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Do you ride solo or in groups?

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It has bin years since I have ridden in a group setting.
Not that I don't want to it just does not work out that way.
I live in deep East Texas, and work on Saturdays. So I miss most of the Saturday gatherings, and most of the local riders either don't get out of town or are running strait pipes, and want to ride in strait lines.
So I guess I ride solo;-) I enjoy it that way, I can set my own pace an choose my own roads. I never know when a dirt road will lure me off the pavement, And my favorite riding game is, Where Does That Road Go!:lol2:
13,000 miles in the last 8 months.:rider:
 
Too me, motorcycling is a social sport. Thats why so many people get into these forums or do these "pie run" kinda things. I prefer to ride in a small group (2-5 bikes). If I'm in a larger group, I like to lead the pack or take up the rear. I sometimes ride alone. My solo rides are usually very short and are mostly done after work for relaxation.

Dave
 
I've been on a couple of toy runs in the past 15yrs, but 99.9% of my mileage has been covered solo. I prefer to ride alone and at night. Heaven is a moonlit country road on a clear summer night...at least that's my version of heaven. :)

Often, I've had my wife on board as pillion, but I still count that as a solo ride since only one bike is involved.
 
Makes no difference to me, at least once a week with 2-20 other's just depends on who shows up. I don't lead unless I'm solo, but I don't have a preferance when I'm in a group..........and no ego at all so no need for me to keep up with the kids.
Since I like sportbikes I'm usually older than most of the people I ride with by 15 yrs or MORE, it's kinda fun to listen to what 20 yr olds have to say.
I even understand what they are talking about sometimes.:giveup:
 
Most of my rides are solo, just the wife and myself. I dont mind groups, but usually spur of the moment dictates my partners. We decided a couple of days ago to ride down to the coast from the DFW area and get a little seafood and ride back tomorrow, so as soon as I sign off we are outta here.

If I'm in a group, its because we are going somewhere (as in trip). If I'm not leading I usually ride tail end charlie. The only time its annoying is when your trying to make a 500 - 600 mile day and someone doesnt realize you need to pick up the pace. On a 500 mile day of riding I once heard one of a group ask the ride leader "whats the all fired hurry", and this group leader had set his cruise on the speed limit. ;-) The group leaders reply, ask me that at 7:00 tonight in deer country.

I was taking a ride out to New Mexico last year and invited a few other riders, turned out to be about 5 bikes. I usually just ask if everybody knows where we are going and how to get there, then ask if every one is cool with 5 over the limit and gas stops at 90 to 100 miles. If its all big tourers I strecth out the miles to the 150 range. You can make good miles if everybody doesnt try to light a cig at every stop.

My pet peeve is when the ride leader stops the ride for a quick parlaver on what everyone might want to eat and somebody jumps off the bike and lights a cig.
 
I ride solo most of the time. Like some folks here I work every other weekend and so I miss organized events. I like to ride in small 2-6 bike groups if I do ride in a group.
 
Jim
Glad to see another RN aboard.
We have 3 or 4 nurses whom are riders, here at Shannon.
Bill
San Angelo
 
TexasTri said:
Golf on the other hand is a sport that I really do enjoy with others. I wonder how many forum members are also golfers? Got a favorite course in central Texas?
Click to expand...

I ususally ride solo but with two others is still fun. Rode in a WingDing parade once with hundreds of GoldWings...no fun.

We've been apartment dwellers for about two years in a comlex that has a great 9 hole course...but I've only been twice. :ponder: I really do need to play more before we buy a house!
 
Finally, someone who plays golf and your in Denton... Oh well, anyone around Austin play golf?
 
I haven't played since I moved down here, infact the only time that I have played in the past 5 years was a business trip to the Bahamas and that was right before I moved here. I just didn't go as often after my dad had back problems and couldn't play anymore. We used to do alot of the evening green fee play at courses around OKC.
 
Loner or like to mix it up with others?
 
I like to be alone most of the time. However I have found some great folks to ride with on TWT and have been doing quite a bit of small group rides 2-5 people.
We had a great group that went to Mississippi last spring, great bunch to ride with, I guess that’s the largest group I have ridden with since my 20’s.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I don’t think I’ve ever ridden with more than one other person on the street, and I can only think of two times I did that.

The vast majority of my riding has always been for transportation. I very rarely just “go for a ride”.
 
Normally two up, so very rarely alone :lol2:
 
As long as 2 or 3 is called a group, I probably do more group riding than anything. I've thousands of solo miles as well but I'm usually either with my wife on back or with another buddy or three that may or may not have their wives with them.

I'll also ride in some larger groups but I don't really do "Group Riding". The difference being, you can have 8 or 10 people that are riding together but at 2 - 3 seconds apart and riding their own ride on a common path. This is what I'd consider a large group. Group riding on the other hand is a group of bikes riding in some kind of "formation" that requires you to constantly adapt to the riders closely around you to keep the formation. I don't like that kind of riding..... just seems like a good way for bunch of people to crash together.
 
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More alone than with others and when with others usually a very select group of others that are like minded riders.
 
I like 1-2 buddy's of close to equal skill.
 
Both. Grinding knobs solo in the off-road realm is dangerous and also limits where I can go and what kinds of fun things can reasonably get done. I do it but it really requires throttling back on doing goofey stuff. It's frustrating to ride up on a challenging bit of trail and have to turn around because of the potential for disaster in something going wrong out there alone. If you're with a few other adventurous folks who also enjoy the challenge then we ride motorcycles and laugh till we choke. Something goes wrong, we deal with it. That's a good group.

Groups come in different flavors - mostly with changes in number and rider abilities. I believe the chances of getting bogged down by mechanical problems goes up exponentially with every added motorcycle over about 5 or 6. In bigger groups of dual sport riders, just enjoying the interaction and fellowship of the ride is way more important than any technical fun with gravity and inertia. Leading such groups is kind of like teaching a class - you aim for the middle and hope the two extremes can stay safe and interested. I wish everyone in a riding group could have the experience of leading. It changes the way one looks at group riding. Trust me, the guy up front should be doing a whole lot more than just riding a motorcycle.
 
By default most of my riding is solo. I had a real good group of guys a few years ago but we've dispersed and so are no longer much of a threat to the population. To me, 3 - 4 bikes is an optimum group, much larger and folks start doing weird things to try and keep up.
Dave.
 
Interesting to see my post from 12 years ago.

Still mostly ride solo if it's just to commute. Occasionally I'll go out by myself for fun and get lost and find my way back. I didn't have GPS capabilities on my phone 12 years ago so now I don't mind getting lost.

I have done more small group rides with friends and even managed a weekend trip to OK and AR a couple months ago.
 
Maybe we should define terms...?

Solo - just me and the cool wind blowing through what's left of my hair
Small group <= 4-5 riders - all fairly well known to each other and of somewhat similar skills
Large group >= 4-5 riders but <= 10-12 riders - some likely well known but maybe a few newcomers with unknown range of skills
Parade >= 10-12 riders - might know a few, but few others in the lineup with skill range all over the place

Sounds like most folks prefer the first two options.
 
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