Freakshow999

No one has talked down to me to my face but they have said things about other riders when I was around and it made me very uncomfortable. Makes me wonder what they are saying about me when I'm not around which causes distrust. I need to be able to trust the people I ride with like Deb said
Ado I like you and I don't want to be offensive with my questions to you. Why do you find it nescesary to say "when your fast you have nothing to prove" and "I can hold my own" To me how fast a person is should never come in to question on a group ride. Faster people of course will be riding up front slower in back hopefully with an experienced rider commited to be a back marker no matter how slow they have to go. To me group rides in the canyons have no place for holding your own and if fast people have nothing to prove they should be riding at safer speeds when leading groups. To me if you are going to invite the world (via the internet) on groups rides and say everyone is welcome we should really ride "The Pace" The track is a different story, you better be able to hold your own to ride in the group you're riding in etc.
It's not just one experience it has been several hence my post.

Link bellow is to "The Pace" if you have not read it please do, if you have please read it again"
http://www.canyonstrafers.com/events/the_pace.htm

P.S. these are just my opinions some of you may think I am wrong and that is fine with me. Please post up and let me know your experiences because that is what I can learn from. Thanks, Sean

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Freakshow999

:thumbup totally wit cha on that. Since I've slowed down I really enjoy my riding more and I am learning more I really love getting in "the zone" it is kinda spiritual when everything just flows!

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TahoesHateMe

I just ride the pace I'm comfortable with. I like to go fast but hold back and save the really pushing it for trackdays now. I've notice I'm prolly 10mph slower in the corners at ACH then I used to and just enjoy the ride.

But hell, I ain't no angel and will or never claim to be.

Now with what happened to Deb isn't cool. I've rode backmarker with the same group. I felt held back by a slow rider but stayed there anyway because I agreed to at the start of the ride.

SPEED

There's a problem with huge rides...."too many different riding styles." You can preach all you want to people, and think you have all the bases covered, but people are still human, and will end up lifting their ego instead of using their brains. I like to ride pretty fast, but will slow it down if there is someone trying to follow me, so they don't get in over their head. I believe that someone whom agrees to be backmarker, should never move his/her way up into the pack. that person can drop back a little from time to time if the people are cramping his style, so that he/she can go a little faster to make things interesting.

For someone taking the responsibility to set up a ride, they need your feedback directly in a constructive way so that they can make any needed safety changes.

I had a ride that turned out to be more than I was ready for a few years ago, and it ended in tragedy with people going to the hospital instead of enjoying a great bbq with the group. I vowed to never do another big group ride until I was truely ready to help everyone get out there and back safely. I realized later that I was setting the pace, and should have been making sure everyone was riding within their limits, and not been out hot doging it.

Please try to find the people you take issue with, and help them see where they might be able to improve.

Hope to get to ride with you soon.

SPEED.

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GSXR600Chick

I mentioned to the riders at the beginning of this group ride that I was for sure the slowest, and that if the person who was going to be the backmarker did not want to go as slow as me, to give me the chatterbox so I would have some communication from way, way back. I was denied. Chris offered to be the backmarker, as he is happy riding slow behind me. He will lag behind me in the straights and nail it through the turns, so he still gets to have his fun. (He also likes to be behind me as he can critique my riding and give me tips on what I need to work on that day.) He was denied as well. We since have both bought chatterboxes which have been awesome to have.

I hate the feeling of holding people up. However, from what I have heard both verbally and from reading posts, the backmarker rotates so one person is not always "stuck" in the back.

I just think if it is a ride that is advertised towards beginners, the pace should be set accordingly. I also think that with large groups, splitting into sub-groups is a good idea and keeps things organized. If you want to go fast, and not be held up, simply advertise that the ride is a quicker pace and is not for the timid or the people who don't want to push themselves. Seems pretty simple to me...

Oh, and I have ridden with some beginning riders over the past few months. There was one rider who was very new and VERY slow. I spent the day riding with this new rider at the pace they were comfortable with. On the way home on the 76, I rode behind this person to keep the cars off their butt so there was no pressure. I was happy to do this. For the few turns that I love, I simply slowed way down so I could create space between us and then took my favorite turns at the speed that I wanted to take them at. Easy Breezy.

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ABearden

I think I was at the Turtle ride you are speaking of, and yes, that was very messed up of them. Especially because you voiced concerns and they ignored you.

Freakshow, I've never seen that personally but I know it happens. It sucks that some riders are like that, but that's why there's so many riders to choose from for riding buddies.

Offtopic: When are you gonna have that engine swap party? I've got one for my 500 coming and don't mind helping and learning.

