Riding Safely

[carlson_mn]

Damn this just made me lose 30 minutes of my life I can't have back.  Troll or no troll, stop this...

but it did make me want to ride.

[Deplorable, thank you!]

Here let me copy it yet one more time;

"While I personally enjoy a brisk pace, that's my pace, and shouldn't be construed as what others need to ride to enjoy a ride. I'd love to see more riders riding a variety of paces on rides. I think this would make it easier for folks to fit in and find folks to ride with." quoted from Rays post, but exactly what is being stated and sought after in my opinion!!!"

[Jvs]

What type of oil do you guys use? What tires stick the best? Sorry, another boring day at work and want to keep this going

[Mr. Gadget]

I run Amsoil products through out my bike and Road Pilot 2's for good hold in the corners and long lasting tread life about 8,000+ miles per set on my Pure Red ST1100 - I also wear Light Sliver Fieldsheer pants and jacket to be seen and be cool in the hot sun + a White HJC flip up helmet for the same reasons.  I wear Shift Racing Fuel Street boots for comfort - They are like high-tops with support and ankle protection and I can hike or walk in them with no problems.  Okay back to work

[aschendel]

...another boring day at work and want to keep this going

What's your approach for bringing new people into your riding group?

What's your approach for assessing other people's riding?

Do you have people that you avoid riding with for some reason or another?

What's your strategy for joining new groups?

   

a.s.

amsoil 15w-40 marine/diesel
D208's back in the day, have been running a few pairs of PP2CT's, would like to try Metzler's sometime and the PR3's.

[beedawg]

...why risk getting killed over something that isn't worth thinking about or analyzing?

I like that.

I used to get bored when people discussed riding techniques.  I always thought, Why not just ride and enjoy it?  Until the day about 10 or 12 years ago when I took an Experienced RiderCourse.  About a year later, I signed up for Steve Baumen's first class at DCTC.  (It snowed that day, but we rode anyway.)  Both of those classes changed the way I rode AND how I thought about riding.  I think Nick Ianetsch's book was the first one that really made sense to me.  Now it's ZARS and RSRS and books and talking and listening, and I think I might be learning more each year now than I ever did before.  Course I forget about as much as I learn, so I'm just keeping up for now. 

Brent

[Jvs]

...another boring day at work and want to keep this going

What's your approach for bringing new people into your riding group?

What's your approach for assessing other people's riding?

Do you have people that you avoid riding with for some reason or another?

What's your strategy for joining new groups?

   

a.s.

amsoil 15w-40 marine/diesel
D208's back in the day, have been running a few pairs of PP2CT's, would like to try Metzler's sometime and the PR3's.

Actually the first question you asked me me think a bit. I've had a few friends that just started riding and have tagged along on rides but this portion could have definitely used some improvement (introducing new riders to group riding, especially with faster paced rides). I think many of us get the connotation that we are fast when we first start riding. This could simply be because we are faster than the cars and semi's next to us or simply due to stupidity but for whatever reason, that first group ride you go on can be a real wake-up call. I've told many of these new riders to hang in the back and just enjoy the ride, but DON'T TRY TO KEEP UP.

 Even on our last ride that i led with "the other forum", one of these new riders rode up in the front of the pack and half way through the ride he decided this was going to be an enduro ride and he rode right through someone's front yard (because he panicked in the corner); no crash thankfully.  Re-iterating the question, what DO you guys do when introducing new riders to groups?

[kp]

soo Brent, Black Hills for dirt riding next season? or Colorado?

[Greg]

...another boring day at work and want to keep this going

What's your approach for bringing new people into your riding group?

What's your approach for assessing other people's riding?

Do you have people that you avoid riding with for some reason or another?

What's your strategy for joining new groups?

   

a.s.

amsoil 15w-40 marine/diesel
D208's back in the day, have been running a few pairs of PP2CT's, would like to try Metzler's sometime and the PR3's.

