Protest Ride-Cautionary Note

[Gixxer 4 ever]

I thought Ulysses were 'in charge'?
.

I recon the have pulled a fast one on us. They have handed this back to us, the bikers. We are bigger fools than we think. What are the for if it is not to keep us safe out there? We have been hung out to dry. And lets see how this plays out. What will it take to have the traffic do their job. Traffic safety.

Edit. Sorry rant over. Lets do this well and safely.

[Kennif]

Left Lane???? We should be in the RIGHT lane.
We chose the left lane for the cheesecutter ride and were constantly cut up by people merging from the on ramps on the left.
If we are in the RIGHT lane we are out of harms way

In a normal setting I would agree with you. However the police have said that they will block off the right lane for us. (It is 3 lanes at the Aotea exit). While not minimising the risk at all I do think that staying in the left lane is the safest for us all. Police to our right in the middle lane; some free cages overtaking in the far right lane. That enables us to come off Ngauranga Gorge in the left lane, stay there all the way to Aotea and exit left. Groups from Avalon will stay in the left lane all the way through.

We may still have some cagers forcing their way through because they want to exit at Aotea. That is why we will ride in groups and be ultra ultra cautious.

[paddy]

A well thought out post - I must say, as a relatively new rider I decided that the ride to Wellington would not be safe for me. I think my judgement was vindicated when I did the Auckland protest ride. That was 140 KM of a high level on concentration. I doubt I could sustain that all the way to Wellington (however far that is). The other thing that I noticed on the Auckland ride is that people can't follow directions. There was plenty of lane changing, overtaking within the group, position swapping, and lane splitting...

One comment I would make though is that you comments around stopping were confusing. From what I could read I would end up riding along in first with both of my hands in the air? It just seemed to me that it would be much safer to indicate left and merge out of the flow?

P.

[Kennif]

A well thought out post - I must say, as a relatively new rider I decided that the ride to Wellington would not be safe for me. I think my judgement was vindicated when I did the Auckland protest ride. That was 140 KM of a high level on concentration. I doubt I could sustain that all the way to Wellington (however far that is). The other thing that I noticed on the Auckland ride is that people can't follow directions. There was plenty of lane changing, overtaking within the group, position swapping, and lane splitting...

One comment I would make though is that you comments around stopping were confusing. From what I could read I would end up riding along in first with both of my hands in the air? It just seemed to me that it would be much safer to indicate left and merge out of the flow?

P.

You can make your own way to Welly if you prefer. The important thing is that you come to Parliament. The ride from Papakowhai to the Stadium will be tricky but much much easier than a whole ride in a group from Auckland.

[Kennif]

Agreed

I will NOT be in the left lane on the motorway in any sort of convoy. Therein lies disaster, not just with those vehicles coming on but also those leaving.

PLEASE rethink this

Check your map. For the Avalon groups, there are no left onramps onto the motorway that are not controlled by lights and these will be under police control. For the Papakowhai groups there are some left onramps (Porirua, Tawa) and we will need to be aware of these. This is one reason why we will be sending riders off from Avalon and Papakowhai in groups.

Come on guys ... we're doing our best here!!!

[huff3r]

You can make your own way to Welly if you prefer. The important thing is that you come to Parliament. The ride from Papakowhai to the Stadium will be tricky but much much easier than a whole ride in a group from Auckland.

Or if your nervous you can even make you're own way to the Stadium at any point earlier in the day...

[Gixxer 4 ever]

In a normal setting I would agree with you. However the police have said that they will block off the right lane for us. (It is 3 lanes at the Aotea exit). While not minimising the risk at all I do think that staying in the left lane is the safest for us all. Police to our right in the middle lane; some free cages overtaking in the far right lane. That enables us to come off Ngauranga Gorge in the left lane, stay there all the way to Aotea and exit left. Groups from Avalon will stay in the left lane all the way through.

We may still have some cagers forcing their way through because they want to exit at Aotea. That is why we will ride in groups and be ultra ultra cautious.

I agree with this. This is no ordinary ride.

[Kennif]

or if your nervous you can even make you're own way to the stadium at any point earlier in the day...

+1.............

[retro asian]

A That was 140 KM of a high level on concentration.

P.

I found it took lots of concentration also doing that group ride.
I'm going a different way down to wellington.

You could try leaving an hour ahead of the group going down. But always take things at your own comfort level.

[Wasp27]

A well thought out post - I must say, as a relatively new rider I decided that the ride to Wellington would not be safe for me. I think my judgement was vindicated when I did the Auckland protest ride. That was 140 KM of a high level on concentration. I doubt I could sustain that all the way to Wellington (however far that is). The other thing that I noticed on the Auckland ride is that people can't follow directions. There was plenty of lane changing, overtaking within the group, position swapping, and lane splitting...

One comment I would make though is that you comments around stopping were confusing. From what I could read I would end up riding along in first with both of my hands in the air? It just seemed to me that it would be much safer to indicate left and merge out of the flow?

P.

All I can suggest is you read it again.... only this time slower.... it'll come to you. Please don't think that in this type of ride the option to simply indicate left and merge out of the flow is a safe one... IT IS NOT!!! cheers

[GOONR]

All I can suggest is you read it again.... only this time slower.... it'll come to you. Please don't think that in this type of ride the option to simply indicate left and merge out of the flow is a safe one... IT IS NOT!!! cheers

Yeah, I wouldn't like to try that, some of those cars, trucks and what have you's came past quickly. I wouldn't fancy getting in their way, especially if you are having bike issues.

[Wasp27]

Yeah, I wouldn't like to try that, some of those cars, trucks and what have you's came past quickly. I wouldn't fancy getting in their way, especially if you are having bike issues.

Your so right Goonr, it's posts like this that prompted me to start these threads in the first place.... seriously, if there's still riders out there thinking of suicidal stunts like this.... then to all participants I can only repeat my earlier plea;

WE ALL NEED TO BE EXTREMELY OBSERVANT OF THOSE AROUND YOU,

IN PARTICULAR THOSE IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF YOU.

BE PREPARED AT ALL TIMES TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION.

For Gods Sake... RIDE SAFE... CONSIDER THOSE BEHIND AND BESIDE YOU AT ALL TIMES... repeat... repeat... repeat
cheers W

[paddy]

All I can suggest is you read it again.... only this time slower.... it'll come to you. Please don't think that in this type of ride the option to simply indicate left and merge out of the flow is a safe one... IT IS NOT!!! cheers

I'm not trying to be awkward, and I don't want to take the thread off on an tangent, but I am just trying to understand. It sounds like what you are suggesting is coming to an almost standstill inside the group. Based on my experience in the Auckland ride, I would have thought that would have just resulted in an unsafe situation with lots of bikes riding around you. Whereas to my mind, merging out seems safer.

I'm not trying to be argumentative - and I certainly don't have the knowledge or experience with the topic to be so, but could you explain what is unsafe about merging out and what is safer about what you proposed?

Thanks,
P.

[MSTRS:Me]

I'm not trying to be awkward, and I don't want to take the thread off on an tangent, but I am just trying to understand. It sounds like what you are suggesting is coming to an almost standstill inside the group. Based on my experience in the Auckland ride, I would have thought that would have just resulted in an unsafe situation with lots of bikes riding around you. Whereas to my mind, merging out seems safer.

I'm not trying to be argumentative - and I certainly don't have the knowledge or experience with the topic to be so, but could you explain what is unsafe about merging out and what is safer about what you proposed?

Thanks,
P.

What is this 'merging out'? If you mean taking an off-ramp, there's nothing unsafe about that. But...If the flow of bikes is going straight on, why would you want to exit the group?

[Pixie]

I'm not trying to be awkward, and I don't want to take the thread off on an tangent, but I am just trying to understand. It sounds like what you are suggesting is coming to an almost standstill inside the group. Based on my experience in the Auckland ride, I would have thought that would have just resulted in an unsafe situation with lots of bikes riding around you. Whereas to my mind, merging out seems safer.

I'm not trying to be argumentative - and I certainly don't have the knowledge or experience with the topic to be so, but could you explain what is unsafe about merging out and what is safer about what you proposed?

Thanks,
P.

I've been riding for 33 years,and I couldn't see the point in the stopping instructions either