Riding a trike in a group of two wheelers

On my burger run, last weekend (100 miles), whenever I would get in the middle of the bikes, the bikes behind me would practically kill themselves to get ahead of me. There were 19 bikes and me on the Tri. I mean, passing on double yellows, on curves, even once in the tunnel in Zion National Park on a double yellow. Anyway .. my first opinion was that it was a macho thing ... can't let a trike beat me ... but after talking to them, they all said that was it was really "un-nerving" being behind a trike ... None of them could really explain it, but they all said the same thing ... it made them feel "off" behind me, so I stayed in the back, which is where I am most of the time anyway (I do the speed limit, the rest of them, not so much).

I've been thinking about this for a week now, and finally thought why not ask about it on TT (Duh) ... this was my first ride with lots of bikes, but I'm sure you guys have had lots of experience with this, so I'd be interested to hear other experiences or opinions about this.

I've been a passenger in a group and I prefer the back and I think (I know) if I go with others I'll be in the back. I think I'd be more comfortable riding the trike there since I'll be doing the speed limit and my experience is much less. Even if I fall behind they will eventually stop and I'll catch up. I've never been a leader, only a follower in life.

<------ not into performance awards (speeding tickets)

FuzzyWuzHe said:

<------ not into performance awards (speeding tickets)

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If you ride at the speed limit, Whether your riding a Bike, Trike or in a Car your going to get passed... I ride at 8 over... On most roads.. At retired hours.. When I happen to be out there at working hours I go with the traffic flow. If you're getting passed buy most in your group [Were they mostly Sport Bikes ?] you might want to pick it up a little ' Or find a group more to your speed. ie. The same class of bikes and age of the riders. :Shrug:

Group Riding

I have found that I don't care to ride in large groups. I ride with two other trike riders. We are all happy with that.

Jolie said:

I've been a passenger in a group and I prefer the back and I think (I know) if I go with others I'll be in the back. I think I'd be more comfortable riding the trike there since I'll be doing the speed limit and my experience is much less. Even if I fall behind they will eventually stop and I'll catch up. I've never been a leader, only a follower in life.

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The first couple of times I rode with a group, and somehow a bunch of bikes ended up behind me, when we stopped, I told them to go first, and they were like no, we're fine back here... I figure it's like driving in snow....everyone drives (rides) at the speed they are comfortable at. Don't let anyone pressure you to go faster than you are comfortable at. I still like to ride at the back, but have learned to be comfortable in the middle too, as long as it's at a speed that I'm comfortable at.

I enjoy the ride. I drive the speed limit, and on back roads with no traffic behind me, I slow down and enjoy the view. Big group white knuckle rides are not for me.

2 wheelers don't understand what 3 wheelers are about. They don't realize most of us have vast experience on 2 wheels. So they feel uncertain riding around us. That means they want in front of us for that reason. I think if they would stop and think they would be more comfortable. The people I ride with know me and my abilities. They ride 2 abreast with me all the time. With all that being said if you are riding with a group that does not know you then just ride in the back or go on your own.

I ride with a group now and then, I always try to be last. I ride in position where the ride captain tells me to and at times it is not a comfortable place. I have 2 wheelers in back of me almost on my tail. Knowing that trikes can stop faster than a bike makes me uncomfortable. If I ever have to stop quickly I can see a rider in my trunk cause they couldn't stop in time. One guy really likes to get close when we ride you would think he'd know better after all these years.

Any given group of riders will have a different dynamic depending on what each individual's riding experience and attitude are. I ride with a group that sometimes has as many as 20 but most times six to ten riders on every possible combination. For years I have led these rides and when I converted my '06 nothing changed. Sometimes we ride the speed limit and sometimes not. It just depends on who in in the group. I know pretty much how each rider prefers to ride and usually set a pace everyone can accept. We now have more trikes in our group then two wheelers but that was not the case early on and it never was an issue. The ride leader sets the tone and almost every time that results in orderly interaction. It also helps a lot to have a lot of "OLD" guys riding. I'm not sure but I think there is one (maybe two) riders younger the me and I'm sure not lacking in years....

:xszpv::xszpv:

I am fortunate as our club, with as many as 20+ bikes, are all over 40 and we ride well together. Trike position in the column are unimportant; just however we leave.

