Worst rideout ever...... but I still had a good day.
I have been riding with 2 groups for a while.
One I head up here in Virginia and one with some mates from North Carolina.
Saturday was the NC group's first rideout of the season.
Don't know what has happened to the people there. I know them all and I like them all as people but they have become...idiots on bikes.
To make a long story short...with a group of 12 bikes going on a 150 mile ride...6 bikes got lost in the first 39 miles. (including me)
Like most there, I rode 100 miles just to reach the meet up spot.
The ride leader was the only one who knew the route and they riding like like it was a trackday with no one stopping at the turns or bothering to stop and wait for those caught behind in traffic on the steep mountain passes.
After getting around a group of cars that had been slowing us up, another rider and I rode and rode but never came up on the group (turning or waiting) till we figured (by looking at a map) we had obviously gone too far. They would have had to have turned off.
So we waited 30 mins or so for the 4 behind us to catch up but they never showed. So we rode back the way we came for another 30 mins to try and find them. Still no sign of any bikes so the other fellow headed home.
I continued on back the same way wehad come and finally met 2 of the bikes about 25 miles east of where I had last seen them on a ride that had been headed west. (???) I waved for them to turn around but they kept going. Perhaps they were taking their own ride. Never saw the other 2 bikes...or the first 6 again.
I was really proud of myself...
The fellow with me was right going off when we stopped to wait for the other bikes. LOL
A few short years ago I would have been more than a bit upset myself and proabably ranting and raving but saturday...it really didn't seem bother me at all.
I knew a better road to ride and a place that served better food...all between me and home.
So although I rode most of the day alone (300 miles) in the mountains...I really had blast!!!
I felt so good I decided to take on Route 40, the road I crashed on last July.
Was great to finally get over that. Had been avoiding riding there since.
It is a challenging road .... even on a good day, but did just fine.
So... I've decided not to go riding with the NC group again....their rides have been deteriorating towards this for a year of more.
No time to stop, take pics, talk, etc. on the rides and very little time to eat (usually lousy food). Now they can't even be ar$ed to wait long enough for all the bikes to follow the route.
Of course they will still be welcome on my rides...but I can't see wasting time trying to ride with them.
What would you do???
I think it's time to cut them loose....
Loosing 6 out of 12 riders .....that's a disgrace.