Arkansas Ride Reports

[OLEARY]

Originally Posted by NateLePain

The fog didn't really improve until after noon. I finally took my glasses off and closed my shield, which made navigating a lot easier. Off course keeping up with the speed demons was the biggest challenge.

nlp

Actually I chose to ride sweep just so if you did get separated from the guy ahead of you, I could pick up on ya. I got separated from the pack myself because I was having a hard time seeing. You are right about seeing better without glasses. I did that on the way back and it was much easier to see. Anyway, I got to thinking, if you took a wrong turn I wouldn't have come up on you. Good thing you stayed close.

[DrLewall]

I would hope that if any of you guys bail out of a ride that you let someone know you bailed..would really hate to call Search and Rescue only to have them waste their time looking for a lost sickle rider when he is already at home watching the evening news! It has happened before and it really sux! So let someone on the ride you are with know that you are pullin out so we don't think you are out there layin in a ditch somewhere in da woods!

[10Cup]

I like to ride with a "system" in place. Everyone has the route and a GPS, or is responsible for a rider that doesn't.

Doesn't matter who is leading if you don't see the riders headlight behind you or he doesn't show at the next corner you wait five minutes. If no show you "track back" to find if he is down, has mechanical problems or what ever. IF someone goes off route (happens to all of us) when you discover your off route you stop and "track back" to the route and then join the route.

This way someone can find you (providing you don't ride several miles off route before you catch it).

The one thing that really chaps my ass is when someone decides NOT to track back to the route and just keeps on going. This leaves the rest of us on the ride spending the next 30 minutes to whatever worried and back tracking looking for the lost rider. Then if we don't find the lost rider a decision has to be made......most likely there will be no cell service so you then have to turn around and ride the original route until you get cell service or come to a town to be able to check for messages, call their home etc..........VERY inconsiderate, VERY unsafe way to ride. You want to bushwack a new route, fine do it when your not in a group ride. After all the group ride is fun but is also for safety.

Whew..........feel much better now with that off my chest.........sorry for the rant.

[DrLewall]

AMEN!

Originally Posted by 10Cup

I like to ride with a "system" in place. Everyone has the route and a GPS, or is responsible for a rider that doesn't.

Doesn't matter who is leading if you don't see the riders headlight behind you or he doesn't show at the next corner you wait five minutes. If no show you "track back" to find if he is down, has mechanical problems or what ever. IF someone goes off route (happens to all of us) when you discover your off route you stop and "track back" to the route and then join the route.

This way someone can find you (providing you don't ride several miles off route before you catch it).

The one thing that really chaps my ass is when someone decides NOT to track back to the route and just keeps on going. This leaves the rest of us on the ride spending the next 30 minutes to whatever worried and back tracking looking for the lost rider. Then if we don't find the lost rider a decision has to be made......most likely there will be no cell service so you then have to turn around and ride the original route until you get cell service or come to a town to be able to check for messages, call their home etc..........VERY inconsiderate, VERY unsafe way to ride. You want to bushwack a new route, fine do it when your not in a group ride. After all the group ride is fun but is also for safety.

Whew..........feel much better now with that off my chest.........sorry for the rant.

[wayno]

Not trying to start shite but how long should a person wait? I say this because too many times no one has showed in reasonable time ...some of this is for my futher exploits in Arkansas. Also may be the reason I ride alone alot Weve all been on both sides of the fence Im sure.

Maybe they just wanted to lose me

Good info!!

[DrLewall]

I try to mention in my ride briefings that 5 min is a resonable wait..ALSO, after that 5 minutes, you back track to the last KNOWN intersection (where you last saw a rider in your group) and there you WAIT no matter how long it is cause that where you will be found!

If everyone is traveling at pace, usually the wait is no more than 2 minutes..anything longer than five is either a mechanical issue or an accident, or even lost, thus is why you back track to investigate. If you do not come up on anything, then you continue to that last known intersection..because, it is possible that the first intersection you were waiting at was the WRONG ONE! Thus the last KNOWN intersection is where you wait until someone comes back to you.

[DRZ Charlie]

Originally Posted by 10Cup

.I would have complained but well they had guns.