I also ride a two-wheeler sometimes so these guys know I understand both worlds. I will actually allow more room when I have a trike in front of me because they reduce my forward visibility and I want more "cushion". Other than that we merrily chase each other around the Arkansas twisties at reasonable speeds and have a good time.

I ride where I ride and never really worry about what others think. I ride the prevailing speed of the group. We did Bikers For Babies and bikers said I rode as fast as they did and were impressed..."we never thought trikes were anything more than an old geezer toy"..

I'll take the sweeper spot any day of the week...its much safer and less nerve racking to me. I'm not worried that someone is not paying attention and will run over me.

Not to be an a$$ ... but I think most missed the point .... this is a group I've ridden with for years (on two before this trip) ... always around 20 bikes or so ... I'm always towards the back or at the back depending on who goes.

We basically have two sub groups ... the 100 mph+ hair on fire, gotta do 700 miles a day group, and the slowdown, smell the coffee, enjoy the scenery 400 miles a day is ok group.

I'm usually leading the slow group ... this trip, we all agreed on the shorter route for the sake of an older rider, who does like to go fast but wasn't sure he could do 600 miles a day ... LOL ... everyone who ended up behind me said the same thing .. they felt watching the trike in front of them threw them off their riding game. They really can't explain it, but, I think maybe watching the trike not lean in the turns might have affected them .. I don't know ... it was just weird. They all said they didn't care how fast I went, they just didn't want to be behind me.

I always ride at my comfort level and that is at the posted speed limit or at most, 5 mph over and only on the major freeways (as stated by someone earlier, if ya don't ya get run over).

Anyway ... it's not a big deal, just weird ... maybe they are just used to me being towards the rear ... oh well ... another mystery of life.

Just an observation - don't know that it adds anything, but......

My experience has been that if riding with a club the trikes go in the back, just ahead of the 2 wheeler sweep. Same with Harley riders, organized or not.

When riding with a group of friends and acquaintances (mostly non-HD) the trike goes in whatever order we leave the parking lot.
Maybe it makes a difference that the trikers in my groups ride staggered formation, so if the bike directly ahead is on the centerline, we ride right side of the lane, and vice versa.

Still also riding two wheels I also belong to other bike forums and have seen riders post several time that they don't like to ride behind trikes and feel trikes belong in the back of a group because they tend to block their vision of the road ahead. I have often noticed when my wife and I are out riding the trike that two wheelers that come up behind us usually will not stay there but eventually will pass us even if they are going to continue at the same speed as we are travelling, I just figure each to his own and don't let it upset me or spoil my ride, and I know its not speed because I am anything but a slow rider to the point my copilot is tapping my helmet telling to slow down, what can I say, I like speed.

Trikerbobbilly said:

Still also riding two wheels I also belong to other bike forums and have seen riders post several time that they don't like to ride behind trikes and feel trikes belong in the back of a group because they tend to block their vision of the road ahead.

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So......maybe that explains the phenomenon of lane splitting by 2 wheelers.

Goes like this - there are far more cars on the road than trikes, and the cagers just HATE to be in the back of any group so they always want to pass any bikes in their path.

It annoys me to be behind one of those oversized SUVs or pickup trucks while riding the trike. The total frustration of the 2 wheeler must be mind blowing. And God forbid there's an 18 wheeler ahead ...

Any group I've ridden with always wants to Trikes in the back. That is fine with me.

FuzzyWuzHe said:

*everyone who ended up behind me said the same thing .. they felt watching the trike in front of them threw them off their riding game.

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I've experienced this same reaction with the group I occasionally ride with. I'd say at least 90% of my road time has been spent riding by myself. When I do ride with a group, it's small and usually the same folks or just me and an old friend by ourselves.

One day I leading the "group" (4 bikes this time) on a ride through a rural area. I checked my mirrors to see where everyone was and found myself alone. I turned around and found the rest roadside where my old friend had laid his ride down in a curve. It turned out he was watching me instead of what he was doing. He let his front tire grab the soft shoulder of the road and the rest was history. Luckily, damage to himself and the bike were minimal.

Since then, I take sweep if I'm in a group. I tend to ride a little slower anyway, so I'm more comfortable there anyway.

Do you like riding in a cage behind a truck??? It's the same thing. I prefer riding in the back. It's kinda like driving 500 miles of Daytona. Stay in the back and cool breeze it until I's time to go. Leader wants a trike in the back so it know where the back is. I don't need to keep looking in my mirrors when I in the back.