Fascinating discussion, but I don’t think there’s any right or wrong here. Like Rich, my riding is dictated by my priorities.
My Sunday School teaching and other church activities limit our riding on a Sunday to short local rides after church and that changes only on rare well planned exceptions. With those obligations, we pretty much eliminate ourselves from most organized group rides.
My other free time revolves heavily around family, primarily involving my grandchildren, which again, by my choice, limits my riding time. Because the grandkids are not local, particularly the ones in SC, I will frequently trailer the trike. That, by the way brings out a lot of other critical comments from riders.
We do try to plan two extended riding trips a year, but we also enjoy trailering to a “base motel” (we’re not campers) and touring out from there in multiple directions. That gives us the option of using the truck for day trips, such as we did in freezing rain in VT.
IMHO riders should not ever let the opinions or activities of others either dictate their own actions, nor should they feel the need to justify not doing so. We paid a lot of money for what we ride and that gives us the right to ride however, whenever and as often as we prefer.
As with many others, I don’t ride near as much as I would prefer, but I do enjoy every minute of the riding experience. I can honestly say however, that I enjoy those times when I don’t ride just as much (well…most of the time anyway!).
:Flag: