Random bytes, worth what you paid to read them.

[Greg]

Hello Fellow Riders. I thought I’d drop in, say hello and broach a few topics.

On a person note, I’m going to mention this. As I discussed in this thread, http://mn-msta.com/index.php/topic,1960.0.html, I fulfilled my promise (mostly) last year with 3 open forum rides, and one large private ride. If others don’t step up and post a ride, this forum is effective dead regarding group rides. Organizing a ride takes a lot of work and it does open you up for slings and arrows thrown by those in the peanut gallery that never post rides. A few of the complaints will be deserved, most will not. 

Ray and I have organized more open forum rides, via this group and the 3 other dominant groups over the last 17 years, than any other person. Others have posted rides, some more than others, but none more than Ray and I. This isn’t boasting (lol, believe me!), just stating fact. These opinions I’m about to write about are worth what you paid to read them.  Zip, nada, the big goose egg.

The national MSTA FB group had a recent post that caught my attention. The fellow mentioned that we are a very diverse group of people, sometimes with nothing else in common other than our shared love of motorcycles / motorcycling. And even with my previous sentence, you see some of these differences. Some of us love the motorcycle more, and some love motorcycling more. (Neither is better than the other, just different).

That fact that we are a VERY diverse group of people in our personality makeup, in addition to our differences in what constitutes a “group ride”, mandates that what makes a “group ride” effective is INFORMATION. 
If a person were to post on a skiing forum, “Hey, let’s get together and go skiing”, most would show up at the resort, and then splinter off into subgroups. The black diamond skiers, the blue square and green circle (expert, average, and beginner) skiers will rarely ski together. This is an example of why I feel it’s important to lay out what exactly your posted ride is going to be.

These examples are presented only to show the vast differences of rides and I’m not applying worth to any of them over the other.
1.   Iron butt ride! Let’s get out and do a 1000 mile day!
2.   Twisties all day: Let’s get out and do 75 miles legs, few short gas stops, one hour lunch. Speeds reasonable in the straights, “do your own thing” in the corners
3.   Flying kites! Let’s get out, listen to some Peter, Paul and Mary, smell some flowers and enjoy the day.
4.   Kickstands and kicking tires: Let’s get together for lunch on our motorcycles and swap riding stories.

Just as a beginner skier doesn’t want to ski the mogul hill and the black diamond skier doesn’t want to ski bunny slopes, riders of different tastes as described above will not want to ride the other styles of rides. (AGAIN, I’m not assigning worth to these styles)
Given all of us have various commitments outside riding, the days we DO get off to ride should be as we hoped them to be. Hence: Information.

I’ve learned 2 important things from RR and RK (abbreviations to protect the guilty, but you know who these folks are) regarding group riding over the past 17 years. The importance of stressing the “ride your own ride” philosophy as well as the fact that people like to ride WITH others. BOTH can be accomplished via the methods I laid out above.

[Greg]

Other than organizing the Tri-State Boogie" later this year, I'm done hosting group rides. I will reach out to friends and host closed rides. Please feel free to reach out to me as well.
Cheers!

[vince]

So as long as we are just rambling. And we are talking about riding motorcycles. Something that we like to do. And that is why this forum exists.
All forums are not doing well. Facebook and others have taken their toll on them. ZG is gone. MNSBR is pretty much inactive. Twisted Addiction is gone also. I think there is more activity here than the others as far as this forum layout goes. FB forums are doing well.

As far as group riding goes. The only group rides I see are on the Harley forums. And their rides don't go far. And they stop to drink must of the time. They stick to just a few roads. I have seen them lately getting on other roads.

As far as leading a group. Not everyone is cut out for this. One is putting a route together that you think everyone would enjoy. Two you have to lead at a pace that you think everyone would keep up with. We do have a route section so one does not have to put a route together. That is always nice to have.

As long as we are just talking here and it sounds like you are not happy. I remember when I meet you. I heard about a group of bikers that like to ride fast. They meet at the java hut. I went there many weeks before any bikers showed up. You were that group. Just 3 or 4 of you. I ask to ride along and you guys said sure.
One thing that became real clear was that you only rode one set of roads. You wouldn't take any other road. I was wondering what was going on. Someone told me that you guys were racing. Yep pretty much I thought. So you know how many times I tried to get you guys to take a different route. Every time for two years I tried to get you to take Welch. Then one day it happened.

Since then you have learned of this group. Learned new routes including The Boogie ride. You have lead many rides and now I would say have a following. Mostly from the boogie ride I think. But not the point. So why are you not leading any more or leaving the group. Only you know that. I would think that because you get a good size group that you enjoy doing this.

Last year you were trying to get others to step up. That's good. So if others don't or haven't you want to stop. I would think that because you enjoy the group ride and like to share the experience that you would stop counting and post more.

I remember when you started leading rides here. You only would lead the group until lunch stop. Then you went home and left the group. Everyone was to find their own way home. As time went on we met new friends and found new roads to ride. We to road trips together. Week long trips together. Life was good. Something happen over the winter.

I have a lot of biking friends. Most don't come on these group rides. But on the last group ride one of my long time friends found me at the creamy. He followed some of us home. Now he wants to come on more rides. He wants a phone call. He is not on the web. Will he ever lead a ride. No. So the group gets bigger but no more leaders. Is this soar grapes for you. I hope not.

I'm not sure what your post is here. You leaving. Staying but not riding with us anymore. Only riding if on your posted ride. I can see your unhappy. But every ride I have been on with you I would say everyone had a good time. Doesn't matter if we got lost or missed lunch spot. Got a flat. Crashing is bad but everything else is always good.

Anyway what ever it is I am sure we will see you on the road.

[Greg]

I'm not leaving, just dialing back even more the amount of time and energy I'm going to commit to leading/organizing rides. Mostly because I'm tired and getting older.