Why didn't you speak up, I could have "armed" us from my tank bag. ( FYI -I only carry so I can put whomever is injured the worst out their missery).

[10Cup]

Originally Posted by DRZ Charlie

Why didn't you speak up, I could have "armed" us from my tank bag. ( FYI -I only carry so I can put whomever is injured the worst out their missery).

[DrLewall]

Originally Posted by DRZ Charlie

Why didn't you speak up, I could have "armed" us from my tank bag. ( FYI -I only carry so I can put whomever is injured the worst out their missery).

I hope you bring enuff for everyone cause I aint sharing mine!

[joenuclear]

Originally Posted by DrLewall

I try to mention in my ride briefings that 5 min is a resonable wait..ALSO, after that 5 minutes, you back track to the last KNOWN intersection (where you last saw a rider in your group) and there you WAIT no matter how long it is cause that where you will be found!

If everyone is traveling at pace, usually the wait is no more than 2 minutes..anything longer than five is either a mechanical issue or an accident, or even lost, thus is why you back track to investigate. If you do not come up on anything, then you continue to that last known intersection..because, it is possible that the first intersection you were waiting at was the WRONG ONE! Thus the last KNOWN intersection is where you wait until someone comes back to you.

Of course even the most knowledgeable of us sometimes forget. Right Doc?

I got him again Charlie.

[mouthfulloflake]

I recall similar rules in the cub scouts.

I am really not anti-social, but, I like to ride at my own leasure, and pace, and stop when I want, go fast when I want, turn left, right, or U turn when I like.

I like to follow people and learn to go places, and explore new places with folks and share the neat stuff.

But the typical leapfrog, formation, on any familiar roads is less than entertaining to me.

hmm maybe I am anti-social, ive enjoyed riding alone, more and more.

I cant keep up with Charlie, or Elvis without scaring myself ( especially on gravel)

I am not good at changing flats so I cant ride with Doc.

Terrascout is too nice to run off and leave me, but he is yawning, texting, and doing his nails when he rides behind me.

maybe Ill just get a minivan

[joenuclear]

Originally Posted by mouthfulloflake

I recall similar rules in the cub scouts.

I am really not anti-social, but, I like to ride at my own leasure, and pace, and stop when I want, go fast when I want, turn left, right, or U turn when I like.
Helmet to helmet communication with a like minded rider [ I'm thinking Ted] would be worth exploring Matt. Of course they might want to stop where you don't and then you would know if you really are anti-social.

I like to follow people and learn to go places, and explore new places with folks and share the neat stuff.

But the typical leapfrog, formation, on any familiar roads is less than entertaining to me.

hmm maybe I am anti-social, ive enjoyed riding alone, more and more.

I cant keep up with Charlie, or Elvis without scaring myself ( especially on gravel)

Your GS is awfully big to charge hard on these gravel roads.

I am not good at changing flats so I cant ride with Doc.

Don't you have tubeless tires? Plug it and pump it up. You should be gone before Doc can show his butt crack.
Terrascout is too nice to run off and leave me, but he is yawning, texting, and doing his nails when he rides behind me.

He's back there so he can watch the crash. He really likes that!

maybe Ill just get a minivan

I thought you already had one.

Anyway, If you're up at 12:25 AM in a cheap motel room dodging cats and in-laws while drinking cheaper beer.......... Happy Thanksgiving!

[dirty_sanchez]

Originally Posted by DRZ Charlie

Why didn't you speak up, I could have "armed" us from my tank bag. ( FYI -I only carry so I can put whomever is injured the worst out their missery).

Very kind of you. But what next?

We do the same thing down here, but we start a roux afterward.

Nothing goes to waste.

Dirty

[DRZ Charlie]

Originally Posted by dirty_sanchez

Very kind of you. But what next?

We do the same thing down here, but we start a roux afterward.

Nothing goes to waste.

Dirty

We leave em for the Turkey Buzzards round here..... Oh, and we hit 911 on the guys SPOT so the family can pick up the bones.

[ozarkrider]

Originally Posted by dirty_sanchez

Very kind of you. But what next?

We do the same thing down here, but we start a roux afterward.

Nothing goes to waste.

Dirty

Everything starts with a roux. Took my Yankee wife almost 3 years to understand my cooking madness.