Rick's Rendevouz - MAY 16TH -20TH 2012

Yeah....Once the location is official I'll start scouting again and try to have at least 3 waypoints for each ride. That means we won't be able to be as flexible on our lunch plans but it'll give lost riders a chance to catch up at a mid point both before and after lunch as well. It'll still give me lots of flexibility in how we get to those points which may be decided by group speed....

However....that does NOT excuse the act of not waiting for the rider behind you!! :ddog



What kind of public disgrace could we impose upon those that break this most sacred rule of group riding?

As ride leader, I have taken it upon myself to actually re-install some (gulp) mirrors on my trusty steed after several years runnin' nekkid, to aid in aforementioned crowd control activities.

Of course, there is no guarantee that they will still be attached come spring...

Here is an easy solution to your problem - but your old dog may have to learn some new tricks http://www.unclephil.us/GroupRide.htm

I've been riding with Uncle Phil for the past few years and his European Drop & Sweep is the best group riding that I've ever done. I've ridden with groups numbering in the high 30's and still had a blast because passing is allowed if the guy in front of you is too slow. Works great for sport touring, Should be perfect for any style of riding including the DS rides. It is much safer for the group than conventional "wait for your tail" rides.

I led a D&S ride last spring with about 25 bikes. The fastest was a Ducati rider (he also has a few track bikes) and the slowest was on a cruiser, the rest of us were sport touring bikes. The Ducati rider was the drop more often than anyone else because he rode the fastest and kept getting into 2nd position. Everyone had a great ride and no one felt pressured to go fast, well, except for me as leader. I did not want the Ducati rider to get bored. Bottom line is that we all had a fun, safe ride for all participants and everyone was able to ride their own style even though it was a large group,

well, I skimmed through your link and there is one clearly marked and bold section:

11. DO NOT ABANDON YOUR POST AS A MARKER OR I WILL PERSONALLY HUNT YOU DOWN AND SHOOT YOU! If you do, you have just messed over everyone behind you.

so, what do you reckon happened on his ride???

btw I was one of the dropped riders. Shit happens, the link broke, and we went in the opposite direction (thanks to some guys at the intersection that told us the group went "this way"). Having a set lunch location will help - having a sweep that knows where we going maybe even more...

whoever breaks the link has to spend the night tied to Kenny

:slurp:jose:dgfreaky

Screw that. I refuse to take responsibility for anyone who is lost in front of me.

Hunter

I like it but, have some concerns about always having to have somebody posted at every turn. ...and I have no way of knowing where or when the group may begin to stretch out...so it would have to be at every turn to work.

My rides the past two years have done an extreme amount of zig-zagging on very narrow roads. If the group is still together I think it could be dangerous to try and post a marker at every intersection. I mean lots and lots of turns and that IS a big part of the problem....but....

Sure there are more direct routes to get to where we end up going....but these rides are more about riding those twisty little out of the way paths than anything else.

I do like the concept though and will consider it.


What I need are a few <s>suckers</s> volunteers to pre-run with me a week or two before the rally that would be willing to help me with the rides during the RDV itself, even if it was just for one of the days. It would be invaluable to have a sweeper that knows the route.

You're right...that's crazy talk!!

I may be able to be a sucker for a day or two... but I want to get dirty on at least one of the days

btw, I have a great track record: the last ride I lead I only lost 6 out of 10
(only because two went home, one went to visit a cousin, one decided to need gas... and that's my story and I am sticking to it)

Screw it...I'm sticking to my original plan and trying lose everybody!

Cool, I always have more fun when I'm lost anyway!


Oh, an definitely
IN!!!

We needed the 15 minute break to stop, pee, stretch, get a snack, get a drink, fix a bent skid plate, and wait on you to realize no one was behind you and come back and find us last time!!!

I don't like this idea. I have on several occasions had some near misses from riders who out of the blue decide to pass. If I had swerved to miss a rock or whatever , we would have crashed. Whats the fucking hurry . I like KTMmikes idea to change places when we stop ,which is often . If you run into to me cause you think your faster than me I'm gonna get real pissed off.
The wait for the tail problem can be handled by the slow riders themselves . If your holding the group up, get a few of the slower guys together and break off and form another group and catch up at the breaks.

If I were to try that style, I'd exempt you from 'marker duty' BOSS! and we'd ride as co-leaders.


But you're right, with as many blind corners on one lane roads as there are, having riders continually 'leap frogging' through the pack could be a potential nightmare! :eek1 Not to mention how much dust that would have everybody eating if it's been a dry week.

I'd keep the No Passing rule and just rotate the markers if I were to try it.

The old standard rule of 'baby sit the rider behind you' works well until somebody 'forgets' to do it and the chain gets broken. Being able to spread out and 'ride your own ride' while still being part of a group that's looking out for each other is a great thing....but we need to get everybody to participate in looking out for each other part.

Keeping the No Passing rule and just reshuffling the order at stops if needed seems like the best way to go for this type of ride.

So Party Boss,

Laurel Springs has been great but it is probably time to move on.
What areas are you contemplating?

You're a wise man. ...Stick with what you know.

Thats my policy, but what do I know?

Yes. Yes. Yes. I'm still pissed I didn't get up there last year.

Hi KTM MIke. Hopefully I'll be there to help you all change more flat tires.

Let me know where I need to be. Laurel Springs is great but anywhere on the Eastern Seaboard works for me.

ADAM!
Good to hear from you. You are welcome on my rides any day.
Last year, I think my groups went all 3 days without a flat!
Surely that can't happen 2 years in a row.oser




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We usually don't move unless we are evicted or something burns down.

Follow the instincts of the PartyBoss(tm).




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