Re: Ride alone or in group?
 

I find solo means I don't have to worry about what others want to do, stop as and when I want etc but I do join in with group rides now and then.

As for the pillion thing, depends on reason/ride. There is one who I will always take out if she is well enough and I'm in the area. Have even volunteered to take someone next month so she take take the pics and not worry about her bike not making it round corners in the mountains (its a HD something :rolleyes:) But I have also refused to take someone before cause I wasn't sure the suspension would cope :smt108

Re: Ride alone or in group?
 

Well it's nice when you know your riding buddies well enough and have some rules set up such as leaving space for the following rider when overtaking a car, a staggered formation to prevent panic braking/bumping crashes and common sense.

Re: Ride alone or in group?
 

Hope that someone is not reading this buddy!

Re: Ride alone or in group?
 

True. I ride alot with my other half ( Diamond ) and thats how we ride. I just dont like riding in a group anymore. 2 or 3 is enough for me and they need to be people I trust.

I've really gone off big group rides. I just dont enjoy it and then I ride in the wrong state of mind which is no good for me or the people I'm riding with.

Re: Ride alone or in group?
 

+1 and you always get someone being a **** and showing off :rolleyes:

Re: Ride alone or in group?
 

I like riding on my own and doing what I want to do......I also have started to enjoy taking kerry on the back alot more recently as she has started becoming more confident so its not quite so slow.

Group riding is a funny thing for me, I enjoy it ALOT with like minded people, it can be a challenge, you can experience roads you might not have thought about trying on your own.

However, I have my reservations about riding in reasonably big groups.

Re: Ride alone or in group?
 

I see group riding as a challenge, therefore it's a good thing for me.

Usually in a large group, I've been either doing TEC or helping to shadow someone as a bit of a confidence builder. That allows time to chill out & take in the scenery - something I rarely do when I'm on the bike.

The last large rideout I was involved with, I wasn't really helping out with, so I was able to have a little play in the group (also being careful not to overdo it).

It's different to what I normally do, so it's still fun for me. If I only went out riding in large groups I might think differently, but still. :)

Re: Ride alone or in group?
 

Regularly go out for rides with my two housemates (plus Dissuade, and her friend Chris occasionally), but do more solo riding, mostly because my two housemates don't tend to keep up and I get a little frustrated. Take the girlfriend out pillion a fair bit, too - she's really good, so doesn't slow me down much.

Re: Ride alone or in group?
 

Prefer the company at stops, but like to ride in my own space, don't like being in the middle of a group of riders I don't know too well, which interupts my flow, so I either get out front, or I do TEC and enjoy the scenery.

I can ride at fairly close quarters with a few of the SV Ecosse regulars (Carelesschucca, Blue Flame, Tiger55, Stramasher, KG and a few others who either tend to ride up front or whom I've done a lot of riding with) only because I know how they ride and I trust them and know that they are not going to brake mid corner, or change their mind on an overtake when I'm behind them and expecting to follow them through, etc, etc.

When you find riders who ride at the same pace as you with a similar view on when to overtake, etc, group riding works well, otherwise it's frustrating as hell and frankly dangerous. You're always backing off the throttle, on the brakes, or stuck behind something when you don't want to be.

The Glencoe Massacre will be interesting as it'll be my first SV650 group rideout with a pillion, getting up front won't be an option without having a very unhappy wife, and riding with a pillion doesn't lend itself well to being TEC 'cos you loose your flexibility a bit (for instance ability to race off after someone who's gone the wrong way).

Re: Ride alone or in group?
 

Its all good.

I love being in a group and seeing how other types of bike go and sound.

Stopping and sharing a ride down a good road is a classic bike experience too.

Having a bit of sport with another lone bike, all good.

But if I am honest, me, a bike and no clock, bop until you drop, is biking bliss. Avoid the haunts, "off peak" and no stopping. Not a care. :cool: