Laxed out rides

[ckai]

Maybe I'm just angry because I now have no ride, no prospects of having one in the near future, and therefore no escape from the daily grind which is my life. Still... it is totally against human instinct to voluntarily be within a group and not succumb to the tendancy to conform. The whole idea of "Ride your own ride" is unrealistic. It seems to be more of a condition of entry and an absolution from responsibility than a safety mechanism. A bunch of males on nothing smaller than 600 let a couple of chicks, one on a 250 and one on a 150 for a 350km loop involving some of the dodgiest sections of road in the North Island... Why? It stinks of dick-thinking. How many on that ride actually have girlfriends, or even female friends? Be honest... it would make a significant statistic wouldn't it? If not dick-thinking, then could it have been for the girls' benefit, so they can learn from the pros? Can't be... because everyone would be riding thier own ride! Personally, when we have any new or relatively inexperienced riders in our group, we all take the oportunity to ride at thier pace and to consolodate some of our skills which we may not have performed at legal or even safe speeds for a while, and there sure as shit is no "Ride your own ride" mentality. We ride OUR ride, and that is governed by the competence of the newest or least experienced and if we don't feel like going slow, we just don't invite the snails.

Fair call being a bit pissed, I heard about roughly what happened. Wasn't on the ride myself so can't go into specifics.

Was this the ride that was planned for a little bit and met at Jack's? Or was this the last minute ride to Raglan? There was a choice between two different rides unless the longer one was changed from the planned route dramatically.

When I was fresh on my 250 I wouldn't have contemplated going on a 350km haul. I was shattered the corner marathon I did a while a go which was about 350km.

Yes, some people feel pressured into keeping up, it is ultimately their decision. Can't imagine the guys being any real pressure on anyone. The last time I rode in the big group was doing a Waihi type loop. I ran up the front, was having a shitter, so dropped back to RIGHT at the back to cruise with them for a while. I was on the Daytona and it didn't break 90km/h. I rode my own ride and a few times I've found myself riding alone because I am riding as I want.

Depending on who was in the group, I would have thought someone would have dropped back to cruise with those that are found riding by themselves. This is how I've seen it when I've ridden in the group. Then, as you said, it becomes THEIR ride with the faster guys doing their thing.

But I wasn't there and could have been different. Just depends on what ride was choosen.

[NDORFN]

Leyton and Eric were cruzing around the back and as leyton said he's taking it real easy lately. Yes there are a few faster people in the group but there's normally a few 250 riders, learners and people who just take it easy.

Riding your own ride is quite realistic, its a message thats echoed constantly in our threads and its the whole reason this group does well and has allot of regular riders. I've done more than 20,000km doing exactly that.

We have nothing to prove. It wasn't all that long ago that i was the dude right at the back, all nervous and freaking out on every corner on Pye's Par (until i slowed down).

As far as i know most of the guys in the group have girlfriends or wives, especially the front 5 on sunday. And as for showing off, even an experienced rider on a 250 wouldn't see a rider on a 1000cc enough for them to show off???

You got the wrong tree dude.

Ah well, I may be barking at the tree partially out of anger and frustration, so for that I apologise. I do understand where you're coming from in terms of wanting to go out riding and make all-comers welcome, and maybe as a parent myself I have a larger and probably excessive sense of responsibility toward people of lesser experience (which is pretty much all being a parent is!). On the same token, as an experienced rider with over 20,000km under your belt and superbike in your crotch, with inexperienced riders with limited Km's under thier belts and 250cc, YOU are the parent. If organising a ride was a party and you were the host, would you let someone drink and drive? Would you let a mate sleep in the vege garden? Would you let a chick get hammered and lured away by some dodgey fuck? Would you let teens get smashed? I hope not... I would hope you'd be as a responsible host with a party as a ride. "Party your own party"??? P.S If I'm missing something here about exactly what happened, feel free to PM with your version, because I'm dead-set of getting MSCHVS back on wheels one day, but not before doing everything I can to stop the same mistake happening again.

[mister.koz]

Ah well, I may be barking at the tree partially out of anger and frustration, so for that I apologise. I do understand where you're coming from in terms of wanting to go out riding and make all-comers welcome, and maybe as a parent myself I have a larger and probably excessive sense of responsibility toward people of lesser experience (which is pretty much all being a parent is!). On the same token, as an experienced rider with over 20,000km under your belt and superbike in your crotch, with inexperienced riders with limited Km's under thier belts and 250cc, YOU are the parent. If organising a ride was a party and you were the host, would you let someone drink and drive? Would you let a mate sleep in the vege garden? Would you let a chick get hammered and lured away by some dodgey fuck? Would you let teens get smashed? I hope not... I would hope you'd be as a responsible host with a party as a ride. "Party your own party"??? P.S If I'm missing something here about exactly what happened, feel free to PM with your version, because I'm dead-set of getting MSCHVS back on wheels one day, but not before doing everything I can to stop the same mistake happening again.

