When do I get to see the parole board?

It's official, as of today I've served my 5 years in this nuthouse! Thinking back a lot has happened in that time but some things never change thankfully. Though members have come and gone (some tragically taken from us) the Org spirit lives on and endures.

I've been here long enough to know it isn't just happen-stance though, it doesn't just happen because of the assortment of users, there is a good deal of (usually) unseen forces, subtly keeping the place stable. No mean feat when you consider the collective box of frogs we all form

Because of this place, I've explored other forums pertinent to my life like nissan Juke forums and photography forums, none of them are quite like here. A crucial part of that is that despite it being a forum originally designed to unite people with a similar kind of bike, often those who change bikes rarely change forums. So we are more than the sum of our parts, we still have a huge pile of metaphorical spares thanks to people sticking around.

What still amazes me every time I ask a (sometimes very) random question, there is always someone (usually quite a few) people on here who are skilled in whatever area I may be pondering lately. We are such a diverse group of people, brought together by such a simple unifying factor of model of bike.

So I'd like to thank every one of you who has given advice on what may at the time seem like a wild goose chase or a stupid question. I appreciate every answer and my mind is just odd in that it comes up with random ideas that seem to barely relate to anything.

In closing I'd like to thank all those who have helped keep my bike on the road, many of you have given advice, pointers or recommendations. And a brave few have had to actually get your hands dirty to keep my bike going, poignantly, I recall John (Admin) saving me from being stranded on a rideout through the Elan Valley with the stock tool kit, I'd been messing with my usual level of skill and installed something to the battery. I'd ridden it for 2-3 days to work and for 100 miles of the rideout, but when I came to start it up to make the ascent out of the valley, the speedo was throwing up random numbers, the lights were flickering in odd patterns In my panic of knowing 10-15 orgers had just left the scene and would be waiting up ahead I had no diagnostic skills whatsoever, the TEC hadn't left yet, I just shrugged my shoulders when he turned to me wondering why I hadn't left yet. He dashed over and had a look at the problem and was asking the usual pertinent questions and through the haze of incoherent thoughts I mentioned battery! A quick tighten of the nut gave it the good contact required and it was behaving itself again. A stupid mistake to make but one I'll never make again.

Right, I was trying to keep this short but I seem incapable of making short posts but I have to go to work so my final thought is that I'm glad you are all here, every one of you make the place what it is, I feel this place is pretty unique. Like the search for life in the universe, the internet is so vast. Like planets, there are so many forums that there MUST be other places out there like this but I've not found anything close yet and I've no inclination to look

Thanks guys*

*when I say guys I actually mean it as an all gender encompassing thing, the non gender specific pronouns all seem to sound weird (everyone, people, all, etc) so if I use it in other posts, I'm not trying to exclude women or anything.

That post sounds like a farewell post


I remember you're bike not starting in élan, we was starting to get worried as it had been so long

Originally Posted by specialone

That post sounds like a farewell post

hah! True, sorry to burst anyone's bubble, I didn't want to finish it with the cheesy "and here's to many more years" although that was implied I can't leave anyway, I'm institutionalised by you all

[garynortheast]

Great post Brettus and very eloquently put. You're making me think I should come along on a rideout!

[widepants]

welcome to the 5 year club. Parole meeting booked here too

As a fresh faced newbie this is an encouraging - sense of community instilling - thread. I'll see if I can post something similar 5 years down the line.

kudos

[flymo]

Originally Posted by Brettus

....stuff....

What a really nice post to start my working week. Very well said.

Originally Posted by garynortheast

You're making me think I should come along on a rideout!

Rideouts are a definite, I wasn't sure about that as I'm not a social person but the odd rideout and even the fortnightly meetups have definitely improved my experience.

(feel free to skip the rest of this but given a few newer members have commented I thought I'd expand on my first rideout experience)

I don't go out drinking with friends, most of my friends I keep in touch with online to be honest so that is the extent of it. I wanted to go on a rideout to see how others rode and learn as I went, figuring I'd turn up and stay on the sidelines and move off with the rest I'd be OK. I got given mobile numbers of a few key members also on the ride so that if I got lost or anything I could contact and be contacted. At the time I wondered if that meant it happened a lot but it isn't the case, people are just prepared.

I googled the meet point and even had an offer from Quiff to meet up en route to there if I needed some help or a smaller introduction. I can confess this now but at the time I'd only seen Quiffs posts and the banter to be had with him and had made the assumtion that his personality was going to be too overwhelming for me. (such a stupid conclusion in retrospect, Quiff is one of the nicest guys I've had the pleasure of meeting) but the point is still relevant for others, don't make a judgement based just on peoples posts.

Anyway, I arrived at the meet point and trundled round to lurk on the sidelines, not quite sure what to do with myself. Immediately people came over and introduced themselves and Daryl explained a bit about the ride and what to expect. It was one of the first rideouts of the year, to Barmouth and as it turned out, the best attended I've been on to date. I think the best part of 50 bikes turned out for that run, encompassing some awesome roads through shropshire, across to the horseshoe pass, bala lake, Barmouth, then back along some of the best roads mid wales and south shropshire have to offer.

At every stop more riders came and introduced themselves and involved me in conversations etc.

One other point to mention, being nervous and shy I was concerned about the marker system which I'd gone over several times with people just to be sure that I wouldn't screw it up for everyone should the time come. As it happens when you are in a group large enough to require markers (riders stopping on junctions to mark the way for the rest of the group, then catching up once the TEC arrives) you can trundle in the rear half of the group and you will likely not ever be called on to do any marking. A rideout or two later I had to mark a junction and realised again that I'd made more of an issue out of it than it was. (I may be alone in doing this but if a newer member is in the same position I was I'd have appreciated the extra heads up, for 80-90% of people will be scratching their heads and wondering why this is an issue but hey ho, it takes all kinds)

Since that first rideout I've done marking, gone on a pre-ride recce, attended evening meets and rode as the TEC. I'm still not an outgoing person, but I was welcomed and made comfortable enough to take on the different things and I've enjoyed it all.

Anyone who is pondering going on a rideout, do it. Check out the nature of the ride too as some are arranged to suit newer riders better or some are just shorter routes which gives a great introduction too.

More long windedness but its my Orgiversary and so I'll warble if I want to

[flymo]

so Brettus, where would you recommend people start when it comes to rideouts. Are they mostly regional or do people need to wait for ARs to get involved?

[Drew Carey]

I am also one of these.......5 years last week.......can't believe all that has happened in that time. Crazy.