[Red Rider]

How do you prefer to ride? I like riding alone, where I don't have to worry about anyone or anything but me and my ride. Seems like everytime I get talked into heading out with a group or even one or two other bikes I end up riding solo on the return. Just get tired of all that togethernes - don't feel free ridin' with the pack. But I don't hold it against others - just ain't fun for me. Thoughts?

[AFNurse]

I PREFERE to ride with one or 2 other riders...... what I ACTUALLY do is ride alone. My schedule is such that I don't have much time for "organized rides", or much of a "social life" outside of family and family stuff. I don't know very many riders, and those that I do kind of have problems getting off during the week to go ride and I am at work on many weekends! Oh well. I do put some miles down when I have time, with or without other riders!

[SK]

I like riding in groups generally no more than 4. It's fairly easy to keep tabs of each other. Unless you have several with CB radios, large groups get fragmented too much for me. Like AFNurse, I end up riding solo more times than not. I've ridden all over the West a few times solo, though would prefer to ride with one or two other riding buddies.

I'm hoping my school schedule for Fall allows me to shoot up to Reno in late September for St. Vibrations for the weekend. I'll probably ride 6.5-7 hours each way to spend less than 48 hours up there if I don't leave until Friday afternoon (hoping my clinicals are on Wed/Thur instead of Thur/Fri like they are this Summer and I'll leave Thursday afternoon). I'm looking forward to riding with a couple of ole riding buddys up there..plus I just love Virginia City.

[Sleepy]

It's fun to share the experience with a couple of close friends that you feel safe riding with..although some of the absolute best rides were alone..on the Ducati on a great stretch of road

[FLHTbiker]

I agree to about riding alone as you ride your ride. There are a few that I can ride long distance or on a trip with. What I really don't like is having to baby sit riders that don't ride very well or just simply won't keep up even when your doing the speed limit.
This happened to me this weekend while on a HOG Chapter Poker ride. My self and two other guys were to ride sweep and another guy says I want to go along, should have said no right there but the others said sure come along. Told him the way we ride and he started complaining. About half way through the ride after being told constantly that I ride to fast and he doesn't like it I turned around and left. We were riding the speed limit or no more than 5 over. The guy is way overweight for his bike, can't negotiate the corners even at a slow speed and on top of it he is wearing shorts and a tank top. I can't shut up sometimes and told him he was a danger on the road and he needed to take a riders course. Just simply get tired of baby sitting while on a ride.
Went back to the party and had a good time. Another rider left with me to so it left two finishing the sweep.
Sometimes in a group I get so tired of hearing the whining about this or that or you ride to fast. Going the speed limit or five over is not in my opinion as riding to fast. When I'm by myself or with a select few I like to ride fast which is faster than most, love the corners. When in a larger group I do slow down to the speed limit or just above but can't stand the whining. The slow guy always wants everyone else to ride his ride and it just simply takes the enjoyment out of it. So, riding with those you know, or riding by yourself is the best.

[AFNurse]

I agree with the "riding with strangers" dislike.... I always TRY to ride a shorter ride with those I don't know as well so I can feel them out for riding style..... THEN, if the riding styles are compatable, will consider longer rides with them. MOST of the time, with only 2-3 other bikes, they are all friends, so am willing to adjust riding style to meet the needs of all. Add more then that, and hopefully it will be a shorter ride.

[Red Rider]

First off - I don't have a lot of experience riding any other way than alone, even if you count the Toy Runs that are about 4 miles each year. So I won't say it is flat-out bad. BUT: My friends who do these runs almost every weekend always make me wonder WHY? I mean, when I join up with them after a group run the very first thing I always hear is how screwed up the run was! Happened yesterday, too, even though I didn't even ride (prob a day away, balance-wise). And it ain't that my pals are whiners, because I hear the same thing any time I come up on a pack of riders. Some of the razzin' is in good fun, but some folks always seem genuinely grrrrrrd.

I've never had the frustration or the anger after a solo ride that I've seen with group riders. What I do with my biker friends is just tell 'em something like "see ya at Middlegate" and go. We all then get there the way we want, no one gets riled. Sometimes I'm first, sometimes I'm last. But always we only gripe about the cage drivers, dust devils or cattle on the road, rather than each other.

