Where have all the group rides gone?

**Drew** · 20th February 2007, 19:50

Never organised a group ride, I tend not to want to be responsible for anything.

Call me a letch, but it's easier to let others do the work. lol, having said that, check out the poll I'm about to start Re, wheelie training day at a legal location.

Edit; Cancel that, it's been tried, and failed. Back to being a letch

**megageoff76** · 20th February 2007, 19:52

Yeah totally agree with you, riding alone is nice.

The problem is most of the group rides, tend to start off at a nice pace, then turn into a race when you get to "that piece of road". That probably puts people off because if your not fast your last, and none wants that hanging over them in front of your mates.

**Motoracer** · 20th February 2007, 19:54

I don't ride on the road ATM. A few reasons to that but maybe some day I will again. It won't happen in the near future though.

I will talk to you in person about it.

But yea, the road rides we went on gave me one of the best times of my life for sure!!

I will still stunt on the road when I am able to though!

**Midge** · 20th February 2007, 19:54

Ive only just started riding but if there was sumthing organised in CHCH or nearby ill definatly be in. Im just waiting for a good ride, my mate has a broken bike so im by myself at the mo!

**Lil_Byte** · 20th February 2007, 19:55

At the moment I am travelling to Dunedin every weekend and moving stuff to the g/f's house. So need the car.

Will change when I I back in Dunedin in just under a month. Then hopefully will find some group rides as the g/f is a keen pillion

**ManDownUnder** · 20th February 2007, 20:03

Out of town, time with family etc all add up to me not being able to hand on heart commit to these things. I'd love to, and one day will again but meantime - I'm a "tagger along"

**Nicksta** · 20th February 2007, 20:05

well, i prefer to ride in smaller rides right now... like Eddy, after the recent events....also my nerves on the road are shot and i'm slowly working up my courage on the roads again.... so big groups arent for me.... i prefer small privately organised rides with people i trust and respect.... in saying that.. i'll go on a few rides like the girly one.. and ATNR.. for social stuff.... also track stuff is taking a big bite out of my time... but i'll road ride more when i'm happier....

**Pumba** · 20th February 2007, 20:28

Group rides are fun, I am a regular at the ATNR and really enjoy it, but most weekends im busy runnig around with other commitments, exusted from work, or just want to get out and do my own thing, in my own time.

I do ride with others on the weekend, normally family, but dont feel the need to if I dont want to. In saying that if there is a group ride on a weekend that I feel like it and im not busy, there is a good chance Ill be there.

**MotoGirl** · 20th February 2007, 20:35

Like others have said, I prefer to ride with people I know and trust. Lucky for me, my whole family owns bikes so I've always got a group to go with.

I'll go on bigger group rides occasionally, but never with people who regularly crash on the road. I'm not going to endanger myself by riding with fucktards.

**boomer** · 20th February 2007, 20:36

yeah, it's been a while since i've been out on a group ride.. track days and special events only really. The odd small group ride but i wonder if summer has something to do with it.. Winter everyone was gagging to get out and maybe there mates were busy so a group ride was organised, now summers here people just head off under there own steam?

Dunno but i'm keen as mustard to ride with you bugga's!!!

**bugjuice** · 20th February 2007, 20:39

I gave up cos it's just hassle..
i prefer the ride, not organising..

**Ixion** · 20th February 2007, 21:03

I've never done KB group rides , except for the training/mentoring things. Because I don't have a bike that will do 250+kph; or the skills or balls to make up for the missing 50kph.

And rightly or wrongly, my perception is that KB rides , no matter how good trhe intention is at the start, turn into races. Yeah , I know, ride at your own pace blah blah. But I'm no more resistant to the "must keep up" syndrome than anyone else.

Apart from not wanting to end up in a ditch, mangled, my licence is important to me. I don't minding risking a fine and some points. But I don't want to be walking, so time over 140kph has to be very carefully considered. And it seems (maybe wrongly, but that;s trhe perception) that KB rides never dip UNDER 140. Realistically, I think I have enough self control not to end in the ditch. But when the pace is sitting on the ton for the slow riders, it's jolly hard not to ease the throttle open that bit more :" Everyone's going this fast or faster - we can't all get pinged". Um, yeah.

I've noticed that other areas seem to have more in the way of "social rides at a cruisey/ decent (not exactly law abiding) but not licence losing speed". Auckland doesn't.Which is a pity. However, it's not something that worries me.

**Ruralman** · 20th February 2007, 21:17

WE have started organising a few group rides as there are quite a few new plus the older members within an hour of Dunedin. At this point though the total numbers are pretty small compared to what there is around Auckland. The first ride had a good mixture of bike sizes and rider gender and the group seemed happy to cruise along around 105-110. When we stop for a coffee or something we all seem to get along and enjoy each others company.
I often see small groups of sports bike riders out and about but their speeds aren't something we want to be part of.
So I guess at this point our group rides are very much like what others have said - a smaller group that we know and trust - its just lucky that that is how it has worked out the first time we got together and that culture may rub off on new ones coming in. If new ones want to just blast off then I guess they'll just get pissed off with us and ride with someone else.

**Maha** · 20th February 2007, 21:19

Originally Posted by Ixion

I've noticed that other areas seem to have more in the way of "social rides at a cruisey/ decent (not exactly law abiding) but not licence losing speed". Auckland doesn't.Which is a pity. However, it's not something that worries me.

I for one agree with what you have posted Ixion.....but on this last part? i have put up a few rides in the past and i dont care who rides at what speed, the last ride i organised, 26 or so bikes turned up and for most of it 130-140 was the pace, until we got onto a more, out of the way road and some gave it a squirt....which is all good. I feel a little sorry for those think they have to keep up or else face ridicule, im famous for not doing it, and my shoulders aint that big....i love being out there and thats paramount for me and my wife..

**Deviant Esq** · 20th February 2007, 21:30

There never seem to be any rides planned in Christchurch. If you look through the calendar of upcoming events, there aren't any Christchurch ones at all and heaps for Aucks etc, which strikes me as odd since there are a lot of Chirstchurch members. Maybe they're all too busy riding to bother setting one up? Maybe. I'd like to meet more people I can ride with more regularly and I do see heaps of bikes on the road when I go by myself... which I have to do since there's noone I can text

I just never know about any rides be it a small group of under 10 or a larger group.

Another thing I'd like is rides that are more learner friendly - there are heaps of learner / restricted licence members all over the country who could use the skills practice around a car park or a slower paced but enjoyable ride, or a bit further along but still on a 250cc and get left behind by the bigger bikes... I'd still come along though if a ride was set up.