A funny (not "ha ha") thing happened on our group ride today....
 

Here's a nifty little story with a moral:

So we had a nice group ride planned today. Posted it (as usual) on the local board. Went to the appointed meet spot, where a few people were already waiting. Noticed a new face/bike in the crowd... asked around, no one knew him. Seemed... .well... a bit sketchy, but :shrug: (I think it was the Italian Pimp Shoes, and the ticky-tacky paint job, but I digress).

I asked him how he learned about the ride. He said he was at Cycle Gear, and someone mentioned to him there was a group of people meeting for a ride, and told him when/where to go. Hmm, okay... well, we'll give him a chance. We're cautious, but not total snobs. :lol:

We have a pre-ride meeting, go over hand signals, staggered riding formation, etc... (we had a couple other new faces with us today, some friends of friends kinda thing). We capped off the pre-ride meeting with "In short, just don't ride like an asshole, ok?"

We head out, on a big 4 lane divided parkway, and just in the first couple of miles, Mr. Pimp Shoes is... well.. riding like an asshole. A MAJOR asshole. Just completely unsafe, and no regard for anyone else around him. I'm way back in the herd (near PhiSig) and we're both shaking our heads goin' "Uh uh...." I've already got it in my head I'm going to tell this guy to head out, that he can't ride with us (something we've never, ever done before on a group ride). But then lo and behold, we come to an intersection, and he darts out of the group, cuts off some traffic and leaves. YAYYYYYYYYY!!! (we literally clapped in excitement).

We head up the highway a bit, then stop to meet up with another group of friends for the ride. As we're standing there, telling our friends about this asshat that we 'lost,' here he comes, zipping into the gas station. :panic: Oh no, no fucking way. We discuss it briefly, and decide we're just going to tell him I'm sorry, you can't ride with us.

I volunteer to be the asshole (it's a role I play quite well), and I go tell him just that -- Hey, we've decided as a group that you can't ride with us, you're unsafe, and you're a danger to the whole group. He starts to say something about his two other friends (both in Italian Pimp Shoes as well) that have come to meet him, but I stopped him and just said "There's no buts... you're not riding with us. Thank you." And I walked away.

I kinda felt like a major bitch, for about 2 minutes, until he and his friends SCREAMED outta the gas station (Asshat #1 literally coming within inches of hitting a car head on), revving up their bikes, and making a scene as they left. It was almost like a little temper tantrum on two wheels. :lol:

About 10 minutes later, we head out and get on the road. We're on a 2 lane road, surrounded largely by water, with some gentle sweeping curves, but nothing super sharp or technical. We're in a straightaway, and we see two bikes parked in the grass on the right hand side... and the shoulder is littered with pieces of red plastic. Hmm.. .then on the left we see the three guys walking along the opposite shoulder, and Asshat #1's bike parked (front end completely a mess) in the grass. No other vehicles were around, but the rider was up and walking around, seemingly unhurt.

Around the next bend, we get stopped for a drawbridge, so we all park. Everyone was kinda shaking their heads, laughing at the irony of it (thinking this guy probably went spouting off to his friends "These guys say I'm unsafe... they won't let me ride with them. Dude, I'm not unsafe!!"... and then this happens).

All I can say is, I'm glad we made the decision to not allow him to ride with us, because with the size of group we had today, the end result could have been much worse if he continued to ride like an asshole, and caused other riders to go down as well.

I still say that the gene pool needs some freaking clorox.

I've told people I wouldn't ride with them before... I've also left those asshats in the twisties... the latter was much more satisfying.

Good story. There were times I wished we had asked someone not to come with us.

We had a guy show up with us. Jeans, tennis shoes, mechanics gloves, mesh jacket, $600 Race Replica Helmet, every body panel with a scratch, crack, or chip, and held on with zip ties. He was a guy who had frequented a local board, so we knew OF him, but none of us had ridden with him.

He overcooked a turn and stuffed it into the ditch.

5 minutes of feeling bad for telling someone they shouldn't come with your group beats the 1.5 hours wasted pulling everything together and waiting for his ride to show up.

Very good point.

(incidentally, one of our riders had to take off while we were waiting for the draw bridge to come down... he reported back that he went by the crash site, and Asshat #1 was riding 2-up with one of his buddies, and gave him the thumbsup, so he gathered the guy is indeed alright).