Thats a really good point when using the party analogy, i honestly didn't think of it that way. Ordinarily we have at least 3 learners/250's riding at the back and Murray doing his cruize thing at tail end charley.

I did ask leyton to stick with the girls after i realized that they were very new riders (because i know he's taking it really easy lately) and as far as i know eric was there too, i trust both of them more than 99% of people around new riders, the are balanced and consistent riders without the need for showing off or thrill-seeking (especially with an audience).

Will PM you.

[HACHET]

As i was one of these apparantly dick thinking guys on this ride i can let you know that at least 7 of the guys are either married for some time or have long term partners, so i think that your comment is out of place. we all ride how we want to ride some are faster than others we are all responsible riders and we all ride responsibly around each other. We do not push people into riding beyond there limits as it makes the whole dynamics of the people who ride dangerous. personally i did not see the incident so therefore can not comment on the situation. but laying the blame at other peoples feet is a little unfair.

[mister.koz]

For the people concerned and before this thread descends into chaos and things get said in the heat of the moment, can we please keep comms about this in PM's please.

[Spazm]

For the people concerned and before this thread descends into chaos and things get said in the heat of the moment, can we please keep comms about this in PM's please.

I'd second this..

[NDORFN]

As i was one of these apparantly dick thinking guys on this ride i can let you know that at least 7 of the guys are either married for some time or have long term partners, so i think that your comment is out of place. we all ride how we want to ride some are faster than others we are all responsible riders and we all ride responsibly around each other. We do not push people into riding beyond there limits as it makes the whole dynamics of the people who ride dangerous. personally i did not see the incident so therefore can not comment on the situation. but laying the blame at other peoples feet is a little unfair.

Ok the "dick thinking" comment was a little misdirected. I was implying that the person or people inviting/allowing a couple of inexperienced chicks on an otherwise all-experienced, all-male ride may have motives not entirely derived from a Neurological source. Considering there was no enquiry in PM or TXT as to the experience or skill level of the girls prior to the ride whatsoever, it's gotta make you think. Anyway, this is much as a post-fuck-up summary of what lessons are there for the taking as it is a vent (which by the way, has been therapetic and thanks heaps for tolerating it). I'm not pointing blame in it's entirety on any of the riders or organisers. As far as I'm concerned, the ultimate blame is fairly and squarely on the rider who thought she could run before she could walk and the big fat slice of humble-pie she's presently digesting will I'm sure go along way toward avoiding the same fuck-up in the future. As far as the poor bastard with the CBR who went out for a ride with some mates and went home with the same headache and heartache I currently have, I hope what I've said here will go along way to ensuring the organisers of his future rides don't invite inexperienced chicks to ride 350km loops on dodgey roads to give him something to avoid hitting.

[mister.koz]

On another note i think its good to mention that "organisers" is possibly an exaggeration in terms

I started and named the group "The laxed out riders", the title has nothing to do with speed or roads etc its entirely about attitude. We might as well be called "the completely relaxed, unorganised riders who catch up as regularly as we can be arsed" - LOR is shorter.

Organisation is as follows:

• Someone asks where we are going this week
• Someone makes suggestions
• Someone eventually gets around to saying "lets do this one"
• That person (normally me) puts it up in a calendar on here
• Everyone meets and goes for a ride.
• Someone drifts out in front, everyone follows
• Front riders stop at confusing locations so the back pack doesn't get lost
• People sling shit and take the piss at breaks

We don't do checks of licenses or insurance or anything like that because we are just a group of mates who come together for beer, burgers and biking (not all at once). Because everyone gets so much out of it and most are on the KB forums we post our rides and routes so we can share in our fun activity.

Normally we have a couple of 250 riders and a tail end charlie because murray likes to cruize, not because we are organised. Newer riders are encouraged to take it easy and often people will volunteer to ride close to them if they feel they want to.

A few of us have told people off for riding beyond their ability but only people that have done something dangerous in their view.

The truth of it is that we are not charging money, we are not driving instructors, we are not authorities, we are a group of mates who get along fairly well (most of the time) who like to share our love of riding. We don't encourage racing of any kind.