But to each, his own.

[CD]

It all goes to comfort level to me. I am voted alone because that is the way I want to feel. Relaxed, able to maneuver if I need to and never crowded. There are very, very few riders that I trust to ride in a pack with and most of them are here on this BBS. Each of them know how to get out of a bad situation without endangering the other riders. Each of them know how to leave an "out" and are always scanning a full 360º. In other words, they "feel" where you are and you "feel" where the others are.

There have been only three people I would trust to ride side by side with. Tish, Sisco and Flat Head Dave. Flat Head is gone and Tish rides smoothly but never over aggressively. Sisco and I used to stuff it into corners side by side and we trusted our skills to keep us out of trouble.

A while back, we were riding up to Sonoita via the canyon. Nice road, lots of smooth corners and a ton of fun. Sisco and I were play racing up the canyon, he was on his Fatboy and me on the 2KRK. He was blocking me at every corner and we were just a little too dead even on acceleration for me to get him on the outside. Finally, he left a small hole when he went wide in a long right handed sweeper. I got on his inside and beside him he saw me and knew I had the line so he moved over. I remember seeing that steel guard rail about a foot from my head and thinking that it would not be a good time to make a mistake or hit sand.....

We had a good laugh over that one in Tombstone.

[GreyBear]

Well I voted alone because even in a group I am....and because I am a contankerous old fart a lot of folks like me to stay that way. When I say I am pulling out at 0900 I leave at 0900 cause that means you need to be there 10 - 15 mins early, GASSED UP, and with your bike adjusted, packed etc. Don't be drinking, stoned or wondering if that rear tire is really gonna make it another 500 miles. If you break down I will be there with and for you...if it turns out to be because of some stupid avoidable sh&t you'll wish I wasn't <WEG>. While theres really nothing like being in a large pack (50 +) bikes if I am there I am going to know EVERYONE and if I can trust them...screw ups in a pack at 90 is not my idea of a great time. But for the most part...alone...or with 2 or 3 really tight people.

[Killer-B]

I can agree with all that’s been said. I ride about 99% of the time by myself, because that is the way I like it. I don’t do group rides, (more than 4 peeps). When I have gone on long runs,,, four different runs at 2-4K, I have had done it with 1 other person at a time, people that I would call my brother. It is nice to have someone there in case something unforeseen comes up. As of now, I just ride with my three best friends, me, myself and I.
My two cents.

[mwelych]

I ride alone to work, and with a couple of friends (Howie and Mike) usually on weekends, but sometimes just with my wife...

[scooter]

There are a very select few that I will ride with. The times that I have had the bejesus scared out of me have been largely due to riding with and because of the skill level of those riders. Live and learn, it only took twice for me. Now I just ride with those I feel comfortable with and that feel comfortable with me.

Also, like everyone else here has said over and over...I like the freedom of being alone on the road, at MY pace, at MY time, and at MY route.

scoot

[maxpower_hd]

I do quite a bit of my riding alone as well but not by choice. It just happens that way, mostly going to work or to our summer camp.

When I go out just to ride and not really get somewhere, I usually go with two or more friends. That is the most fun for me since I get to hang with my buds. There are about seven of us that have known each other for many years. A couple since our high school days, one from grammar school and even one that I've known since I was a fetus. The last one being my older brother. We've all been riding for a long time so there are no trust issues among us. In my case, it just so happens that most of my friends have bikes.

I do like the big Poker runs and such on occasion but only on occasion. Sometimes they can get hairy if you have too many inexperienced riders or a couple of guys that have a few too many beers. It is pretty cool to be a part of something so big though. Especially if it is for a good cause.

[scooter]

You are so lucky, max, to have your brother as a ridin' buddy.

I have been tryin' to get mine on a bike for a few years now, and I THINK he might actually be considering it...keeping my fingers crossed, yanno?

scoot

[maxpower_hd]

My older sister started riding not too long ago too. I don't do a whole lot of riding with her though. Mostly because she isn't confident enough to ride the way we do.