Neebs and I called it at about the exact same moment. I saw him pulling into the meet up, revving his bike (which had straight pipes that looked like they came from home depot!) and generally looking like an asshat. He had the worst spray-paint job I think I've ever seen on a bike, down to the motor. He just looked unsafe, and I mentioned it to her and she agreed. We went past the wreck sight slow enough to see that he was up and waling around ok and you could see about half the riders in our group start laughing. The tail and nose of his bike was pretty fucked, I think he tried to wheelie, lost it, ran off and cartwheeled.

With the exception of the shitty gear (and horrible riding skills) that kinda sounds like me! :lol:

I would have jumped the draw bridge to show you guys how awesome I was in hopes you'd let me ride with you again.

Now a bike all jacked up because it's a track whore, you'll hear nothing from me.

This was not THAT guy.



I tend to be a bit of a gear Nazi as well.

:dvrofl:

Had I been on the 'tard, it would have happened.

:lol: Yeah, that's my bike, she's my track-whore. So am I, it's a match made in heaven.

Good Call guys...

good call... I'll just wave you in front then turn:lol:

Good call Nee:dthumb:

Similar thing happened to me on a SMR, a couple of clowns show up dressed like they were about to go clubbing. I was like WTF???? :db:

Was that on my first group ride a couple of years ago near Ashley Judd's house??? A little Honda 750? That was a heck of a way to get broken in on my first 2-up group ride...LOL I still have a pic of that guys bike on the computer downstairs...

I had a feeling that's how your story was going to end Neebs, just glad it was after y'all seperated!! Good call on that guy :dthumb:

I rarely ride in groups. Infact I almost always ride solo. I just prefer it that way. When I did ride in a group it was usually with friends who got into bikes after me so they were all newbies and none where really nuts.

Usually if the idiot is out front it makes great entertainment. Nothing like watching someone with such horrible seating position leaving blackies thinking he is hot shit to be caught by a bunch of parading Harleys.

Yup. Nice guy, but in over his head. NO GEAR didn't help much either.

Could've turned it from a bent bike and a truck ride to a bent bike, a truck ride, and an ambulance/life flight ride.

I tend to quickly develop a headache and need to not ride with the group when questionable folks show up.

I seem to remember his ankle bleeding pretty good and road rash all over his side where his jacket just rolled up. He was a lucky little SOB...I think Ron was right behind him, and WE were behind Ron. I'd only been riding with Dutch a few weeks at that point. Yeah, he was a nice kid, but definitely in over his head. My newness to riding is why we rode tail-end-charlie...just common sense. If I remember correctly, he fixated on the ditch instead of looking through the turn and just rode right into it. :no:

My friend calls me a gear-nazi now...I have lots of gear, but no bike... :lol:

Dutch made an honest woman of you yet?

Ummmm...NOT! :dvrofl:Took that kiss of death once, the divorce was a PITA...the ex is STILL a PITA...that subject is:beath:even with him, and he's never been married. I think we'll stick to the long-term lease for a bit longer, rather than buy the farm. :D

That's ok, it's a lease to own program.

You'll be common law husband and wife in a few years anyway.

:hss::panic::lala::poke::wtfru::lol::backingout:

I just really wanted to break those in... :lol: Honestly, I'm too old to care about whether he buys the cow or just drinks the milk...it's all the same to me. We're together and that's the important part. Now we gotta replace the bike...I'm in DTs from not riding for a year.:rant: We sold it to Gene who ended up selling it within a few months. I miss the old girl. Dutch wants a track toy, and I want my own bike. Once I started getting the urge to slide my ass off the seat I knew it was getting time...:lol:

Italian pimp shoes FTW :ps:

Shit he's probably talking about shoes that you or I own,fool! I have a couple pairs of Italian style dress shoes and a couple pairs of Aldo shoes as well... I know your ass done got you some 'gators motherfucka'!

What's funny is, lookin at this guy, I'm like "Yup, I'll be in back..." then PhiSig says "Ok, I'll ride sweep!" Then another friend pipes in "Yeah, I think I'll be in the back...." (and we knew when we met up with Saki Girl, she'd call sweep position, too, so we're all laughing that we'll ALL "be in the back," :rofl:

:dvrofl:

There was really nothing "wrong" with his shoes, per se, other than that they have no buiness on a bike! :lol: It was just strange riding footwear -- just so very strange. :lol:

unhhh gators whats those:bonk:

Glad everything worked out for you, neebs. Asshats can quickly ruin a good day.


I tend to ride by myself or with people I know very well. The only exception is during Carlisle Bike Show...I ride with about 30 guys...but they are all on cruisers.

I rode with OTB's Baltimore crew once this year, itgirl came too, that was a good group.