"What's your approach for bringing new people into your riding group?"
I explain to them our "mission statement" as described here. http://mn-msta.com/index.php/topic,6.0.html

"What's your approach for assessing other people's riding?"
I try not to asses other peoples riding skills right away as everyone has different strengths & weaknesses. If anything, I tend to pay attention to how a rider handles their bike at slow, walking speeds as I feel that reflects more of their skill level "in a snap-shot" then how they ride a corner.

"Do you have people that you avoid riding with for some reason or another?"
Sure, I'll never ride in a Harley ride on my sportbike. I'll never ride Sturgis again, ever.

"What's your strategy for joining new groups?"
I don't have a strategy because I'm not looking for a new group. Of the 4 major Twin City Motorcycle forums, MSTA best suits my needs, though I've ridden with a lot of people over the years and most everyone here is on at least one other forum. 

[aschendel]

"What's your approach for bringing new people into your riding group?"
I explain to them our "mission statement" as described here. http://mn-msta.com/index.php/topic,6.0.html

"What's your approach for assessing other people's riding?"
I try not to asses other peoples riding skills right away as everyone has different strengths & weaknesses. If anything, I tend to pay attention to how a rider handles their bike at slow, walking speeds as I feel that reflects more of their skill level "in a snap-shot" then how they ride a corner.  I do pass judgement somewhat on riders who repeatedly crash over a short period of time without taking steps to fix whatever is going wrong.

"Do you have people that you avoid riding with for some reason or another?"
Sure, I'll never ride in a Harley ride on my sportbike. I'll never ride Sturgis again, ever.

"What's your strategy for joining new groups?"
I don't have a strategy because I'm not looking for a new group. Of the 4 major Twin City Motorcycle forums, MSTA best suits my needs, though I've ridden with a lot of people over the years and most everyone here is on at least one other forum. 

Well thought-out responses, thanks.  What about the last one though, what if you were to join a ride I lead with a group of my friends that you didn't know?  I'm kinda saying "think small", not forums, but a group of riders you haven't already ridden with and to whom you are an unknown.  People from work, in-laws, in a new group at a big ride/national event, friends of friends...  things like that.

a.s.

p.s. I kinda put together my thoughts on some of these in the Pace Guide thread.

[aschendel]

Actually the first question you asked me me think a bit. I've had a few friends that just started riding and have tagged along on rides but this portion could have definitely used some improvement (introducing new riders to group riding, especially with faster paced rides). I think many of us get the connotation that we are fast when we first start riding. This could simply be because we are faster than the cars and semi's next to us or simply due to stupidity but for whatever reason, that first group ride you go on can be a real wake-up call. I've told many of these new riders to hang in the back and just enjoy the ride, but DON'T TRY TO KEEP UP.

 Even on our last ride that i led with "the other forum", one of these new riders rode up in the front of the pack and half way through the ride he decided this was going to be an enduro ride and he rode right through someone's front yard (because he panicked in the corner); no crash thankfully.  Re-iterating the question, what DO you guys do when introducing new riders to groups?

That's cool, and a good start, for sure.  New riders up front is good, having them lead is considered ideal in some circles (perhaps the official PACE article, I don't recall).

[Greg]

To be honest, unless I've ridden with you before and new the framework of how you set up a ride, I wouldn't go. That's not a slight against you, it's just that as I get older I know that sunny Sundays (pun intended) are fewer and more precious and I'm not going to go riding with a new group unless I know they conduct their ride the way I like to ride.

[aschendel]

To be honest, unless I've ridden with you before and new the framework of how you set up a ride, I wouldn't go. That's not a slight against you, it's just that as I get older I know that sunny Sundays (pun intended) are fewer and more precious and I'm not going to go riding with a new group unless I know they conduct their ride the way I like to ride.

No offense taken of course, that's a good stance to have if you can control it.

a.s.

[Jvs]

Feel free to criticize but wouldn't it be safer for new riders to be in the back of the group where the pace is generally slower?

[Deplorable, thank you!]

IMO-NO
the people in the back are playing catch up far too often and often are riding faster than the people in the front.

If they ( less skilled) are in the front they dictate the pace and the better riders can actually observe if they start looking erratic or "beyond their limits" and then they(more skilled riders) are good enough to pass and whooo the pace down, before some off road excursion does.