From:
If your the lead you should always have the headlights of your group on a straight away in your mirrors, if you see they are getting far behind you gotta slow down til they fall back into formation. If they are holding you back and your getting irritated by it you should ride with faster people. In my opinion yeah they were right, you should ride with the group, suffer through it that one time then dont ride with them again. Sometimes i use to let the slower people ride in front then id be in the rear cause i knew i wanted to go faster...let them get ahead of me a little so i could ride through the twists at the speed i like and catch up to them. That way i felt like i got a good ride in. Being the lead with slow riders sucks.
Last edited by saltlick; Aug 26, 2018 at 09:37 PM.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 2,717
Likes: 273
From: Minnesota
But the "sport" part of the sportster is that they are geared lower (uhmm,, fact?)
So,, sustained speeds of 60+ wind them suckers up,, a "sportster" engine and gearing has to work harder at those "sustained speeds" so it's not fun to operate,,they choose to say:
"I like the back roads in the evening",, "that highway stuff is no fun"
Now all BS aside,, many of us started with sporties,, we know that story,, many of us have friends that ride in groups--with sporties- so we back it down a bit to share with them.
But then there are bikes that are not sporty's,, that preform at their best at sustained speeds above what the sporty was designed for.
Ya wanna ride with geared down sporty's the rest of your life, or somehow pretend they're the same as cruisers or touring bikes,, knock your self out.
Then there is reality.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,616
Likes: 4,440
From: anacoco, la
what's the sporty reference got to do with it? there are a lot of sportsters that will flat out embarrass a big twin. they have a much better weight to hp ratio.
for the op, when you're riding in a group, it isn't supposed to be every man for himself. sure, some may not ride at the pace that you like, but presumably, these are your friends, and you enjoy their company? if not, then don't ride with them anymore.
for the op, when you're riding in a group, it isn't supposed to be every man for himself. sure, some may not ride at the pace that you like, but presumably, these are your friends, and you enjoy their company? if not, then don't ride with them anymore.