Last weekend , saw 25 riders show for a quick blast before our agm..we selected 2 mountain pass roads, up one, a break at the top and then down the other. Most riders there know this pass like the back of our hands. From the town at the top its 25 km to the bottom. I envisage it would in the same vein as the tail of the dragon. 10 riders broke away rarther quickly. One cage was overtaken at the top, of the pass and none were come across till the bottom. But needless to say most of the time 10 bikes were crammed into a spot, no more than 30 metres apart around 90 feet. To say it wasn't fun...would be a lie. It was. Hindsight sees potential danger in the action. One bike loses it.up front.and 10 are down. Yet as bike riders we all take the ability of everyrider for granted. Gougin scrapin and running wide on some bends...plus other rice rockets coming up...where does fun cease..and potential danger take it place?

when ya know at that moment you don't belong there, or ya start to question what the hell am I doing

True, but caught in the moment who thinks that way...hindsight is a blessing..not thought of in the rush of th moment.

LAST TWEED RUN JONESY I WAS FEELING SHIT..I WASNT RIDING AT MY BEST..I PUSHED WITH THE FRONT RUNNERS FOR A WHILE AND IT WAS A BAD FEELING..I JUST PULLED UP AND TAILED OFF..THAT DAY I DIDNT FEEL I WAS RIDING WELL AND KNEW IF I KEPT PUSHING THE F%CK UP WAS GONNA BE A BLOODY RIPPA..LIKE OLD CLINT SAID" A MANS GOTTA KNOW HIS LIMITATIONS"..JUST GLAD IM OLD AND WISE ENOUGH NOW TO KNOW WHEN TO PULL MY HEAD IN...CHEERS BOOF

yeah boof I know what that is like Sundays ride was a rare moment for me these days...brakes were steaming...lol.

Scary scenario.

My friends laugh & it's a big joke that I lead our rides from the rear. I'm not a speed demon. I plan out the roads & stopping spots where we regroup. I never want to hold up riders that want to go balls to the wall, but I also don't want to pick up the pieces(mine in particular by trying to keep up).

Good judgement especially on group riders requires planning, meet spots & if several people, a spirited ride group & a more mellow group(Usually those riding 2 up & me LOL).

I have also had moments where I took off on my bike only to turn around & say NOPE not today. Glad those uncomfortable days are few & far between but when they do happen LISTEN TO YOUR SELF!

fun or outright stupidity?

YES!

That little voice I used to argue with, is now the one I listen to the most. A few years ago, it hit me that voice was my own, asking WTF are you doing?  It got it's wisdom from years of trial and error. I have learned to listen to it when it has something to say.

Medic
Ride Smart and Live Long!!

Given age and experience, I no longer have the need to prove myself to others on the road. No disrespect intended Jonesy. I rarely ride extreme challenges anymore and never with riders that I do not know well. Bikes tend to bring out the macho in risk takers like boats bring out the dreamers in humans.

I never take offence to anything written..I wrote this because most times now I'm at the back shaking my head, at what i see, up front. Sunday I proved something to myself and a few others. I can go back to being the ol coot up the back again. The hardest part in life is admitting you are getting older, and can't do what you once found as easy as breathing.

When you are sliding across the asphalt and watching your bike go flying off the side of the mountain is not the time to think "maybe I should have slowed down for that corner..."

But then again, you can laugh in the face of death, or die trying!

You sound exactly like my wife. She refused to lead, but she controls the pace from the rear.
Sometimes I just say, "see ya at home" and go.

Being older and hopefully wiser I have certainly learned that I no longer have to prove anything to anyone; except maybe "how" to stay alive. People say "you're only as old as you feel" and I really hate that saying. I may not FEEL old but damnit, I can't play shortstop anymore. !!!! :>)

Peace

There Ya Go.....  .....Especially the bits about .....  "NEVER WITH RIDERS THAT I DO NOT KNOW WELL"  .....

...and ..... "BIKES TEND TO BRING OUT THE MACHO IN RISK TAKERS"  ..... 


Well now... I race ... I race on roads ... I do pinks type racing on public streets ... and yeah sure, we all know the risks of doing that sort of thing..... But thats all one on one stuff on roads we close off.....


But when it comes to a rideout with the crowds I hang with ... If I start riding around a quarter mile away from you then you know you will never be invited to ride with ME again!!!   We ride staggered keeping an effective distance between sides and one in front, everyone in the crowd rides along the Military or Police style of riding...so IF I come riding with any of you guys over there at any time, know this, if I am riding with you I feel I can trust your riding...If I am aways behind you then you can take it to the bank that I will not be riding with you again.....lol.....and of course, I EXPECT YOU to do the same if you dont like my style of riding, I ride like a London ENGLAND Motorcycle Cop.....


We go riding as a bunch because we like who we are and where we go and all ride the same style...relaxed and chilled and enjoying the ride for what it is.....

Yeah, its all down to the guys you ride with, I been riding with the same few friends for 20+ years now and we all know each others style no matter who leads out...we can ride up to 80mph with only a few yards between us, I would near enough know what the guy in front is going to do next just by the way he might move his head and same for him with me... if one hits the dirt..then shit will happen, but if you think that way, you'd never leave the house, and people will always say thats lunacy ! but as we say in Ireland... " fck 'em if they can't take a joke"

Funny how those who ride profess the desire for safety n responsible driving, yet from my own experience you have to push the envelope at times to survive some hairy situations out on the road.

Like being caught in the middle of impromptu road race between two sportbike riders coming down a twisty back road,and nearly being pinched off between the two of them when we closed up at the turn,it happened so fast all I had time was for a quick tug of the brakes n downshifting hard,the rider on the inside line nearly clipped me,at 40+ if we had met it would have been ugly real quick..yet I didnt lose my kool kept on down the mountain n saw them parked at a tunrout,we gave each other a wave n I kept on my way,yeah I was upset to some degree yet I realized we all carry a wild riding hair thats tucked away somewhere,usually brought out with good riding friends,or some lonely back road where a hard twist of the throttle is all the entertianment ya need to satisfy that urge...
any club riding demands extra care,yet your still going to git wild at times even in front of friends..just make sure one of your riding buddys dont pay for your antics ; )