We bareley do group rides - and don't like riding in formation at all.

Most of the time I'm by myself (taking the long way home from work) or I head out with my hubby exploring dirt/fire roads. Even then, we don't necessary stick together at all times.

Group ride on twistys don't work very well anyway - you'll never find a spot for more than 1 or 2 bikes to pass savely...

The only group ride we did last year was combined street/dirt and as soon as we hit unpaved roads we split up - everybody does his own speed pending on skill/tires and you just wait on the next intersection... that's the way I like it.

That curve he blew was just barely a curve... He came back online once to say he gave up trying to repair the F3 and was looking for, or buying a liter bike. Never heard from him again. I think he might have been hurt that no one responded to his post, at all. When I read it I thought OMFG he's not going to make it.. my next thought was
"Don't encourage him with any kind of comment!" I guess everyone else had about the same idea.

Haha. Couldn't handle the power of the F3 so he's gonna step it down to a Litre bike.

Should have told him Litres are for vaginas and that real men ride Turbo Busas with a 150 shot of nitrous and a 360 rear (That way he won't fall over in the parking lot).

Yeah, I like riding sweep, I always feel obligated if I'm leading. Hell, the only big group ride I organized I rode sweep! :lol: (Remember that daytona run?) I did one small daytona run, and one ride to the 200, that I lead, but I was on a older Concours, once I was two-up.

Good for you guys - it might be a public street. But, it's up to you to choose (when you can) who you ride with.

I recall one time telling a guy he couldn't ride with us. We were getting ready for a ride when a random guy came through the gas station. ZERO gear. I told him we only ride with people that are properly geared up for a ride.

He got all pissy, telling me I wasn't his mother yada yada yada. I had to stop him and explain that I didn't care about HIM - it was all for me. I didn't deserve to see his head cracked open. Not a mental image I wanted to see...

He didn't like me :rofl:

I'll occasionally go on group rides. Most of the people I ride with are friends off of a local board that are pretty smart. And they show me the good roads to take.

I thought the exact same thing, "Oh shit!" I think his thread had three posts total including his. It was like crickets.

I think he did post back up that he had found a bike. I don't think we've heard from him again.

I'm afraid his firefighter buddies had to scrape him out of the trees with a shovel.

Was92v has ridden sweep first on EVERY group ride with a new person I've ever been on with him. He is by far the fastest and best rider in the group, but he is smart enough to wait and assess who he's riding with.

Now once the ride is under way, he'll filter up toward the front.


And occasionally flip a rotton potato on you. :wtf: :D

I didn't know anyone noticed that I was starting in the back..:whistle:

You'd be surprised what I notice.

Our group rides are usually a very broad range of experience. You've got guys who race, used to race or run regular trackdays and then you have riders who prefer a more sedate pace, and (because of the number of MSF Ridercoaches on our rides) usually a handful of new riders. I like running sweep because no one gets left behind that way.

Yep. I rode sweep on the first let of our group ride with Drewpy and his GF. I think she was a little concerned about the ride and the group. If you are new to a group and new to riding, a group ride can be very intimidating. There is always the concern that you are holding everyone up and so there is a tendency not to ride your own ride.

I like to ride sweep so that they don't feel like they are the last one and that they are going to get left behind. Yeah you don't get to hit the turns as hard, but you get to help someone feel more confident and enjoy their group ride experience more.

To me, that's the most important.

Exactly, if I want to enjoy the turns I go to Jennings.

That's cause that's the only place with turns in FL.

Sad. But True. When are we going to see an OSP debut at JGP? "Team Golden Shovel Racing"

I dunno... I really want to do a track day, but it's one of those money things... They always come around when I don't seem to have any! Compounding the issue is the need for new tires and some routine maintenence on the TLR... I can certainly swing it, but it pushes off the track day thing even further...

I know how that works. My main job (sea tow) has gone to shit recently, no one is taking their boats out, first gas prices, then the economic meltdown, now it's too cold. I probably wont make another trackday until March.

Welcome to life in the North, buddy.

I rarely ever do group rides anymore with people that I don't know.

Usually it's just me and two or three other bikes that I know/trust the riders.

It sucks! :lol:

I used to live in Ohio, and all I had was the bike for a while. The one thing I do like about FL, I have done a "New Years" Trackday!

Akron with nothing but a bike? FUCK THAT.

:lol:

Yeah, NOT fun. I blew up the transmission in my truck and had to wait til I could make an extra grand to have it rebuilt. The colder the weather got the less beer I drank and the more beer money made it into the transmission fund.