In reply to; Random Bytes thread.....

[Deplorable, thank you!]

In reply to Gregs locked thread here........... http://mn-msta.com/index.php/topic,2070.msg20257.html#new

"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. "

and his comments here;

"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!"

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Seeings how I put up a post but it was deleted twice and then thread was locked.......... previously deleted post quoted here.....


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"5 people stated they would organize and lead atleast 1 ride this year, thus far only 2 have stepped up and actually done it. One of those people has done 4[/i]

http://mn-msta.com/index.php/topic,2024.0.html


It is early yet, so I still have some hope

As far as that whole 'ride your own ride' thing.............. I far more believe in ride the leaders ride, he dictates the pace and the rules and when to stop, where to stop, how long to stop
 They are the leader for a reason!

But you or anyone else who decides to organize and lead can set their own standard and rules for the group"

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Just in case the other disappears, you can see the context of my reply

[Deplorable, thank you!]

I think the main problem with that entire " ride your own ride" illogical logic is that;

~people don't know what it means?

~people truly never ride their own ride when in a group- I can site hundreds of examples from rides even the OP hosted and did not "ride his own ride" and hundreds more on every ride I have ever attended in a group setting

~ do you really want some -free for all- event where everyone is truly doing "thier own ride" ? I know for fact you don't, and neither does anyone that leads a ride!!!

 Thus my position of you attend a ride, you ride the leaders ride!
if you do not want to ride the leaders ride you should go off and ride how you want in some other group, better still organize and lead your own ride and best still......... Just go ride by yourself if you want to be fucktard asshole with no cares for anyone else and not even yourself


 It is common sense if you attend a ride someone has taken the time to develop a route, plan all the stops and then get people to attend
~ you need to show up on his/her time schedule  (not your ride, leaders ride)
~ you should stop at his/her planned stops (not your choices, leaders choices)
~you should stay behind the leader and follow at a safe and acceptable 2+ second following distance (not your choise it is a common sense safety choice the leaders should be demanding with an iron fist)
~ you should not be popping wheelies and/or riding out in the oncoming traffic lanes or blasting past the leader (to this point.... everytime I have seen this happen, people who presumably were riding their own ride and would not be running trips or deep trips on their own, blast off after them- proving they are not riding their own ride, but rather riding someone elses ride)-- again leaders choice to not have dumbasses attracting stupid unwanted attention to the group, since 9 times out of 10 it is the leader who gets the ticket and the blame no matter what happens in the group

~ it is far better to be left behind and people have to wait/or you ride the routesheets on your own than you ride over your head to attempt to stay caught up (even when you don't think it is riding over your head, ask yourself.......... Would I be doing this if I were riding solo?)
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Has Greg led tons of rides, well he has organized a shit ton of them that is for sure and I am also sure most people here are grateful for that.... Sure he still "leads" but generally not the entire ride any more
 Has Ray organized and led a shit ton of rides, you all know he has! As well as gone above and beyond with organizing trips to national events and teaming double to plan and organize Twistar so many years etc.........

it doesn't take away from what others have done, even if you don't like the way in which they have done it, or it falls on a weekday and you have never attended, or even those who have only organized and led a few rides, or you simply don't like that person

I would far rather have 20 members host a single ride each year than to have 2 or 3 members host 5 rides each......... and I am willing to bet many on here feel the same way. but it takes effort and work and it seems many simply are not willing to put in the work or the effort
Thus why we have had only a couple people doing lions share of the work for several years

I did dozens of rides a few years in a row, then did nearly none publically... Last year I led 4 rides that someone who doesn't want to lead organized and hosted a couple of my own....... but I don't need any accolades to what I have contributed

The point is leaders get burnt out when they continually have to do all the work and then get grief for it!

 There nobody can delete this thread or my responses!!!!!!!

[vince]

What that ride your own ride has always meant to me was. Don't ride over your head. Ride within your safety zone.
I agree that you should ride the leaders pace. Unless of course it is faster than you care to go. Out of your safety zone.
If you don't want to keep up or feel that you are holding up the group. You can leave and ride your pace. This is why we have route sheets or the GPS files to follow.
So following the leader gives organization to the group.

[Jeff]

What that ride your own ride has always meant to me was. Don't ride over your head. Ride within your safety zone.

Exactly, Ride your own ride is a safety reminder.  Don't feel pressured or forced into getting in over your head, know your limits and stay withing them.