Most of the people (i am excluding myself) who are in the front pack have been riding for a very long time so the last thing they want is someone messing up their laxed out ride by trying to race them.

[Leyton]

... mmmm route selection for after this weekend in order .

Cant wait for this Sunday with the Uylisess, it should be a great ride with many new faces and new roads

.. I will bring along the wheel of routes to the pub tomorrow night and give it a spin for the weekend after.

[The Flux Capacita]

SHIT looks like big weekend...

I've lost a bike the same way, trying to keep up with big boys...all i can say is enjoy your motorbike and ask for advice from senior riders rather than trying to keep up for yourself. Based on that last post I'm sure there's someone who's relaxed enough to chill at the back and teach the juniors. I'm still on a junior bike anyway so one more to add to the group...assuming i'm ever going to make it to one of these rides...

Keen as for Sunday, just have to nag at Honda to fix my bike up and get it back to me

[Leyton]

SHIT looks like big weekend...

I've lost a bike the same way, trying to keep up with big boys...all i can say is enjoy your motorbike and ask for advice from senior riders rather than trying to keep up for yourself. Based on that last post I'm sure there's someone who's relaxed enough to chill at the back and teach the juniors. I'm still on a junior bike anyway so one more to add to the group...assuming i'm ever going to make it to one of these rides...

Keen as for Sunday, just have to nag at Honda to fix my bike up and get it back to me

Your waiting for your bike to come back pending repair arent you ? Would be great to have you along finally ! hehe

[insomnia01]

Taking a couple of learners down an unfamiliar road which is closed for roadworks during the week and runs predominantly perpendicular to the suns' trajectory in the middle of winter before noon is not so smooth. There are other ways of impressing the ladies. Hit me with some red-rep bitches.

I noticed this on Mschvs profile from Murray

I note you are on Blue lake run 2day. Looking at the group going they are generally the faster riders and i don't think there is a 250 amongst them. Come next week and it will be more indicative of the group as a whole.

Hope you enjoy your ride if you go today!!

cheers

I did'nt see what happened but from I noticed at our little " MUST FEED SMOKEY " break in Tauriko, the ladies where enjoying the ride & loving the day... We where all in great spirits all " Riding our own ride " Smoke/Rest breaks where also taken liberally & I think well spaced & as it was We where heading into Rotorua for lunch ( or is that SMOKEY break )

[wysper]

For the people concerned and before this thread descends into chaos and things get said in the heat of the moment, can we please keep comms about this in PM's please.

Sorry Koz, I know you said PM for this.... but

I was under the impression the LAXED OUT RIDE was the one leaving from Kingsgate, the other ride was a different kettle of fish.

I wasn't there for either of them, so perhaps I should just keep out of it.
But I know Koz pretty well, and I am damn sure he would do his best to make sure everyone was ok and enjoying themselves.

He is right, these are rides that thrown together by some like minded folks. I can't ride someone elses ride, anymore than they can ride mine.

I took a break from the rides cos my head was in the wrong place. I was feeling like I was holding the fast guys up and I needed to keep up. (This was complete bollocks incidentally), so a few months off to clear my head and get back to my ride and it is all good. I still don't do the long rides - family commitments, but I know that we are all out to have fun. And if the quick guys wait a few minutes at the next intersection they don't care.

If they want a fast run with no waiting.. they do a different ride.

It is a good bunch of riders here, guys and gals. It would be a shame to ruin the group with mudslinging and a blame fest.

At the end of the day, we have to step up to the plate and take some personal responsibility for our own rides. Sure, keep an eye out for your mates and the new riders, but we have all chosen to be on the the ride.

I am sorry if I have the wrong end of the stick here, I know I don't have the facts of what happened, or really even what is being talked about.
To me it looks like a mate is being attacked over something that he has no real control over and that ain't right.

[Leyton]

well, i can teach ya a few tricks on it!

Yeah acually I have always wanted to have a play on a trials bike hehe, I do not like riding other peoples bikes though. Its nothing personal hehe

[Leyton]

impression the LAXED OUT RIDE was the one leaving from Kingsgate, the other ride was a different kettle of fish.

Murray had thrown togeather a short ride for those who had to work in the morning at short notice so the wonderfull day was not wasted.

I asked around myself what the ride was.. I forgot that we use the calander still! its been soo long hehe!! So yeah, rides get posted up on the Calender. Unless it's at short notice in Murrays case who I am sure was busting for a ride with mates. Anyways, I cant speak for him. Sorry Murray hehe

The lakes ride was in the calender for the Sunday.

The next ride is here :

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/ca...=attend&e=2082