Learner Ride to Taupo (Saturday 11 Feb 2012)

[Grant`]

Be more careful overtaking other vehicles!! Grant and I were a little shocked while following one of the groups back to Auckland - the whole group overtook on a blind crest!!! . There were other moments I spotted people overtaking in silly spots to make sure they were not left behind. Always plan your overtaking manoeuvres, don't rely on others to asses it for you.

*mentor hat on* as I am surprised to hear this of a trip that was designed for learners...and I know that Maha's rides of this nature are well run.

Yep. Learner riders should not be expected to keep up. The lead rider needs to set the pace based on the likely speed of the slowest rider. It is easiest to do that if the inexperienced are near the front where the leader can follow them in his/her mirrors. If the front of the group 'jumps' then the tail-enders should not feel forced to do so too, but rather wait for a better opportunity. After all, are they going to lose the leading group, who will either slow down a little to allow the catch-up, or will wait at a turnoff?

Pack riding is what you have described, and is best done on one's own.

I had forgotten all about that till you reminded me. I take it Tim you saw me facepalm my helmet and shake my head and then slow right down so not to be caught up in anything should it have occured...

Said 'problem' occured that a slow truck was going up a hill, which was fine as there was room for 1-3 bikes maybe to get past safely at the given passing point, but the whole group apart from the TEC went past this truck coming up to the crest of the hill which would of just been carnage if oncoming traffic had decided to make itself known at any point during the manoeuvre. The fact that leader past was fine but people have to stop acting like sheep, we had some similar instances on the cape trip, people need to think for themselves is it a safe time to pass or do i need to wait for another gap to become available.

But great time (along with some grumpy moments) hopefully had by all and a nice little blast at the end to clear the cobwebs our towards the end of the trip which really made it all worthwhile...

Awesome to catch up and lovely to meet the new missus Scott, looks like she will well and truely keep you out of trouble!

And to all the nay sayers on wearing leather, by time I had been rained on from just after harbour bridge to Warkworth i only had a couple of damp patches compared to Carmel (who i believe is now known as DICK) being soaked through to the bone who was wearing cordura hehe.

[Grant`]

It was great catching up with friends, old and new, on Saturday night.
Thanks for your hospitality people.

Thanks for the awesome welcome and licking to greet me with

[Grant`]

Also big ups to Matamata Panelworks for coming out and breaking into the car (Via AA type call out) and doing it so quickly and efficiently with no fuss! Would use for a call out again lol.

[Gremlin]

With the large group, yes, after we set off I thought I should have checked what speed you wanted me to do. Cars and SUVs caused a bit of a mess splitting the group apart, but I halted a few times to get the group uh... re-grouped. I had 2 behind who had no problem, but then kept losing the rest, even though I ended up doing 60-70 at times

Truck was a necessary evil, as I didn't want to split the group in case someone couldn't/wouldn't overtake (and I wouldn't know), besides, they were doing 93kph pretty much on the dot, which allowed the group to re-group and cars to get out of the middle of the pack.

Anyway... re quantity of groups, I don't see a problem in having more, I know I organised some day rides with 6 groups, 24 learners divided amongst them, but the trick is to keep each group small. Sometimes I could see a long queue behind, if the terrain allowed, but couldn't tell who it was, and whether they were the middle or the end, or the lights were the cars... sure were plenty of Porsche's etc out there.

Absolutely agree re comments overtaking (or pulling out into intersections - and anything really). Each person must individually decide if it is safe for them to proceed. That's why there are points to re-group, TEC etc.

Maha... I don't think the person to person corner marking worked well. I've seldom seen it work over the years (not you, this is over all the group rides I've been on), and you only need one person to muck it up for a number of riders to get lost (especially if amongst the remaining people only the rear people know the route). Having a group of pointers seems to work better... but you just need the extras to be able to do it.

[Grant`]

Maha... I don't think the person to person corner marking worked well. I've seldom seen it work over the years (not you, this is over all the group rides I've been on), and you only need one person to muck it up for a number of riders to get lost (especially if amongst the remaining people only the rear people know the route). Having a group of pointers seems to work better... but you just need the extras to be able to do it.

I remember a certain persons GPS telling him to stop on a corner which was not even the one we were taking on the cape trip lol

[Timmeh:P]

*mentor hat on* as I am surprised to hear this of a trip that was designed for learners...and I know that Maha's rides of this nature are well run.

Yup, as I said Maha and Mom did a fantastic job! And the ride was well aimed at learners.

Yep. Learner riders should not be expected to keep up. The lead rider needs to set the pace based on the likely speed of the slowest rider. It is easiest to do that if the inexperienced are near the front where the leader can follow them in his/her mirrors. If the front of the group 'jumps' then the tail-enders should not feel forced to do so too, but rather wait for a better opportunity.

Agree 100%

Pack riding is what you have described, and is best done on one's own.

We rode down to Taupo in groups of 6 - 8. Worked really well.

