slower paced rides

[TonyB]

in light of all the bad rep i received for my

extremely insensitive

"did he die"

about sam on urgent thread i have edited it out.

those that havent or thoxse that want to again feel free to bad rep me on this one as i believe i copy of it is going to sams family.

I think perhaps you feel bad enough as it is. Can't see any point in any of us kicking you while you're down. We all say stupid things, don't beat yourself up too much.

[Dafe]

Yep, Totally agree with XJ.
Riding at the back is harder to keep up. As mentioned in my other threads, thats why I suggested the big bikes consider sitting midway to the back.
This would change from the Rimutaka tavern though as there aren't too many lights between there and anywhere north.

[TonyB]

Yep, Totally agree with XJ.

Ditto that. Not exactly sure how it works, but the further back you get, the faster you need to go to keep up. I guess it's because the leaders get first pick when overtaking etc and there may not be room for the next few to get through.

[pommie girl]

Ditto what's been said before me. I would love to go out on a group ride but have held back because of a number of reasons, namely that I'd hate to be the one at the back holding everyone else up and after only 14 months of riding I'm not sure how my skills would hold up against everyone else.

However, I do think it's up to each of us to take responsibility for ourself and despite my competitive nature, I'm old enough to know my limitations - countless months in plaster and hours upon hours sat in Whitechapel A&E (a desperately dodgy place for anyone who knows East London) have drilled that home to me.

I'll leave it up to those more experienced riders to dictate how things should progress.

[Quasievil]

Well for my pennies worth (AND YES IM A BIT PISSED), having been to alot of KB rides .

Upfront it is ALWAYS a race and ALWAYS a challenge and people ALWAYS ride outside there abilities and on KB rides people ALWAYS fall off.
Thats the cold hard reality of it.
And when we get hurt or worse we all come out and analylse our behaviour on the roads and come up with these ideas, but give it a week and we are back to our standard behavour.

If anything those of us that ride hard up front should be looking at ourselves and not looking at newbies and their "riding outside their capabilities behaviour" If those up front took a reality check and slowed down it would slow everyone down and set some behaviour guidelines for the newbies.

heres a couple of facts
1/Newbies will Often try and keep up especially if they are young
2/Older and experienced riders will Often test their limits and abilities

whats the outcome do you think?

Im no bloody saint either, I never said I was so dont bag me for these comments but I am older and wiser than many and I understand Human behaviour not to mention I have been riding for 25 years as well and survived.

Yes Im Ranting big time, Ive had 5 or more friends come of in a bloody week !!!! all doing stupid damn stuff

so alot of you stop bloody coming up with should dos and shouldnt dos and start changing your behavior on KB rides, a guy is dead for fuck sake what else has to happen!!!!!

[Gixxer 4 ever]

short note to Gixxer4eva - if I'd known you were 'caning it' I wouldn't have held back so much

You passed me three times. But I know you would never give me a hard time so I can ride a bit slower and be happy. After all that's why we ride together.

[Quasievil]

I'll leave it up to those more experienced riders to dictate how things should progress.

[/QUOTE]


Exactly right

[XP@]

Working on it..

Does anyone have a old ratty looking XT600/DR650/XR600 they want to sell cheap to a poor staving student so he can get out of sportsbikes before he breaks any other bits of himself?

I have a cow of an XT400 looking for a new owner...
email me at expatty at gmail.com and tell me your a kiwibiker and will give you it for a nice price (unless a miracle happens and someone buys it for the reserve)!
http://www.trademe.co.nz/structure/a...sp?id=26347665

[crazylittleshit]

Everyone is resposible for themselves and Remeber that if the people your riding with Are riding out of you league then Ride at a slower speed. (KB always wait).

[XP@]

Yup, I've ridden outside my limits, we probably all have.

One of the best pices of advice I have ever had is "dont ride like a kid or a parent. Ride like an adult"
(I think it came from Alain Kirk - megarider)

2am raining hard somewhere in some gorge I was playing follow the leader... suddenly I realised I was sh1tting my self and making way too many mistakes. I thought "adult". I slowed down to my pace. stopped blaming bmw for crappy lights and got on with the ride. and I am still typing today...

* Kids do silly things without thinking about the consequenses
* Parents spend all their time telling kids off, and not concentrating on what they are supposed to be doing.
* Adults just deal with bad behaviour and stay out of trouble.

From what I can gather there is a whole philosophy about this that is applied to general life and business etc... any psycologists out there?

