Group dynamics; who do you ride with and why?

[kiwifruit]

People that can ride.

[Bullitt]

I dont really know anyone outside of KB who rides bikes so all my group rides so far have been through here.

I prefer group rides at the moment as it gives me an opportunity to meet new people and find interesting roads given I havnt lived in Wellington very long.

Im not an overly quick rider so Id rather not ride with people that treat it like a race as Ill just hold them up (from being slow not from crashing trying to keep up), however I havnt seen any KB rides like that anyway so far.

[Skyryder]

Bit of a loner on this. Start, stop when I like and go where I like. Like the group rides for the social interaction but tend to hang back a bit and see who is doing what especialy with those that I have not ridden with.


Skyryder

[surfchick]

On my own 3/4's of the time - soul surfing is the same...

The rest of the split between a few KB crew and then also time with 2 non-kb mates...one of them I have to give a wide berth as he's written off 4 litre bikes on public roads...(at least non were ducatis) and he's since grown up a good bit less to more - ***now I trust him...but still give him space to blow it just in case there's a return to the hormone filled days

[Terminated]

I am new to riding, May 2006, and since contributing to the kiwibiker website, I hope that I have provided encouragement to the general KB’er community.

Looking at the social dynamics, where and how we ride and with whom we ride, there can be a myriad of explanations.

How the general KB community accepts and blends in with each other is one of its good attributes.

Respect is earned, and through sensible and mature qualities, much enjoyment can be had when we go for a ride.

I look forward to my riding during the week and at weekends be it solo or in groups: whether it be an impromptu decision like at a cruisie Wednesday or Sunday ride, or whether it be a promulgated ride detailing route and destination, I will maintain a personal discipline in how I conduct myself and my riding.

Heads Up and Enjoy

[Steam]

I ride by myself, cos bikers are freaky fuckers. Weird, eccentric.
Nah, I'm just slower than everyone else, I don't like holding people up and also hate newbie rides cos everyone is so sickeningly encouraging and nice.

Maybe the real truth is I just don't like people.

[madmal64]

Group Rides
Sometimes I ride on the KB rides locally. Sundays & Wednesday night rides are good. These rides are fairly cruisy paced rides and are slower than my solo pace. I ride these rides IF thats the sort of riding I feel like doing. I use these more for a time to meet up with folks rather the the riding experience.
I do have a couple of other groups of folks that I ride with that are non KBers.
One of these is a relativley fast group and we all ride a similar style and I have been riding with these guys for a long while now and its great to goout with a group you know & trust and like to ride the same type of roads and distances. Our usual day ride is 500-600 ks. A decent ride that consists of riding and not a whole lot of stopping and coffee drinking. These rides are about riding more that the scenery
The other group is more like the KB rides I do. We tend to pick a great destination, usually a pub like Lake Ferry of Wimbolton and go there, have a meal & a drink then head back. These rides are more about the scenery and not the riding.
Solo
I also enjoy heading out on my own and finding roads that I havent ridden before or trying an old route in reverse.
I also tend to ride when the family goes away for a holiday or for the weekend. I know that probably sounds strange but I enjoy the time by myself and the kids enjoy keeping an eye out for Dad during the trip. I tend to stop often so the whole group arrives at the destination around the same time.

[Wiki Drifter]

Solo fer me Thats what biking means to me, a method of getting away from other people

[xwhatsit]

After the recent Auckland 250 ride chaos, I'm rather put off large groups, to be honest.

Two or three is good for me. I enjoy following GiJoe1313; he likes to ride at a pace that is a touch faster than me, meaning I have to come out of my comfort zone and push myself a bit. Concentrate on good lines and better technique than I normally ride with, so I can keep up. I learn new things when I do that.

Riding on my own is great, but I'm slightly fearful of venturing too far on my own. Off to Piha or Kaiaua is fine, but further afield it's always in the back of my mind that I'm riding a bike that's had a quarter of a century of abuse, 200kms from home, and that I haven't seen a friendly face for at least an hour.

Nevertheless that's part of the adventure.

[99TLS]

usually by myself so i can stop whenever i want or dont want

[Drum]

I like riding the KB rides, and in smaller groups with fellas I met on KB.
Mostly I like riding alone. And by alone I mean no other cars or bikes. Just me and the Kwaka so I can ride my own ride.

[kiwifruit]

Piha or Kaiaua is fine, but further afield it's always in the back of my mind that I'm riding a bike that's had a quarter of a century of abuse, 200kms from home, and that I haven't seen a friendly face for at least an hour.

Nevertheless that's part of the adventure.

thats the best part of it!!
i feel old

[kiwifruit]

ride my own ride.

this is the key,
no one cares how "fast" or "slow" you are...
If they do, all power to them

[Drum]

this is the key,
no one cares how "fast" or "slow" you are...
If they do, all power to them

True bro.
So many riders feel that people are watching them and judging them. I reckon the general public don't give a F**k about us leather clad wa**ers. We haven't got anything to prove to anyone.

From a car you look at the world like a picture through a frame. On a bike, you're in the picture.

OT

[sAsLEX]

The stuff article with the car found Tirau kinda opened my eyes a bit.

A few of the places I ride I have no real idea of the names of the roads or my location etc and how often do solo riders leave a ride plan with someone let alone have one?