Group Riding.

[CrystalPistol]

Yeah, many good times. I know from reading here that many of y'all favor solo riding. I do to at times, know folk who say they hate group rides, but they go on them. One thing about group rides is looking out for each other, having support if something not fun happens, having other minds help to work through an issue, etc. I know, riding alone leaves one free to explore, but if I go on a group ride or offer to let others join, I figure they'll go if they want to or not go depending on destination, etc. so I stick to the plan for my part.

I once had a group going out of state, one couple said they weren't going, we get to motel after leisurely day long ride, they been there for hours. Another time was a ride on our anniversary, group left early, I had a shift to work so we set out to catch them down in NC., we found an Anniversary Cake in our room at Motel.

I was CE a couple years, then ACD for two, then CD for near 6 years, then RC for a couple, lots of leading rides there in thos ten years as it often fell on me to build a ride and lead it when CE, ACD, or CD. Was always easy to find a trusted "drag", but hard to get anyone to lead, so I did. I worried a lot too, counting headlights, passing on hazards & trying to keep my group tight, I often told stories to keep them on the radio, but if I needed to call out a turn, hazard, etc, I did. I knew if no one talked, they'd soon have their CBs squelched down tight or just turned down, even off ... listening to tunes instead.

If I get back to group riding with the chapter, I just want to be a member, a "JAM" is the term. My chapter used to be real active, but we've lost a few that kept it energised.

One day, I did get a buddy to lead, he was CD and I was just ACD then, I was maybe 10th or 11th in the group, CB was quiet, was a couple more behind me, we met a group of HD riders NB on the Blue Ridge Parkway, in mountains, we were entering a right hander, they were entering the same curve but it was a left for them. Lead rider turned to look at some of our group I think and he ran off the road on his right, the far side of road from us. I watched it all, called out on CB that we had a bike down, no replies. I and ones behind me and him stopped, got off the road, checking on him, calling rescue, flares, etc … the rest of my group went about 18 or 20 miles before they missed us three. Was near 40 - 45 minutes before they got back … "back tracking",. Rescue from a near town was there by then. I give them hell … friendly & somewhat jovial hell ... but hell just the same. Guy went to trauma center in city about 20 miles distance, but he was talking. He had a few riders with him, including his wife. Got word later from his wife, he made it, was gonna be OK, but he needed to be hauled by car back to SC. (his bike was a wreck anyway).

Sure was easy pulling the trike off into grass though, no kick stand to worry about. We were going maybe 40-45 at most when this started. Still hard to believe they went so far before missing us?

I was pleased to be in a group when my alternator failed and a member with leg in cast driving his Toyota Celica followed me near 80 miles stopping often to charge my battery one rainy trip.

I've always enjoyed fuel stops or lunch stops or picnic stops on group rides. Lots of good fun, sharing refreshments, chats, ribbing, jokes, etc.

It's pouring rain outside, I hear it on the metal roof. Maybe good sleeping tonight?

[MickUpi]

I love group rides. They make me feel I am truly a "member" of the group. Also the fun and fellowship is part of it too. Oh, I almost forgot, where we gonna eat. I also cherish the rides with my wife. It allows us to go where we want and stop when we want. Then there's the solo ride. It is equally important as it provides a time to be alone with the trike, the road, the countryside, and God.

[CrystalPistol]

My chapter or "group" had become almost like "family" to us, a huge part of our social life. I often complained gently to myself or my wife that no one else seemed to want to step up, it was a chore at times leading the ride and keeping an eye on the mirror as I checked on my group, and I always seemed to have a good drag.

Couple times still had scary moments.

Very fortunate, only two real scary moments come to mind in so many years & miles.

Once was when we came up on a roadway that merged or sort of "Y"-ed with the one we were on, it came in from our right from about 4 o;clock, it had two huge stop signs and rumble strips for it's traffic, we had caution signs and we were on the main roadway, but in a gentle left. I called it out, looked back down the side road, no cars in sight on the side road as I passed, then most of my group passed too but the next to last had a car that I in the lead had met, had also called out too, passed going the other way decide to turn left down that roadway directly across their path. Kind of like Turnipseed did to James Dean. I saw it in my mirror. I was on my GL1200 bike in lead, the one the car turned left in front of was the previous owner of our trike on what would someday be our trike. Thankfully, no crash, but it was close.

Another time, leading my group down in NC on a several nights trip, us on the trike, we pulled up to make a right turn, up hill, was a stop sign and not great visibility down to our left. I stopped, pulled out, then could see in mirror that there were no cars coming, then suddenly saw the bike behind me fall over on it's left with rider & co-rider on it, bottom showing to me. He just got off balance, not enough throttle, lost it. No serious damage, minor scrapes, but he had it triked soon afterwards. They were then my age now at least,.... yeah, that was a fright too.

I miss those safe rides tremendously though, the ones where no one got hurt, just all fun. It was a relief and a huge feeling of accomplishment when the ride was winding down and we all were saying our good byes until we met again, hugs all around, sometimes at a DQ or Kline's Ice Creame. To get to that after several days on an out of state trip was grand, but I was usually pretty fatigued.

