HUGE Charity ride - Never doing that again!

[Computerbob]

Let me start by saying that I was previously warned that these huge charity ride events were a bad idea and that I should never attend one. I didn't listen to that advice, but will from now on.

 

Today is my birthday and to celebrate, my dad wanted to go on a ride together. He usually rides the '65 /2 while I ride my '95 1100rs (He's tried to ride the RS and said it just doesn't understand him, lol!). He suggested we do this charity ride that the local police were putting on along with one of the local HD dealerships and I agreed. It didn't seem too terrible of an idea and only cost $25 with a raffle chance to win stuff, etc.

 

To make a long story short, we had a safety briefing with one of the police officers and among the things he said was, "If we get into a situation where there's an accordion or slinky thing going on, don't lay on the throttle to catch up, just keep going a steady pace and you'll eventually close the gap without making things worse. TRUST ME!" He said this many times, and tried to emphasize that people should not speed up for any reason.

 

Not more than 1 mile into the ride, (1 MILE!) I hear the sound of tires locked up on the pavement behind me and check my mirror. I see a bike about 25 feet behind me fishtailing back and forth bucking the rider off and then rolling over and over until it hit the bike in front of it. The guy ended up laying on the road and several people stopped to help him along with a couple cops who waved at the rest of us to keep going, so I did.

 

The rest of the 62 miles all I could think about was, "I don't know any of these people, they could be just as much of an idiot as that guy. Why am I here?"

 

I will never do that again. I will try to ride with people I know or who have been vouched for, or at least in smaller groups that I can control and will simply mail my checks to the charities when I think they need them.

 

1 mile! 1 friggin mile into the ride, that guy decides to completely forget everything he was just told (and apparently everything he's ever learned about riding). I'm simply flabbergasted.

 

He just as easily could have been behind me. I dodged a bullet today and learned something in the process.

[Hightower]

Glad you dodged that bullet. I thought i was the only rider in America that didn t think large group rides were a good idea. I always try to stay in the back but aomeone always wants to call himself the "ride boss" and saty behind me. I ve found if i go slow enough, long enough, they eventually get tried of it and pass.

[Danny caddyshack Noonan]

Sorry you had to experience that.

On the bright side, many of those bikes will be sold with virtually no wear on the front discs.

[Patallaire]

Did that once, same experience, one mile in three bikes down, never again. Found the same thing in Steurgis, 9 people in accidents on the first day there, all riding too close and not paying attention. Left the next morning for Colorado and open roads.

[OoPEZoO]

Good lesson to learn Bob. Glad you rode away unscathed. Unless its guys I have ridden with previously and trust, I don't like a group bigger than 3-4.

[Quinn]

All the group rides I've seen have been at our non-rally gettogethers. Not too many people per group and strung out with enough space so each has the room to act independently if feces hit the wind machine.

 

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[Boone60]

Here is how the charity rides are often done in Northeast Wisconsin. First off they call them poker rides, you get a card with your donation at the start. The group fires up their HD's mostly and ride out for about 25 miles, and the first stop is made at a tavern, for the first stamp on the card and a couple of beers. About half an hour to 45 minutes the group pulls out and repeats this for a total of four stops for stamps and beer, before arriving back at the starting tavern for a beer and chow.

 

These rides are very, very scary, and I avoid them like radioactive ebola.

[Bernie]

I told you that group ride are dangerous.

[donbmw]

Not all charity ride are poker runs. I don't mind the poker runs so much because you can ride by your self or with a couple of bikes and leave each stop before the pack's get going. The Toy's for Tot's ride is the one I will not do again or ride that is one long run for point A to point B. This is even when the police are supose to be blocking the intersections.

[Computerbob]

I'd say we had probably 200+ bikes all in a long double-wide snake along the highway and then the loop around town. Many were riding side-by-side (close enough to hold hands!) but some were actually riding staggered.

 

The police were stopping traffic at the on-ramps and we had the roads completely to ourselves, but to be honest I'd have rather ridden with 100 cagers than these "bikers".

