ARTNW Rideout Discussion Thread

Andy, I had no idea we was supposed to be following sv4me either, I was proper confused when we pulled over at that left turn

On the way back, we split into two at that bridge, it was organised as al was TEC for Eds group and I done TEC for the faster group.
It got really confusing at the end tbh and my patients was waning, oh well, all water under the bridge now and can't wait until we do another.

Originally Posted by Teejayexc

The way we do it on another forum I ride-out with is to have 2 Tecs, that way if there is an 'incident' or someone gets lost, one Tec stays at the incident or finds the lost rider and the other Tec stays with the run.

It's critical that both Tecs know the next stop so they can end up there when things are running smoothly again.

My 2p's worth

We do usually hand over TEC to somebody else if an incident occurs, like later in the same day when Ravingdavis crashed, someone else took the Hi-Viz, went and swept up all the markers and informed everyone what had happened at the next stopping point. I then got telephone directions from the leader to get to the next stopping point.

It's not always possible for the TEC to know the route, if somebody volunteers for TEC that doesn't necessarily mean they'll be available to do a recce of the route beforehand (why the AR is organised months in advance, not 1 or 2 weeks), and quite likely they haven't ridden it before. Unless you have a sat nav, checking a map isn't practical whilst riding. TEC is not just the rider at the back, but ideally someone who is capable of lead bike pace to go catch anyone that goes the wrong way, confident, and with their head screwed on. If the markers stay put, the TEC doesn't actually NEED to know the route, so it's not critical, but I'd agree that it is preferable.

I think we had a lot of newbies on that ride and there weren't that many candidates. Had two breakdowns on that ride too, so I had quite a busy day.

I stayed with you and rapingladies on that day and I phoned dmc who told me roughly where they was, we found them easy enough though tb fair.

Originally Posted by specialone

I stayed with you and rapingladies on that day and I phoned dmc who told me roughly where they was, we found them easy enough though tb fair.

Thought it was you, but I couldn't remember, ridden with you so many times now, I didn't know if I was confusing it with another day. Did you have the Sprint then?

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by darylB

it doesn't matter how fast you got from a-b the important thing is that everyone arrives safely with no brown trouser moments.

It is not the time from a to b but how much fun you have in between.
Whether people have brown trouser moments or not is their decision and nothing to do with the leader, is it or is it not drummed into people; "ride your own ride, don't try and keep up, junctions are marked so you don't have to".

Like I say come on some more rideouts and see what pace leader is doing.

Originally Posted by specialone

On the way back, we split into two at that bridge, it was organised as al was TEC for Eds group and I done TEC for the faster group.
.

No problems for me at the bridge as I knew that there was going to be a split group as Phil told me at the lunch car park when he gave me the orange jacket - also, I stopped at the bridge where the split group were pulled over just to check that there were no straglers from Eds group mixed up in the other group.

But the comedy moment for me was about 15mins or so after leaving the bridge plodding along one of the A roads when at a junction on the left a group emereged - confused the hell out of me as being quite slow a rider I convinced myself I must have unknowingly become a speed demon to catch up with Eds group but alas, it turned out that it was the split group who had taken a different (longer twistier) parallel road and had caught me up .

I quite enjoyed being TEC for the return leg (did help as I had Sat Nav) following the age old orgers motto- "Leave no man (or woman) behind" - everyone got back to the site didn't they? Oh hang on, better go and check....

Cracking weekend and loved every minute of it! My names on the list if anyone is organising another trip in that neck of the woods.

[sv4me]

Ooh controversy

My take on it all - not that anyone gives a **** - as chris said it would have paid to have done a recce of the route with 3 or 4 of us beforehand so the getting lost part would never have happened. 2b fair to Ed though he sounds like hes had a lot on working/travelling getting his new business venture off the ground so can totally understand if he didnt have time for the recce.

Not knowing I was leading*....a bib for the lead guy would have been a lifesaver here

Then an indiscretion on my part made me follow the sat navs directions blindly and instead of doing Eds direct route to Machynlleth like so me and the peeps following did this route. Just goes to show you should never trust a sat nav theyre in cahoots with the oil companies! These were all roads i'd never seen before, whereas Ed obviously clicked that we were back on track and took the left turn. Personally I would have carried on regardless of knowing it wasnt the most direct route, as the extra 10 mins or so going the long way would have been preferable to the 45 mins we waited at Ffriddgate wondering where the hell everyone was and praying someone hadnt come off. All the while the other group was 2mins down the road

In spite of this, I think the marker system was working well it just seemed everything conspired against us on the day. Especially the nightmarish traffic into Newtown, I didnt sign up for that ****!

Still my overriding memories of the whole weekend were meeting lots of great people for the 1st time, having a really good laugh, freezing my t1ts off in my tent at night and it not raining all weekend. Result i'd say!

Oh and if there is another one at Wem or around there organised, my name will be 1st on the list. Hell I might even organise 1 myself 1 day



*Like I said to a few there, I have no problem leading a big group of bikes (AR11 Dizzy? ) but we might get the opposite reaction of people saying i'm going too fast which I have a tendency to do. Its not easy getting the right balance

I'm watching this discussion with some interest, I must admit... I also spent some time tweaking the draft AR11 route, as I'm acutely aware of the problems that riding tired can add when the roads are challenging.

Some criticism on here is fair. Some is debateable. Some is most definitely unfair.

Only one person had anything to say to me at the time, that was Electro. Nobody else said a word. So I'm surprised that it has surfaced on here. And particularly surprised at the strength of feeling, Fenjer I single you out. You have much to learn, frankly, like not overtaking on blind bends, and in raising issues such as those you have raised in PM.

Ah well. Lesson learned. There is only one lesson as far as I'm concerned.

Originally Posted by Ed

So I'm surprised that it has surfaced on here.

That'll be the lesson then?

Look at threads after any event Ed, if there's something to be said it's always on a thread afterwards!