Why I hate group riding sometimes.
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,926
Likes: 185
From: Utah
I love riding by myself.
I love riding 2 up with my wife or one of my kids.
I love riding with a group of just a few close friends.
I love riding with 2000 other bikes, feeling the road vibrate beneath me, and being part of this huge snake making its way through the country-side. It's all good.
I do think group rides need to start out with some basic instruction, even though it may be assumed that everyone knows the "rules". There's bound to be a new guy. There's almost always a show off. There will be plenty of folks who are impatient, and several who are timid. It's that variety that helps make it fun and adds some adventure to it. The one thing that gets to me, though, is when the guys at the lead think they have to keep a pace 10 mph over the speed limit. That is almost certain to cause gaps, rubber banding, and people practically racing to keep up. My view, though, is that if the guy in front of you is riding faster than you're comfortable, let him go. A group ride is not a "weakest link" audition. You're not required to be as stupid as the guy in front of you.
I love riding 2 up with my wife or one of my kids.
I love riding with a group of just a few close friends.
I love riding with 2000 other bikes, feeling the road vibrate beneath me, and being part of this huge snake making its way through the country-side. It's all good.
I do think group rides need to start out with some basic instruction, even though it may be assumed that everyone knows the "rules". There's bound to be a new guy. There's almost always a show off. There will be plenty of folks who are impatient, and several who are timid. It's that variety that helps make it fun and adds some adventure to it. The one thing that gets to me, though, is when the guys at the lead think they have to keep a pace 10 mph over the speed limit. That is almost certain to cause gaps, rubber banding, and people practically racing to keep up. My view, though, is that if the guy in front of you is riding faster than you're comfortable, let him go. A group ride is not a "weakest link" audition. You're not required to be as stupid as the guy in front of you.
I'm not all in for big group rides either.
I got a couple close buddies that I know their riding styles and what they are going to do. I can always anticipate their moves and vice versa.
I got a couple close buddies that I know their riding styles and what they are going to do. I can always anticipate their moves and vice versa.
Tourer
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 395
Likes: 1
From: Georgia
We do some charity rides and the biggest we've gone on is the Trail of Tears. We've done it 3 times now. Lots of bikes. When we leave from Chattanooga there are around 100K motorcycles. It is a 200 + mile ride, escorted all the way. But, with a group that big there are always problems. The biggest problem is gaps. If you leave too much room it allows cagers to come into the line or try to cross. And you always have the guy riding too close. I usually try to stay back and wave him around me. I'm always nervous that the guy behind me is not going to see the line stopping in time.
Cruiser
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 224
Likes: 0
From: Republic of Texas
I like riding with small groups that know how to group ride. This guy was obviously a bozo. However, I don't like to ride with dumbazzes that worry about what the other guy is wearing or what name is on his bike. Geez!
Road Captain
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 660
Likes: 2
From: Schaumburg, IL, near Elgin, IL
Good thread. Not so much criticizing each other for a change.
My group always talks about leaving a 2 second gap, but it always turns out to be less than a second. It's a bit stressful to keep it so tight. I'd rather relax a bit.
I do believe that small group riding is safer than solo. Cagers see a group easier than a solo bike.
I agree that large groups can be fun too, just not as a steady diet.
By the way, I don't think the OP was criticizing the guy's apparel, just saying that it was something he noticed about him.
My group always talks about leaving a 2 second gap, but it always turns out to be less than a second. It's a bit stressful to keep it so tight. I'd rather relax a bit.
I do believe that small group riding is safer than solo. Cagers see a group easier than a solo bike.
I agree that large groups can be fun too, just not as a steady diet.
By the way, I don't think the OP was criticizing the guy's apparel, just saying that it was something he noticed about him.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 3,078
Likes: 6
From: Michigan
The one thing that gets to me, though, is when the guys at the lead think they have to keep a pace 10 mph over the speed limit. That is almost certain to cause gaps, rubber banding, and people practically racing to keep up. My view, though, is that if the guy in front of you is riding faster than you're comfortable, let him go. A group ride is not a "weakest link" audition. You're not required to be as stupid as the guy in front of you.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,182
Likes: 0
From: Phoenix
We don't like to ride with groups. I like to put my RKC on cruise control and chew up the miles. If I need to stop and pee, I by God stop and pee. If we see something interesting along the road, we'll pull over and check it out. Same goes for water, lunch, dinner, snacks, smokes etc. Group riding on long trips is just a pain in the ***.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,182
Likes: 0
From: Phoenix
My first experience with group riding was side by side. It don't bother me anymore, in fact taught my son to ride that way.
I do group ride staggered (both large and small) and ride by myself.
Some people need to be lead/taught right.. Personally, the next time he decided to be Ponch, I would have 'wiggled" to let him know that I am an "in-experenced' rider and need the space.
But Twiggy has the right idea, if the sweep/safety didn't fix the problem, then you have the right to let this rider know about staggered formation.
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Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 58
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Wow 77 posts already. Thanks for most of your positive responces. The general concensus on here is group riding with strangers blows. Now some people on here think I have a problem with what people wear while they are riding. I really could give a crap if you wear a pink tutu while you ride your bike. I was just trying to give everyone a mental picture of the situation. I also forgot to mention that ponch on the ride was also yelling yeehaw every time he went around a turn or over a railroad track at the top of his lungs and it just drove me nucking futs. I think he thought he was on a horsey ride or something. Anyway I went for a nice 100 mile spin today after work and life is f---n grand again.
Last edited by gwozhog; Sep 2, 2009 at 08:48 PM.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 12,653
Likes: 18
From: Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
Did the guy's clothing actually have "Harley-Davidson" on them? Or could they possibly have been from any number of manufacturers that make leather motorcycle riding apparel? It's pretty arrogant to assume that just because someone on a metric is wearing leather, that they got it from a Harley shop.
You did the right thing by getting out of the situation if you weren't comfortable. But you know, some of you take this MSF stuff a little too seriously. If that's what you like, more power to you. But don't bash others who don't think the MSF manual is the biker's bible. I rode many a ride with people right next to me. Didn't think twice about it. Usually had 1.5 bike lengths front to back, but conversations went better with someone when you were next to them. And you know what? I never had an accident while doing that. I've ran over some things that, at the time, I wish I hadn't. But it never cause me to go down, and never damaged the bikes. Just made me pucker a little. A little pucker is good for ya. Makes sure the heart is still working properly.
Ride the way you want. But don't think you're so great that you should bash others for the way they ride, or what they ride. And calling the guy a poser? Hey, he was riding a bike. To me, that's not a poser.
You did the right thing by getting out of the situation if you weren't comfortable. But you know, some of you take this MSF stuff a little too seriously. If that's what you like, more power to you. But don't bash others who don't think the MSF manual is the biker's bible. I rode many a ride with people right next to me. Didn't think twice about it. Usually had 1.5 bike lengths front to back, but conversations went better with someone when you were next to them. And you know what? I never had an accident while doing that. I've ran over some things that, at the time, I wish I hadn't. But it never cause me to go down, and never damaged the bikes. Just made me pucker a little. A little pucker is good for ya. Makes sure the heart is still working properly.
Ride the way you want. But don't think you're so great that you should bash others for the way they ride, or what they ride. And calling the guy a poser? Hey, he was riding a bike. To me, that's not a poser.