 

Like I mentioned to Matt yesterday, I've been spoiled by riding with guys/gals like you that know what you're doing. I found out this weekend what the other side of the coin looks like. It's not pretty.

[tallman]

So Matt is the pretty side of the coin?

[Highway41]

So Matt is the pretty side of the coin?

This time your mind has wandered too far so please do not follow.

Bill

[Glenn Reed]

So Matt is the pretty side of the coin?

 

Tim, that's how I read it also. Scary thought that...

[Computerbob]

So Matt is the pretty side of the coin?

 

I stand by my statement, however you've read far too much into it.

 

To say that I've implied that since one side of the coin isn't pretty gives meaning that the other side IS pretty is an error in inference, not in statement of fact. Similarly, imagine I had said, "This side of the walkway is wet." Did I state emphatically that the other side of the walkway was dry? No, you simply inferred that it was, which is not my error at all.

 

(/sarcasm, of course)

[tallman]

So you're saying Matt isn't the pretty side of the coin?

 

 

 

[Matts_12GS]

So you're saying Matt isn't the pretty side of the coin?

 

 

 

You sir, have implied what was never inferred...

 

[Lone_RT_rider]

So you're saying Matt isn't the pretty side of the coin?

 

 

 

You sir, have implied what was never inferred...

 

 

No, but it should have been.

[Bud]

A very good lesson learned.

 

My only question is why you continued after the first mile?

 

One of the first things I learned when I came here many years ago was "Ride your own ride." I didn't know enough at the time to appreciate the wisdom in that advice.

 

I've put on enough miles now to understand how important it is to not be in a situation which is unsafe for you or others. Listening to what your gut is telling you may save your life.

 

A few years ago I was at the Blitz to Branson with a friend from Canada. We started out on a ride and he stopped and said he was going back. When asked why his only reason was that it didn't feel right. I went back as well.

 

Perhaps missing out on a good ride, perhaps not. But either way, it seemed like the right thing to do.

 

Glad that it ended well for you and that you used the experience as something positive. Some lessons cost a lot more.

 

 

PS Did you ever work in Chicago as a computer consultant?

 

[Computerbob]

Now that you mention it, I very easily could have signaled to my dad to follow me and taken any number of exits to get out of that situation. I'm sure he'd have been fine with my explanation, too. I won't hesitate the next time my 'spidey senses' are tingling. Thanks for making that point.

 

Bernie's right, he was one of the ones that warned me about big group rides. I've been reminded by a few different people I've told this story to that this is one of the things they warned me about when I started riding. It was an interesting experience riding along the highway with a police escort in a snake of 200 bikes. Sort of surreal, actually. I'm glad I got to experience it, but, like I said, won't be doing it again.

 

PS: No, I've been to Chicago on vacation a couple of times, but never worked there.

[RPG]

over 30 years and 300,000 miles I've come to the realization that the only person I can trust is my buddy Mark. We read each other's thoughts on the road, anticipate passing opportunities and in general, seem to make each other seamless and smooth.

 

I've tried riding with new people over the years (new to me anyway). Some were fast but reckless, slow and reckless, just out right slow and didn't give a crap about slowing down the rest of the group, etc., etc., leading to nothing but frustration and tension.

 

So in the end, try to keep the group small and trustworthy. My motto at least.

 

RPG

[Bud]

I have one ridding buddy. We have known each other over 45 years and with our wives have vacationed together for the last 10 years.

 

We ride well together. I ride faster, he rides behind but we keep each other in sight (most of the time) and it works for the two of us.

 

I don't know if anyone else would want to ride with me. But that is OK. I'm fine riding alone. When I rode the Redmond 1000 a couple of years ago, I was glad to be on my own. I could stop, or not, whenever I felt it was time. Trying to do a SS 1000 with another person could be difficult. I knew I couldn't do it, but I could ride 200 miles, stop, get gas, pee and go on. Only had to do that 5 times and I was done!