[SweetLou]

I don't think money is the root of all evil....it's ego that is. We all struggle with it to some degree. Success in all parts of life is proportional to one's ability to resist one's own ego.

deep

Range.... The bottom of my 8 ounze glass is deep for you

Ok, that was pretty good beek.

[Spedee]

Heck, I am still trying to keep up with BeekMan.

[Babs]

I don't think money is the root of all evil....it's ego that is. We all struggle with it to some degree. Success in all parts of life is proportional to one's ability to resist one's own ego.

Bingo!

[the wind]

Being slow did not bother me. What did bother me was that someone (Steve or Ryan) would fall back with me just so I was not riding alone. I felt like I was slowing them down and ruining their good time.

i did the follow part before to make me fell better but i can tell i make that person nerves .i can follow a cautions rider or follow a fast rider it's all good to me since i'm on two wheels.

[tdrcomm]

I think that often people feel they need to keep up to be part of the group. Last year at the Gap I was always bringing up the rear. Being slow did not bother me. What did bother me was that someone (Steve or Ryan) would fall back with me just so I was not riding alone. I felt like I was slowing them down and ruining their good time. That is why I tihnk that for a group ride it is important that everyone knows the route and the stop points. That way if you fall behind you do not have to worry about getting lost.

That's something best talked about before the ride. If you ride with a regular group and everyone is accustomed to each other's riding style it's no problem. Good riders are always going to look out for each other. Just make sure the fast guys pull over every once in a while to make sure no one went down anywhere. Riding at your OWN pace is what makes it fun.

[BearKat]

That's something best talked about before the ride. If you ride with a regular group and everyone is accustomed to each other's riding style it's no problem. Good riders are always going to look out for each other. Just make sure the fast guys pull over every once in a while to make sure no one went down anywhere. Riding at your OWN pace is what makes it fun.

Sounds like a Palomar ride to me Always a good Idea.

[HIEXWIFE]

Everyone has a "I wanna be like Mike" phase when trying something new.

not me,,,,,"I wanna be like LOU"

[taz]

Well, I think honestly I try to keep up a little but still stay within my limits while at the same time pushing just a little each time I ride. Only to make myself better, but also because I dont like to have someone waiting on me. and like tzortn said:

What did bother me was that someone (Steve or Ryan) would fall back with me just so I was not riding alone. I felt like I was slowing them down and ruining their good time.

it would definately be a good idea when your going on a ride to have some stopping points. make sure everyone knows where they are going so they dont get lost. if there is a turn that your going to have to take and not everyone is caught up and may not know thats where the turn is. it would be a good idea to stop and wait for everyone. but, again at the same time that slows you down if you are having to stop and wait for someone else to catch up. which wouldn't bother me, but i'm usually picking up the rear anyway anyway thats just my opinion. and yes i hate picking up the rear but i hate people having to wait for me even more.

[md86]

I thought stops signs and trun-offs WERE the stopping points . That's where I'll be waiting for you sunday !

[harrye]

This has been an interesting topic which has been touched upon in the General forum under the topic "would you feel guilty?"

I have the feeling that I am from another planet. I don't really grasp how so many posters have the occasion to ride with newbies who they don't know. How do they meet these people? I my life, years will go by and I won't meet any new persons. I'll interact with strangers in the normal course of life to the extent that one goes shopping, out to eat, or to a movie, etc. But the people close to me now are the ones whom I've know for 20 years or longer. Except for a nephew, none of them are motorcyclists. So I ride alone mostly.

So how do these opportunities to ride in groups occur? Ok, I understand that most people have "buddies" who they would go riding with when they can. Then what happens? Does one buddy in your circle have an aquaintance who rides in another circle, and when the two groups of varying sizes spot eachother they decide to form one large group? The more, the merrier?

I suppose it helps if you are younger. Young people are generally more open to new relationships, and seem to want to go out and be with other people (of their own age especially)? I suppose it helps if you live in an area where there are a lot of motorcyclists as well.

I suppose few of you could explain how it happens. You couldn't imagine things being any other way. You go out riding with a small number of friends, and you meet other what? Friends? Strangers? Friends of friends? People you don't know but whom you've seen before?

When I am driving on a go-kart track, I hope there are enough other drivers on the track to make it fun. Is that it with group riding?

I'm saying that this is going to work easier for young people. But mature Harley riders have their large get togethers. There seems to be a general camaraderie with them as well.

Oh, as far as the newbie keeping up issue. If group riding is the natural tendency and gives greater enjoyment, then the newbie who is left behind is riding alone, which is the unnatural tendency and which is the opposite of being enjoyable.

[md86]

Well , I've met a couple riders just parked at a rest stop , I've met some from work , and I've met some online .

[harrye]

So is the pleasure of group riding, or at least riding with one or two other riders, from the fact that they are on other cycles and moving fast in relatively close proximity with you. Or is it the persons themselves. Just not being alone?

I guess, since an experienced rider tends to leave a newbie behind, being alone doesn't seem to matter to the faster rider. What if there were only two riders? Faster one still wants to pull away from the newbie?

Experienced riders don't have much respect for newbies? What if you were riding with a person whose accomplishments outside of cycling were really respected by you? Say you got to ride alongside Jay Leno or Arnold Swartzenegger, and they were much slower than you. Would you leave them behind?

[md86]

Well , it's like this . Riding with other people IS more fun becuase of basically what you said . I like to think that riding with other people I might get a little better than riding alone (watching how others do things) . I have some experience , and some of the people I've ridden with have MORE , and some have LESS . Yeah , the group sometimes will spread out , but most of the poeple I ride with will slow down a bit just to keep tabs on you , then go back to their pace (I do the same) . I don't like losing site of someone , so if/when I do , I slow up a bit until I see them again . And if there's a tricky turn or hazard I know about , I'll make sure I can relay the message before they get to it . Some people just wait at the next stop sign or turnoff . Done that , too . Just gotta pick who you ride with . I've heard some horror stories ...

[Babs]

Apart from the camaraderie of riding in a group, new riders will feel safer in a group situation. I know I did/do. A larger group allows a new rider the luxury of small lapses in awareness of surroundings while getting used to riding and also has the advantage of making them more visible to other traffic. Anyone I ride with I met on here, as my chopper buddies aren't that inclined to go scope out a map, find the nice roads and hit the twisties!

I find it a little strange how you find it hard to understand why poeple like to ride in groups. A similar interest always draws people together. Perhaps some people ride in groups for a greater sense of identity - probably the origin of many MC's and patch wearing...

[OldandReallySlow]

I like to ride with others for a bunch of reasons. If I'm just tooling around, then it's for the compainionship. If I'm railing it then it's for the chase (or the chased) and also as a safety measure. I don't want to go off a cliff out here and nobody knows about it. I just mainly try and keep up with BearKat on our rides!!!