[LED]

For what its worth guys just stop calling it a group ride if what you want is a free for all or race day. Been on many and the worse days are when people are racing down straights and worse corners - well above speed limit or ability, and yes been there done that. I do enjoy a group ride of at least 5 or more bikes for just that....a group.........nothing better than smiles on your dial as you can see your mates close by or rumbling into some hick town for shrimp cocktails at the local pub - god I love those!!

Heres my guide for a top day:

Leader at the front has experience and stays at a speed thats suitable for the rider behind him/her and that is.........

the slowest, then the next slowest, etc, until...........

the fastest at the back, why at the back because they have to do all the crazy passing if thats their bag baby, or they slow down if they want to catch up NOT vice versa.

Once you get to know each other someone may help in the overtaking to keep everyone together. They slow down the traffic thereby creating a big gap and allowing other bikers to pass.........

What do you know - in a few months newbies are starting to slide to the back as they gain more experience but more importantly because others want to join the rides because its FUN.

As for that leader just suck the fact that you are having a slow day (including corners), next time you can go to the back.

Enjoy, fellow BIKIES............

[crashe]

I have been on quite a few KB rides now...

The first few times I was really worried that I was holding everyone up....
But RIB and Zapf were a couple at the beginning who said "Hey don't worry about us, you ride at your own pace, we will wait for you" (words to that effect)

Well it took a couple more rides to get that into my head. Now I just doddle along and eventually catch up. But there are times when I do catch up, that I want to stop and have a stretch, but everyone else is raring to go again, so I don't stop. By the time I get home I can be totally shattered. (that is on the longer rides)

Yep I am a slow rider and I also ride a cruiser (A cruiser handles corners so differently from sportsbikes) and I do like to see the countryside and what is happening around me. I like to go at 100 to 110 on the straights and a hell of a lot slower on the cornering. I do tend to be the only cruiser out there on the rides these days....(auckland) and then I know for sure that I wil be last. Except on the "noobies rides".

I never was into speed, and I leave that up to the faster riders, and I always hope that none of them will come off, as I have seen them take the corners and wonder how the hell can you see what is around the corner when you are going that fast. Yep I have asked a few that question and received an answer.

Fella's, since I come up the rear, I really don't want to come around a bend and find you lying there on the ground all hurt.

When I see the faster ones coming up from behind (when I see them) I pull over to give them the extra room in the same lane.

I have found when I ride with everyone, that as a slow rider, I head out at the lead and eventually all the faster ones will pass me, and so then they dont have to wait so long for me.

But in the end, we all accountable for our OWN actions.
We MUST all ride safely and not do stupid things out there on the roads, just to try to keep up with someone else. That is taking one too many risks.

[Lucyloo]

.

We all know it's procedure that the ride will stop to regroup at turnoffs, but I think we are being unrealistic to suggest that people won't try to keep up the pace.

.

Thank you Paps!
You have hit the nail on the head.
I believe that this is particularly relevant when there are new, young, (and I have to say) male riders in the group. Peer pressure (usually in one's own mind!) can be very strong.
I don't think for a minute that anyone on this site actively encourages new riders to try and keep up, in fact quite the opposite, but the temptation is there especially when you are new and trying to learn all you can from more experienced riders.

[phantom]

The same principle holds for all sorts of pursuits, when I was a young fella and was into tramping in a big way the young guns always shot ahead and left the new or unfit ones behind. If and when they stopped and waited, as soon as the slower ones arrived they shot off again the best group tramps were the ones with the quickies at the back and everyone stayed together. Now I run a bit in a futile to keep my size in proprtion to my bike and group runs are a hell of a let more enjoyable ( or less miserable )if everyone stays together

[Mr Skid]

Ditto that. Not exactly sure how it works, but the further back you get, the faster you need to go to keep up. I guess it's because the leaders get first pick when overtaking etc and there may not be room for the next few to get through.

Further to this, if I'm riding with a less experienced rider, or one on a less powerful bike I try to wave them past me so they get first crack at overtaking a vehicle.

My reasoning is that if my bike has more urge, that I'll be able to overtake easier than them.

It also reduces the "oh crap, I need to make this pass, else I'll be left behind!" feeling that can occur in the mind of a new rider when you think you're getting left behind (been there, done that).

If I make a pass first, then I'll try to sit in front of the vehicle until the following rider gets past.

It's just good manners in my mind.