Group Riding: Part 1 – Choose Your Riders Wisely

This is Part 1 of a series dedicated to dissecting “Group Riding” with the emphasis being on sport bikes and sport riding. Please note that I am (now) sensitive to the growing female rider population and when I use “him”, “his”, or “guy” only, it is solely because I suck at typing. Please consider those terms not gender specific.

To kick off this series on Group Riding, I figure it makes sense to start with the most important: Choosing Your Riders. I use the word CHOOSE purposely because there should be a conscious choice made for the group you ride along side. In that are two key characteristics I look for when I choose people to ride with – Humble & Smart.

Sidebar #1 – Still Meet People: I am in no way suggesting that you only ride with people you know prior. I have met some of the best riders by simply hooking up for a ride. My suggestion is to use the “Trust but Verify” philosophy. I’ll ride with anyone once. Afterwards, I choose to ride with them again. End Sidebar #1

HUMBLE
This falls right into being a smart rider, but is so important that it deserves more depth. Having humility when you’re riding is essential, but difficult given the potential ‘red mist’ lurking around the next corner. Being able to admit to yourself that there is always, ALWAYS someone faster than you is vital to being humble. There is doubt that being passed in the mountains is a blow to the Rossi in all of us, but as we all saw in the ‘05 Laguna Seca MotoGP, even Rossi ‘knows when to say when’. Even worse is when a guy on a ‘86 Nighthawk 650 blows by you. Bottom line – it happens.

There is no worse reaction to being passed then to exceed your limits trying to hang with the faster guy. That is not to say trying to hang for a turn or two to learn his line, etc. and backing off at your limit is a bad thing. Its when you ride over your ability due to insult that usually results in poor judgment and in many cases a wreck. Remember, there is no checkered flag or Umbrella Girls with champagne at the end of your favorite road. If you absolutely need something to race, try the clock.

Similarly, allowing yourself to be ‘pushed’ by a faster rider behind you is equally as dangerous (actually…probably more dangerous). The reasons for doing so are the same: ego. The result is less concentration on what’s ahead and more on what’s behind you. Aside from police, nothing behind you matters as far as your head is concerned. The only time I ever check my mirrors is when I hear someone else’s exhaust or sirens – I pull to the side for both. Again, its hard to do, but if you have a guy faster than you on your heels, wave ‘em by. You will have a better ride and they will too.

RULE #1: There is always someone faster than you. If they pass you at speed, let them go. If they push you from behind, let them by. Do this and everyone involved will have a better, safer ride.

The second part to being humble is not talking smack around the campfire. I say this tongue and cheek because of my Northern Georgia riding days at the Two Wheels Only Motorcycle Resort in Suches, GA. I always took the approach of the fly on the wall when groups were meeting for the first time over a beer and a blaze. At the end of the first night, I knew who was going to crash by the week’s end…and my predictions were pretty accurate. When you talk crap, you set expectations (likely false). If you need to set false expectations to impress others, chances are you lack the humility to either let faster guys go or let faster guys by.

RULE #2: Leave the trash talking and self-promoting to the NBA. Even though all of us are world champions in our own mind, take that to the grave. Creating false impressions / expectations is a sure way to ride over your head and crash. Just think how cool you will look the next morning manning the tents as the rest of us leave.

The final part to my definition of humility is in regards to giving “riding faster” advice. In general, I try to avoid it. While everyone should help each other, we all have our own unique riding style, comfort, and ability. I do not want to be responsible for giving advice that is too advanced or beyond the rider’s comfort zone. Generic things like vision improvement (looking through the turn) for someone who is looking directly in front of the bike are great. Do so and guess what – they go faster without ever instructing them to go faster. On the other hand, “I think you should increase your entry speed into turns” is probably not good advice. Its always a case-by-case judgment when giving advice, especially when its usually sought by newbs. That is where great care is needed to consider their ability.

RULE #3: Leave the “riding faster” advice alone. Try and stick to the non-mechanical side of riding: vision, comfort, etc. If you really want to give performance advice, preach baby steps and emphasize their personal comfort zone. There is nothing worse then having a buddy crash because he was not ready to ride as fast as you both thought.

SMART
Given the choice of only one characteristic, I will take a smart rider over a fast one any day. A smart rider is the combination of many things: Humble, consistent, reliable, and yes…conservative among others. Even though each person’s definition is probably different, we all know what being a smart rider is. I spent almost a whole day on a sport bike road trip with a novice. She was smart. I knew that when we came to the tight stuff, I could disappear without regard for her well-being (in her control) because I knew she didn’t ride over her head. I’d wait at the end of the stretch, and every time she appeared…go figure. She rode very consistent and it made my ride more enjoyable by being worry-free.

A reliable rider can lead a group or follow. If you are leading a group, you must think for the group (stop at major turns, etc). If you are not leading, don’t think…just follow. A smart group will already have the faster guys out front so nobody’s ride is bogarted by lapped traffic. It is that simple.

Reliability is also an issue that deals with the man and machine separately. I am picky when it comes to this: Do we need to stop for a smoke or bathroom break every 45 minutes? Is everyone’s bike in good running condition? There is no bigger buzz-kill then riding with a guy who knowingly has a faulty or even questionable bike. Being roadside with the limited tools / options is no fun for anyone. Multiply the downtime by the number of people to get the true lost riding time.

And finally, smart riders should be a little conservative. Quite often on road trips, new twisties are discovered and the ‘lap’ record shouldn’t be attempted the first time through. This idea also includes the routine (read: all the time) top speed runs on the longer straightaways between turns, passing on the blind double yellow, multi-gear wheelies, and all the other unnecessaries that draw unwanted attention to the group.

RULE #4: Each person has to figure out what a SMART rider is (at least include the above definition of humble) and surround yourself by them. Your group will have high quality, trouble free rides and trips likely without any surprises.

Sidebar #2 – Expanding Your Group: I can provide two pieces of advice from my experiences in group riding. It is probably best to introduce new guys one at a time to your group if possible. One person can be managed fairly easy and its the best way to see if he ‘plays well with others’.

Second, take it from my firsthand experience, but not everyone on a forum is as they seem. The real version of a forum member (or whatever) does not always meet expectations of the perceived electronic version. If at all possible, ride with him prior to taking a road trip together regardless of how well you get along online. Ask me how I know. End Sidebar #2

Sidebar #3 – Riding With Racers: I will probably take some heat for this, but not all racers are good in the mountains. I often find that their track experience and technique(s) aren’t practical for the street. For example, trail-braking is great for the track, but it takes better judgment and more reservation on the street because you have fewer alternate options if you overcook a turn. Second, throw some obstacles at a track guy, and often they cannot cope. Have a bus cross a double yellow with the back end, have a blind decreasing radius turn thrown at you, have a boulder in the middle of the road. Tracks do not have unknowns after the first lap or two, that cannot be said for the mountian twisties where all that is in sight is part of the next turn. And finally, by the very nature of racing, “racers” are fast. The problem is that they know it…and too often need to prove it. See the definition of Humble. End Sidebar #3