I take those comments onboard...
I will lead the next ride (thats me and my group of pace setters)
I personally made a wrong call in letting someone lead a group that had never done that before...my fail on that.
And thats no judgement on the lead rider..theres more to leading a group ride than leading a group ride.
I will also limit the next ride to 21 so that each group will have 7 riders.
Each group will have a mix of rider ability/pace to consider.

I learned stuff on this ride for sure.

All power to Gremlin for leading the ride from Oko to Mercer...
For him to stay behind a truck tralier uniton the motorway sitting on 95kph, must have been difficult..
Morrinsville to Ohinewai was a real pleasure.

Maha you did a great job!

[Virgil]

Guys, I just wanted to add my note of appreciation to everyone involved in organising and running the Taupo ride. It was wonderful to meet so many new people, and put faces to names, and the friendlyness and welcoming shown by everyone was just outstanding.

At a little bit of an awkward point in my life, I felt the need to be with friends, and I do feel that I have just inherited a whole bunch of simply awesome friends - beyond that even, there is a sense of family bonding the whole group, including others talked about lovingly even though they were not there.

I like my new family :-) I simply can't wait for the next ride - Is it time yet?

Cheers
Virgil (the no-longer virgin)

[blue rider]

Yup, as I said Maha and Mom did a fantastic job! ........


Maha you did a great job!

i agree with the above......praise be

[Gremlin]

I remember a certain persons GPS telling him to stop on a corner which was not even the one we were taking on the cape trip lol

Yes, over the 80,000 odd km Karen (Zumo 550) and I have been together, I've been wrong a few times and sometimes she's been wrong a few times. The really hard part (like missing a turn yesterday ) is figuring out who's turn it is to be wrong, BEFORE it's too late.

I've never succeeded there, yet.

[MSTRS:Me]

We rode down to Taupo in groups of 6 - 8. Worked really well.

So the home leg didn't follow the pattern? Often happens - I have lost count of the rides I've been on that started well, and ended 'fragmented', shall we say. Part of the human condition as it relates to bikers, I suppose.

By pack riding, I mean like the gangs tend to do. The structure is that all do what the others do at the same time (you'd think they were all roped together). It leaves no room for error and can be deadly...

[Timmeh:P]

Gremlin you did a good job with the number of riders! There were moments were the group split because of bike malfunctions, traffic and junctions etc etc. Nothing you could have done to avoid these splits in the group.

[Maha]

Guys, I just wanted to add my note of appreciation to everyone involved in organising and running the Taupo ride. It was wonderful to meet so many new people, and put faces to names, and the friendlyness and welcoming shown by everyone was just outstanding.

At a little bit of an awkward point in my life, I felt the need to be with friends, and I do feel that I have just inherited a whole bunch of simply awesome friends - beyond that even, there is a sense of family bonding the whole group, including others talked about lovingly even though they were not there.

I like my new family :-) I simply can't wait for the next ride - Is it time yet?

Cheers
Virgil (the no-longer virgin)

You bring cookies so you're welcome anytime...can we call you Gerry now, that lady at the Oko got away with it...

[blue rider]

It was great catching up with friends, old and new, on Saturday night.
Thanks for your hospitality people.

t'was lovely you after all that time of virtual interaction.....hopefully we meet again.

[Grant`]

I take those comments onboard...
I will lead the next ride (thats me and my group of pace setters)
I personally made a wrong call in letting someone lead a group that had never done that before...my fail on that.
And thats no judgement on the lead rider..theres more to leading a group ride than leading a group ride.
I will also limit the next ride to 21 so that each group will have 7 riders.
Each group will have a mix of rider ability/pace to consider.

I disagree to some of that, anybody in there doing a Lead or Tec role is only there to create a safe riding environment - people on the rides have to take some responsibility for there riding as well learner or experienced...

Passing something is not an issue if the leader believes the group is capable of it and in this case majority of the roads we were on at the time were straight enough to accomplish it (extremely safely), the group passing as a bunch of grapes on the blind crest is not the leaders fault the fault lies with those riders in my eyes, yes the leader may need to slow down and wait for people to get there own suitable passing area for a complete re-group, as straight after this blind crest tec and my group got past with no trouble.

Maybe I am misguided here but thats my thoughts.

[scorpio girl]

I had 2 behind who had no problem, but then kept losing the rest, even though I ended up doing 60-70 at times

That's because number 3 was me, and try as I might I just could not keep up... it's the corners that slow me down as I'm not confident yet doing them at speed and didn't want to push myself, although having said that I learned HEAPS this weekend so am feeling more confident now... on the straights the wee scorpio was full throttle trying to gain some ground lol

Guys, I just wanted to add my note of appreciation to everyone involved in organising and running the Taupo ride. It was wonderful to meet so many new people, and put faces to names, and the friendlyness and welcoming shown by everyone was just outstanding.

At a little bit of an awkward point in my life, I felt the need to be with friends, and I do feel that I have just inherited a whole bunch of simply awesome friends - beyond that even, there is a sense of family bonding the whole group, including others talked about lovingly even though they were not there.

I like my new family :-) I simply can't wait for the next ride - Is it time yet?

Cheers
Virgil (the no-longer virgin)

I also agree whole heartedly with this, very well said