Bad-mofo

No offense to canyon carvers and I'm not gonna preach taking it to the track. Everyone's case is different. I gave up canyon riding because I got into SuMo, so now I can spend my weekends at Grange rather than on ACH or Palomar. It was also time when I did enough sportbike trackdays, so I didn't crave canyons. I understand it's expensive and a major transportation effort like hauling a trailer, but if someone has the money and transportation... and still refuses to go to the track when invited... and then satisfies his cravings in the canyons and crashes in the process... then I don't understand it. Sorry, I got carried away. This is not what I wanted to say.

What I wanted to say... if for whatever reason you decided to satisfy your two-wheel cravings in the canyons or even if it's the way of life for you; and I'm perfectly fine with both. Do not ride with unfamiliar people. We all know it... to avoid problem people on group rides. But do we know who problem people are? Let me define "unfamiliar". It's a person you've never seen ride a motorcycle before. It may be your long-term coworker or a friend, but the fact remains: you don't know how he(she) rides. The nicest guy, the hottest girl, the gray-haired walking wisdom... I don't give a damn how they look, how they talk, or what they've achieved in life; Only how they CURRENTLY ride their bikes.

Now let's examine how you meet unfamiliar riders. You can join an unfamiliar group at the [La Canada] Shell, or at the [Palomar] Tree, but this is relatively rare, at least in my experience. The most common scenario is someone bringing a new person to the group.

Here's another scenario: a group of unfamiliar people with the same background meets for a ride. It can be some "epic" message board ride or a group of coworkers (or former coworkers). I guess massive charity rides are safe as they're well organized and by definition mellow, not to mention often supervised/escorted by cops.

But are you really sure a "mellow cruise" organized by a group of coworkers would remain mellow and not turn into something else? Do you have the plan in case that "cruise" turns into ego display? Even if it doesn't, as everyone is cool and don't have to show off or prove anything to others (remember, it's coworkers)... do they ride at the same level? Some inexperienced rider can park mid-corner being in your way and cause you to panic and grab the brakes while at a good lean angle.

I can go on and on, but I think you've got the idea. They're all dangerous... a shy timid kid with 2" chicken strips, a fearless badazz stunta, or the local canyon "veteran" who's "seen it all". Because YOU've never actually seen them ride.

Why I'm posting this? A friend of mine recently went on one of those "let's meet and have a good time" "our hobby unites us" coworker rides and crashed cause someone next to him didn't know WTF he was doing. I'm fortunate I've only ridden with one familiar crew. Sometimes we felt like dragging knees and doing triple digits, while most of the time it was just cruising and socializing. The most important thing is that no one ever caused another rider to crash on our rides. I don't know how I'd feel about those coworker rides before my friend's crash, but right now all I can say is that I'm going to learn from his mistake. Would you?

Mojave954

Hopefully this wasn't the dude that crashed last Sat on the crest. Life flighted him out. Hope the dude was okay.

Last we a group of us went up on an easy cruise. Believe it or not, never busted the speed limit up there. Pretty place when you aren't zipping by.

Anywho, good words of wisdom. Never know what the other person is thinking out there. Been riding with a group for 5 yrs now. I still hang way back, waaaaaay back.

Ride safe.

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YellerSV

So true. I met this kid who had just got a Gixxer 600 he was a nice kid but arrogant. He bugged me for weeks to show him some of my favorite spots to ride. One day I caved I met him at a gas station to do 58 and 229 (local twisties with a rep. of being great roads). I show up and 5 minutes later he shows up with another guy riding a Gixxer 750 with the exhaust cut off (obnoxious and attention getter). I said f-it and we headed out, the minute we get to the twisties they slow down enough to get passed by a 4 year old on a tricycle. We pulled over and I tried to get the story, apparently they had ridden the same road a couple weeks before with a guy who was a far superior rider and the kid on the 750 wadded up. I thought great and I told them I was going to go swiftly through the twisties but take your time and I'll meet you on the other side. By the time I was through it took them 10 minutes to catch up in only about 15 miles of road. On 229 there are 4 starights each about 2-3 miles long as soon as they get there they're doing trips and wheelies all around me, I got extremely uncomfortable because of both of their past experience. We pull over once more and they go on and on about how awesome their wheelies were. Then the guy on the 750 says I wish you would have told me we were going to ride when you got to my house because I was getting blazed out of my mind . At that point I just road off. I never road with unfamiliar people again. Sorry about the length but get over it.

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phydeaux

Good posts! I passed on a ride this Sunday with a group I have ridden with before. There are always new people on these rides so I usually sweep (to avoid such problems). On Sunday a mature rider went down on the 78 chasing someone else and was life-flighted out. He's still in CCU and it doesn't look good. I had met him before and chatted, but never rode with him. If I were to have guessed, I would have thought he was a safe rider because of the "no old, bold riders" saying. You never know.

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Bad-mofo

I wouldn't disclose who it was, only that he's not a member of this board. It didn't happen on the Crest and he's OK, though the bike is messed up.

Rank

I'm extremely thankful for the guys that took me in and taught me to all the canyon roads around here. They certainly didn't know me at all when they took me in. I won't say no to everyone, because a lot of guys are just looking for someone to mentor them and learn more about the sport. I just do my best to interview new riders before I agree to ride with them and drop them like a sack of nickels if I question something they do.

SPEKTRE

We (in my group) occasionally get a new rider. Not meaning he/she just started riding. If I don't know them I'll either ride at least 200ft behind them or I'll make sure I am in front of them if I know I am faster.

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pantablo

Riders are unfamiliar to everyone at least once unless you always ride alone. One needs to use street smarts to ride defensively around unfamiliar riders and determine if they'll ride with them again.

Some guy was NEXT to your buddy? Sounds like your buddy could have done something differently....I'm just sayin'

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Bad-mofo

Someone "cut him off" in the corner whatever that means. I understand that everyone joins some group at least once. That's different from what happened: that group was entirely new: a bunch of coworkers with bikes.

pantablo

still sounds like yoru buddy could have done something to prevent it...but what do I know? I'm talking out of my ass since I wasnt there...

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