Something every rider should think about.

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Good post. Way too many riders care far too much about what others think of them. Who gives a crap? You shouldn't be out to impress anyone and if you are you're foolish.

And I stay the hell away from group rides other than people I know and trust and even then no more than four in the group.

There are way too many very poor riders out there. Many of them riding very fast.
 
Griffin said:
Good post. Way too many riders care far too much about what others think of them. Who gives a crap? You shouldn't be out to impress anyone and if you are you're foolish.
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Indeed. The couple of very close calls I've had out on the road, were because I started getting cocky (AKA stupid) and, subconsciously, felt I needed to keep the pace to make a good impression on the group. My own mistake, but in one case it could have caused a horrible pileup if I'd actually gone down. Tank-slappers are scary enough, having one mid-turn directly in front of half a dozen other riders was among the worst experiences I can recall.
 
TekNinja81 said:
You should never feel as though you're not good enough to be part of that group. You should all be watching out for one another and enjoying the ride, not focusing on trying to take that sharp turn at 5x the suggested speed limit without crashing and dying.
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Agree with everything but this part. Yes, you might not be good enough to ride in a particular group. But this is OK, check your ego at the door. The best rides are where people are at least somewhat close in skill. THis is why large group rides are such a bore cause it's next to impossible to find 5,6,.....10+ people that are evenly matched. Would I ride with a bunch of guys that race every weekend? Probably not, I'd be holding them back, just like I wouldn't ride with a bunch of n00bz. A pace that's safe for an experienced rider and a pace that's safe for a n00b are two totally different things.
 
Like x100

I've only ridden for a half season so far (bike issues, le sigh) but from my few 4+ group rides I've felt that pressure to keep up with the 600+ cc bikes with my 250, even with the more experienced riders on a lower cc bike, they'd smoke me in turns and are gone before I'm in the apex and then I'm "leading" the second half of the group trying to catch up.

I've heard the 'ride your own ride', it makes a lot of sense, but that doesn't work if the group takes off and doesn't look back; I've been on several rides where the group has broken because riders have been lost because simple rules like bread crumbing hasn't occurred; and then spend an hour trying to regroup (not fun, esp if you end up in a shady part of town!)
 
Griffin said:
Good post. Way too many riders care far too much about what others think of them. Who gives a crap? You shouldn't be out to impress anyone and if you are you're foolish.
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Agreed. Peer pressure is huge for the weak-minded, not just in the biker scene but in life in general. It really comes down to EGO management and that can be an individual's worst enemy. You always gotta check yourself, always remain a student of life and think about why you do the things you do. Most people probably don't do this and that usually results in them doing stupid things and remaining stupid because their ego's prevent them from learning and growing as people..
 
if you don't feel comfortable in a group ride for whatever reason tell the ride leader you're branching off at the next intersection. Easier said than done though but riding should be all about your personal enjoyment.
 
psycho44 said:
if you don't feel comfortable in a group ride for whatever reason tell the ride leader you're branching off at the next intersection. Easier said than done though but riding should be all about your personal enjoyment.
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i agree ...
 
parttimer said:
Like x100

I've only ridden for a half season so far (bike issues, le sigh) but from my few 4+ group rides I've felt that pressure to keep up with the 600+ cc bikes with my 250, even with the more experienced riders on a lower cc bike, they'd smoke me in turns and are gone before I'm in the apex and then I'm "leading" the second half of the group trying to catch up.
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I usually ride a 250cc scooter and have rode with other sportbikers though I make it very clear to them to leave me in the dust if they have to I'll catch them at the next gas station. Though before I ride with a group I'd at least know what sort of pace they'd be riding at don't want to hold anyone up or feel pressured to keep up.
 
TekNinja81 said:
there's a time & place to ride hard
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Griffin said:
Good post. Way too many riders care far too much about what others think of them. Who gives a crap? You shouldn't be out to impress anyone and if you are you're foolish.
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Sadly, way too many people take up the sport for that very same reason. It's unfortunate that their riding style is also motivated by it.

I've personally worked track-side at raceways, and know a little in what's involved in preparing the venue. I simply don't see how its possible for bikes (and automobiles) to have such blind faith that the city streets hold up to those same standards. A short list (for the slower non-readers out there):

Manholes are welded shut
Pedestrians are fenced off
Marshals are watching EVERY turn
Debris is literally jet blasted off the road surface
All fluids are absorbed off the road surface
Fresh rubber is laid down from tires
Drivers get 2 days to learn the CLOSED course

That's 7 things that you don't get on the streets. So why is there still such a need to ride the streets like it's a raceway.
 
The speed that for one rider appears to be "like a raceway" is for another rider an easy Sunday cruise at the same apparent speed. There are widely divergent skill levels out there, and just because someone else is going faster than you are, doesn't necessarily mean they are "riding like it's a racetrack". Likewise, don't assume that just because someone else is going very slowly, that they have adequate skill level to keep the bike upright even at a very modest speed.

The subtle differences in cornering lines, and how the bike's controls are handled, and where the rider is looking at any given moment, are not always apparent from a quick glance. Slow, relatively unskilled rider who is riding over their head crashes; experienced rider stays upright while going faster because those subtle differences are keeping the bike well within its limits. Seen it many, many times.
 
Good read, I would just add that allot of riders seem to gravitate to a spirited ride then are overwhelmed by the pace. Mind you I've also seen riders join a casual ride and then complain the pace is slow. Ride your own ride and pick an appropriate riding group to your style.

The bud you might have beers with may not be the same bud you want to ride with.
 
Tornique said:
Good read, I would just add that allot of riders seem to gravitate to a spirited ride then are overwhelmed by the pace. Mind you I've also seen riders join a casual ride and then complain the pace is slow. Ride your own ride and pick an appropriate riding group to your style.

The bud you might have beers with may not be the same bud you want to ride with.
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Then can we grab a beer soon? Lol j/k. Gimme a shout sometime... Keep me posted as to what track days you're hitting up this year
 
C-Note said:
Then can we grab a beer soon? Lol j/k. Gimme a shout sometime... Keep me posted as to what track days you're hitting up this year
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Yes sir! Track days will be a plenty this year! First round of beer is on you though ;)
 
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Brian P said:
The speed that for one rider appears to be "like a raceway" is for another rider an easy Sunday cruise at the same apparent speed. There are widely divergent skill levels out there, and just because someone else is going faster than you are, doesn't necessarily mean they are "riding like it's a racetrack". Likewise, don't assume that just because someone else is going very slowly, that they have adequate skill level to keep the bike upright even at a very modest speed.

The subtle differences in cornering lines, and how the bike's controls are handled, and where the rider is looking at any given moment, are not always apparent from a quick glance. Slow, relatively unskilled rider who is riding over their head crashes; experienced rider stays upright while going faster because those subtle differences are keeping the bike well within its limits. Seen it many, many times.
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Just because a rider can make a corner faster then someone else does not mean they are more skilled.
At faster speeds you leave yourself more open to unexpected factors that are out of your control on the street.
You could have ridden a route many times and know it well and based on that you go faster then some would. All it takes is for a car to get to close to the shoulder and spin up some gravel onto the road a few minutes before you arrive. At faster speeds you have less time to react less time to scan ahead and see the hazard which means greater chance of lowside. Or it could be a car meeting you on a sharp corner and has crossed into your lane. Just ask TRFBS how hard it is to avoid. A skilled rider takes a corner at a safe speed not as fast as they can.
You just never know when the conditions could change on a piece of road that you have ridden for years. A bikers biggest downfall is overconfidence.
 
Ride on the street like you would on a track, they're the exact same
 
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