GSXR600Chick

I just want to clarify that I don't think anyone I rode with on this particular ride is a "bad person" or anything. Many of the people we rode with that day have become our friends, and the individual who was the back marker is actually someone who's riding skill I admire and I think is an awesome person. I just was frustrated at that point in time and was not happy with the organization. But not everyone can be happy with everything, especially in a large group. I don't fault anyone for my bad experience, I just wish that the pace had been slower, or that the fact that I was so slow was "acceptable". I believe we could have made some modifications to make my pace "ok", such as giving Chris the chatterbox and allowing him to be the back marker.

It was a learning experience, and since then I just ride with who I am comfortable with.

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to ride with that many people, I just don't see myself doing it any time again soon. I seen to be happiest with just a few people.

__________________
"There's so much time to learn how to ride, if you can think of it more as a life-time pursuit, you'll realize there's no big rush to get better/faster." ---Robert----

Check out the coolest videos here:
www.grassyknollproductions.com
And the best pictures here:
www.palomarpics.net

"Someone once said that friends are God's way of apologizing for family" --Havoc--
"The world is too fragile for people to be untrue. There's too much at stake, and life is too short for lies." --Brothers & Sisters--

Freakshow999

I, like Deb, like riding with just a few people unfortunately the few I usually ride with haven't been riding much lately so I have been doing alot of group rides on the weekends.

Once again what I have a problem with most is peoples attitudes and the fact that they preach riding one way, saving it for the track etc. and it is not what they project on group rides. When I have said something about it I got some really weird comments that just threw me like "maybe they just bailed because they couldn't hang" comment. I don't have a problem with people who ride fast I have a problem with people that ride unsafe in my eyes. I have met some really cool people who I have started to form good friendships with and I totally appreciate that. I am no angel either and I understand the human element (I'm totally obsesive compulsive) The people I seem to be having problems with are people I have ridden with alot lately, they are the most voicetrus (sp) on the other forum and many young riders look up to them. They very simply don't practice what they preach and that bugs the sheit out of me. I guess I probably just shouldn't ride with them.

I was talking with my buddy Tony last night at our anti-bike night in HB and he was telling me about the old fast riders on the Crest (he's been a local for about 10yrs now) he told me a story of a few years ago when two oldtimers up their died in one day. They were hauling probably at speeds they more than capable of handling turned into a blind corner and a ranger truck was parked mid turn blocking the road due to an accident up ahead they had no time to react, one died instantly on in the hospital the next day. Were they riding beyond their limits, no, were they riding too fast for conditions yes. Is it one of our inherent risks we take yes, could it have been prevented yes. Tony said since that time all of the old "fast guys" he knew no longer ride there for the most part, the ones that do like himself go alot slower. Some died either there or on another canyon and some are track only people now.

As far as the engine swap goes I am going to ride the 400 @ streets of willow first to see how I like it there. I've taken it to ACH and GMR quite honestly with the work I've done to it, it doesn't need more power just a better rider :laughing I was just doing the butt wiggle on the crest holding around 55 on the turns and only managed to heat up the tires on the outside of the middle (think huge chicken strips) I have to shift more in the canyons on it but with the gearing it's got more than enough umph right now so I'm not sure I still want to do the swap at this time. As for your swap it should be straight forward and I'm more than willing to give you a hand as long as I have the time free :happyb

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adospeed

RE: [/quote]
Ado I like you and I don't want to be offensive with my questions to you. Why do you find it nescesary to say "when your fast you have nothing to prove" and "I can hold my own" To me how fast a person is should never come in to question on a group ride. Faster people of course will be riding up front slower in back hopefully with an experienced rider commited to be a back marker no matter how slow they have to go. To me group rides in the canyons have no place for holding your own and if fast people have nothing to prove they should be riding at safer speeds when leading groups. To me if you are going to invite the world (via the internet) on groups rides and say everyone is welcome we should really ride "The Pace" The track is a different story, you better be able to hold your own to ride in the group you're riding in etc.
Sean, What I was attempting to get across, was that I, as a veteran rider I am never above the slower riders as a person.

The reason I pointed that out is that if I was slow my comments would have no merit or anything to contrast it with. I can hold my own and I dont have anything to prove, and thats why I have NO PROBLEM with helping out and committing to brigning up the last group.

MY very purpose and vision for helping organize the Newbie ride and ALWAYS being the VERY LAST PERSON bringing up the group is because I truly desire to help those who want a safe, fun environment to get "seat time" on their bikes. That is my heart's desire.

And I agree with you, if a person is going to make a commitment to lead a slower group, they need to fulfill that commitment.

In closing Sean, I just thought it was sad that people are "putting down" riders because they dont ride as fast as they do. I think thats a shame if they REALLY think that. I hope I clarified my comments.

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adospeed

Oh yeah........one more thing.

Thats why 3 weekends out of the month I dont do a Newbie ride, cause I want to ride at a faster pace that I am comrofortable with. I purposely dont invite people because I fear putting on them pressure to keep up. I dont want that on my back. So I do it with a few other guys that I trust at the same speed.

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Lord, help us to imagine the power of Prayer and Vision.
Lord, prepare us to see them fulfilled.