Given the bad start to the riding season I decided I should share my take in regard to group rides. It is easy to get in over your heads when riding with a group and you can even get taken out by someone who is in over there heads...this is about you!!
You are just you. Your skill set on a motorcycle is what it is and when you ride you can do what you can do. For the most part we have an image of ourselves inside our brain that is realistic and understands our own limitations in whatever activity we choose to engage in.
Growing up we all were good at this sport and lousy at that one and we spent time either trying to get better or just having fun doing what we could do.
I was a poor soccer player and knew it. I was not a fast runner. I had little ball control and because of that I never really played soccer as a school sport except in PE.
Don't get me wrong I enjoyed it. I just knew I had limitations that would be impossible to overcome to allow me to be on the high school soccer team. However when we played in PE I gave it 100% and would hussle to make up for my athletic ability.
When I played football I was better, but I still was not a top physical specimen. I wanted to play and did and once again to be competitive I really hussled. I took chances too. A full steam ahead attitude had me smacking heads with some good athletes and got me a starting position as a sophomore. It also got me hurt. The impacts/concussions and ultimately a knee injury took a toll.
Head to head stuff with faster and more mature guys gave me a lot of pain. However the chance of getting killed was low. All of those things I accepted because I wanted to show my worth to the team. I wanted others to respect who I was and what I could do on the football field.
The group ride mentality can be found in my high school example.
I had in in football... I did not in soccer.
I know from my own experience that I can get a little more zing in a group ride. Zing meaning pumped up a bit - the fun is at a little higher factor with others sharing it.
I also know from years of racing that I am not going to let that Zing put me into a place I don't belong. I am still slapping myself for the one time I blew a DY. It really was not a DY as it was on a goaty road and there was not one, but I was in the other lane.. it was on a barf group ride. I really swore to myself that would NEVER happen again. It has not.
If the group is faster.. go have fun boys :wave Hope I see you at the stop and not on the tarmac. (This took place for me this year already... lucky for us the rider was AOK).
For the newer rider it is easy to get in over their head.. listen to that inner voice of reason please. You have nothing to prove to anyone on the street.. EVER!
As Tharkun said the road is not our playground.. as motorcyclist we do do that at times. Myself included. Sorry Officer... and if you catch me doing that I deserve my ticket. However.. I will not take it to a level that puts me in danger of running off the road..blowing a DY.
I may get bit by gravel, oil... a stalled car.. fate. I accept that part.. sure pray it never happens as I too want to get home safe. It is so much nicer sleeping at home than in the hospital or permanently in a box.
It is the beginning of the riding season and I hope/ pray that all barfers will be talking about how great 2014 was and how your looking towards 2015.
More on choosing your group in another post.
You are just you. Your skill set on a motorcycle is what it is and when you ride you can do what you can do. For the most part we have an image of ourselves inside our brain that is realistic and understands our own limitations in whatever activity we choose to engage in.
Growing up we all were good at this sport and lousy at that one and we spent time either trying to get better or just having fun doing what we could do.
I was a poor soccer player and knew it. I was not a fast runner. I had little ball control and because of that I never really played soccer as a school sport except in PE.
Don't get me wrong I enjoyed it. I just knew I had limitations that would be impossible to overcome to allow me to be on the high school soccer team. However when we played in PE I gave it 100% and would hussle to make up for my athletic ability.
When I played football I was better, but I still was not a top physical specimen. I wanted to play and did and once again to be competitive I really hussled. I took chances too. A full steam ahead attitude had me smacking heads with some good athletes and got me a starting position as a sophomore. It also got me hurt. The impacts/concussions and ultimately a knee injury took a toll.
Head to head stuff with faster and more mature guys gave me a lot of pain. However the chance of getting killed was low. All of those things I accepted because I wanted to show my worth to the team. I wanted others to respect who I was and what I could do on the football field.
The group ride mentality can be found in my high school example.
I had in in football... I did not in soccer.
I know from my own experience that I can get a little more zing in a group ride. Zing meaning pumped up a bit - the fun is at a little higher factor with others sharing it.
I also know from years of racing that I am not going to let that Zing put me into a place I don't belong. I am still slapping myself for the one time I blew a DY. It really was not a DY as it was on a goaty road and there was not one, but I was in the other lane.. it was on a barf group ride. I really swore to myself that would NEVER happen again. It has not.
If the group is faster.. go have fun boys :wave Hope I see you at the stop and not on the tarmac. (This took place for me this year already... lucky for us the rider was AOK).
For the newer rider it is easy to get in over their head.. listen to that inner voice of reason please. You have nothing to prove to anyone on the street.. EVER!
As Tharkun said the road is not our playground.. as motorcyclist we do do that at times. Myself included. Sorry Officer... and if you catch me doing that I deserve my ticket. However.. I will not take it to a level that puts me in danger of running off the road..blowing a DY.
I may get bit by gravel, oil... a stalled car.. fate. I accept that part.. sure pray it never happens as I too want to get home safe. It is so much nicer sleeping at home than in the hospital or permanently in a box.
It is the beginning of the riding season and I hope/ pray that all barfers will be talking about how great 2014 was and how your looking towards 2015.
More on choosing your group in another post.