There were times, due to health reasons, that either someone else or my wife & I went on the ride following in a 4 wheeler with CB, I have even lead a ride or two like that. The CB brought us into the chatter, the jokes, decisions etc. It wasn't necessary that we always had a bike or trike under us to "be a part" of the "group", and there were times that it proved of great benefit that someone had a 4 wheeler … either to jump a bike or haul an ill co-rider or "souvinier" (spl?) home etc.

[CrystalPistol]

I posted a couple posts on group riding above so I'll try not to cover old ground. It was after the second of those posts that my wife reminded me of some episodes. For about 6 or 7 years, I probably lead 90% of our chapter rides. I always knew who was drag and I always counted bikes & trikes so I could count in the mirror on long straights. We used Channel 1 and like any group, there was "banter" going on, but if I needed to get information out … I was not bashful and I don't know if it was the fine tuning on my antenna or my voice or other, I never had a problem getting the group's attention. Often, I already had them listening to me tell some tall tale or fact of life or answering trivia like "how high is Mt. Mitchell"? (6,684 feet I said) or "who wrote some article"? (it was Ben Franklin, that blew them away when I knew that one, but I forget what the question was, it was an article from Poor Richard's Almanac though).

Well, one day we rode in group over the Blue Ridge into the eastern part of the state. We passed a field with a nice heard of what we call "Oreo Cows", black on the ends but white in the center. One of the riders behind me on the CB asked where they come from. I said they were naturally occurring if white, but then as the miles passed, I added to the tale. I explained the ones that were green (from eating wild mint, ruined the beef taste too), the ones that were pink around the middle (those had gotten into grandma's strawberry patch and were often short lived), the ones that were yellow around the middle (rarely seen in Virginia but raised by a couple farmers in far south western Kentucky and highly prized for the good tasting beef but that the lemony taste ruined the milk, I explained that the farmers were extremely protective of these cows like a moonshiner is of his still) … and I went into the one's that were brown around the middle that gave chocolate milk right out the teet. I told them all that all cows are subject to variations in taste ... but that unless they have white, the color or flavor is overpowered by the black. I also talked about blueberry raised varieties that look a faint shade of blue too, probably some I have forgotten too.

Well, that was all told as I was leading them easterly, before lunch even. We went to Appomattox, Farmville, etc … and finally headed west back to the mountains. We came back on Rt 33 and stopped at a restaurant for coffee, pie, ice cream before splitting up and going our separate ways, it was in Elkton, Va.. As we sat there, the co-rider / wife of one of the riders came over to our table (must have been 15-20 of us total). This was a separate table, one my wife & I shared as we ate our ice cream. Anyway, the lady leaned in close and looked around and asked quietly if I was telling the truth about them cows that morning on the way over, this was like 6 or 7 pm. I was near speechless, but I managed a reply.

Over the years and all those rides that I planned I used a Streets program to map & plan, I allowed an hour for quick meals, allowed for gas & rest stops & "touring" of attractions. The program let me select speeds. I stuck with or just below known limits. I would sometimes print off a copy for a few riders and with start time set, have it timed out to the end. One day we left Harrisonburg, Va,, rode to the Flight 93 memorial in Pennsylvania going up by Winchester into Pa., then a long ride back down through eastern West Virginia and back into Virginia on Rt 33 into Harrisonburg for Ice Cream and our "break out & goodbye hugs place". As we grouped together, as we walked in towards the ice cream order window, I asked someone what time was it. Then I asked what time the schedule said we were due here. I missed it by 3 minutes. There were other times I was close, but that was special. Once we met up at Fairfield, Va. off Exit 200, headed to a motel in western NC on the Blue Ridge Parkway for a weekend, I missed that arrival by nearly 15 minutes.

Another time we built our fundraiser around a ride to Flight 93 Memorial again. I sold chances in a drawing for 5 or 10 dollars each, didn't even have to ride to play, could buy as many tickets as you wish. I promised we'ld have a drawing on the way home that evening. 1/2 would go to the winning ticket, 1/2 to the chapter. I sold a few hundred dollars worth. We were on the way home at a gas / rest stop in West Virginia that evening when I gathered all around and we held the drawing. I called the number and jhjust happened to be looking in the direction of one of the participant's girl friend, she looked at her ticket, then took his out of his hand, held it up and said "I got it". He laughed, I gave her the winnings, he was OK with it. Then we all suited up and started our last leg of the trip home, when she started talking on the CB about how much fun the whole day was, then shwe just said … "I've never had so much fun and got paid for it!". CB was quiet for a few moments, then she started to explain what she didn't mean.

Once, we rode as a group to another chapter's fundraiser, it was a chili cookoff. Played games, caught up with old friends, made new ones, etc, then it was lunch time. Your entry ticket cost covered the chili you ate and you bought extra game tickets and that chapter always had some super good chili. A few of us standing in line were standing there at the Cornhole game setup. I picked up a bag, just one, said "watch this", and I tossed it from 5 feet behind the marked official throw line , and that bag hardly touched the hole as it passed through. This one fellow said "Let's see you do that again" …. I said "I will, right after you do it once" …. LOL. No way was I gonna pick up another bag then.



Fun times.

[MickUpi]

Thanks for the read on group rides. Just returned from a group dinner ride last night. As many do I have lots of good memories from rides.