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Group Lead - Piss In The Wind Or Ride To The Line?

Discussion in 'Ducati General Discussion' started by freshage, Apr 17, 2021.

  1. Disclaimer: I've had a couple to null the pain of covid working from home so this is going to be a random thread

    Tomorrow, I'm leading a large group of riders (sensibly with covid in place, when off the bikes, we are asking all to wear masks and keep distance etc) and something came up as part of the discussion which I never really thought about. I was asked to lead, for reasons unknown to me. It's a large expat group and personally, I like to ride where the wind takes me. I don't create GPX routes even though I've got a mount for both my Gamin Zumo XT and phone (quad lock is amazing... Every bike should have it).

    Now, this divided the larger group (about 45 people), where a bunch of riders wanted to know the exact route to make sure it was something they wanted to do, and the other, pissing into the wind (the camp I fall into).

    Question here is, where do you fall? Personally, I will stick a location of where I want to end up in sat nav if I'm dead set on getting to a location but will rarely follow it unless the journey has a purpose. Such as 'I need to be there by X time'. Else wise, I just ride where looks fun and make a mental note of what was fun. But for the most part for weekend rides, I'll just view maps on the GPS and stick to a rough bearing. And even then, that's if I stick the GPS on.

    You?
     
  2. I usually have a route plotted on the nav, but am quite happy to be blown off course, or piss in the wind as you call it :) if a mate takes lead part way through and heads off down a different road that he knows. If I'm out on my own and just riding wherever and I come across a decent road then I'll check out the tracklog when I'm back home on the pc and then use that for future reference when plotting a route.
     
  3. Not a cat in hells chance of getting 45 people to stick to a plan, or keep together!

    I find any more than 3 or 4 people and it all turns to rat shit, I would just give everyone a copy of the route in whatever format and say we are meeting at destination X at 13:00 hrs for lunch and just hope for the best.

    I regularly ride with up to 9 in our group, we agree where the lunch stop is and what time,...then it turns into a free for all :D ..my mate leads out to the lunch stop and I lead on the way back, the less people in the group the faster you travel and I’m not talking about speed in mph, it’s just if a dozen of you stop to fill up at a garage you’ll be there 20 minutes, somebody will wander off for a piss, somebody will want a fag, somebody will have lost his keys, somebody will just have to call the missus, ...too many people and it turns into a farce !
     
    • Agree Agree x 6
  4. Oh fuck no, 45 is a rough group number of the whole online status. The amount tomorrow is about 15. It simply sparked the convo of riding free or on rails.
     
  5. In that case split the 15 into two groups, on rails or freestyle, just ensure the other group leader is trustworthy and agree destination and time to meet up, even so you’re bound to loose a few, you’ll all be out and riding that’s the main thing :upyeah:
     
  6. I would not lead. I barely like to follow! I am not saying I never do. Just for a ride in the mountains to kill time till lunch. Sure I will follow as I am never the fastest. BUT If there is an actual destination where we are all meeting later, then I dont generally follow I just ride.
    45 People? I would stay home.
     
  7. 15 sounds a lot to me. I max out around 4 or 5.
    I like what Poucher said, split the 15 into 2 groups, much more manageable.
     
    • Agree Agree x 4
  8. I remember a petrol stop in Switzerland taking 40 minutes for ten bikes. Only one pump and the garage would not let people fuel up until the last person had paid for their fill first.
    Bigger groups, no thanks. Someone will always piss about or be selfish and spoil things.3-4 max.
    I will follow a planned route when on holidays, having searched put specific roads linking start and finish between hotels. If I end up off piste. C’est la vie.
     
  9. Sounds exactly the reason I prefer to ride on my own. No questions, no whining, no worries about differing abilities. Yours truly, billy no mates here :)
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
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  10. Agree destination, lunch stop & times then ride. Some can break off, some will stay together. Make sure everyone has the cell phone numbers of other riders incase they get lost -if they don't have a Sat Nav.

    Then ride and enjoy. Many groups approaching 10 and all groups over 10 is like herding cats.
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
  11. Unless I really trust the leader, I always want to know. I don't want to find myself doing a tour of Cotswold villages at 30mph the whole way.
     
    • Agree Agree x 3
  12. I really don’t get the point of riding in groups, surely the point is freedom not being tied to the slowest rider or being over concerned with who’s where?

    Sack it off, get your bike out and head off to the mountains.
     
    #12 Carr01, Apr 17, 2021
    Last edited: Apr 17, 2021
    • Agree Agree x 5
  13. Meet points and destination, rough idea of route, just in case people fall off but if I’m not leading, why should I worry?!
     
  14. Wasn’t my fault the beemer couldn’t cope with my right wrist :p :bomb::joy:
     
  15. Personally, if I was leading I’d wing it but equally I’ve got friends who plan to the minutest detail and if they want to put the time into that I’ve got no problem to follow them. One thing is though I think paying more attention to a sat Nav or similar on a bike is quite a dangerous thing to do. There are enough things to have to focus on without adding a sat Nav as another IMO.
     
    • Like Like x 1
    • Agree Agree x 1
  16. I have crashed twice on the road. Both times I was leading friends and looking in my mirror when I should be looking where I’m going.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  17. I'd rather stick my willy in a wasps nest than have a ride out with 45 other bikers. Good luck mate! :upyeah:
     
    • Funny Funny x 1
    • Agree Agree x 1
  18. The only way I know of keeping 45 bikes together is to do what my local VMCC group do. (They had a name for it, but I forget what it was). The lead rider (in this case had a planned route and destination). At every junction the second rider would wait and point out the direction until all the riders had passed and would then join the back. this would repeat itself at every junction.You were not supposed to overtake so a little processional. Everyone followed the same route, but didn't need to know it in advance.

    It worked well until we had an incredibly slow rider (on a honda 400/4!). He would be so far behind the previous rider that the waiting rider would assume all had passed and rejoin. The ones behind the 400/4 would then get lost and have to find their own way to the destination.
     
  19. I really dislike the drop off system. In fact hate it.

    Much easier/better to have a tail end Charlie, and then everyone wait for the rider behind at junctions. It it’s a roundabout, always straight on or stop and wait for rider behind.

    This allows overtakes in the group, means people can ride at their pace, and none of this ‘is it my turn’ nonsense
     
  20. I’m one of a small number of mentors who work with club members wanting to lead (and back mark) a club run and for insurance purposes, are required to attend an in-house training day followed by an assessed ride. One thing this pandemic lockdown has highlighted, limiting the ride out to a maximum of 6 riders, helps the run flow much better and appears to be more engaging which helps maintain concentration levels. I have a feeling, in the club I ride with, group rides of 20 or 30 (and anything up to 48 !) riders are a thing of the past. Group rides seem to fall into two camps, the ones that want a purpose to the ride, like a visit to a museum or a particular place like Cheddar Gorge and the ones that just want to go for ride, anywhere, so long as it doesn’t involve motorways, dual carriageways and towns. My preferred method for the followers is the ‘buddy’ system, the rider behind you is your buddy, don’t lose sight of them. If you want to overtake, make sure the rider behind you can be seen by the rider you are overtaking. Being retired, I have the luxury of choice, ride with my friends, ride with my BFF or f*ck off on my own :D Andy
     
    #20 Android853sp, Apr 17, 2021
    Last edited: Apr 17, 2021
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