Auckland ride to Cafe Ironique, a tribute to riders.

[Anonymous]

#1611

I hadn’t been for a ride with a group for a while. I have been involved in helping to plan and organise group rides for (far too) many years, and quite honestly just needed some time with my own bikes and the highway for a time.

I've managed to divorce myself from other clubs/groups of bikers recently, and set out for Papakura service centre in hopes of a ride where I didn't have to concern myself about the rest of the group - for me a holiday.

Dream come true.

Lead rider, Arne: good briefing, good pace, route, just the best. A route planner of evil genius. Papakura to Te Aroha, no stops, magic roads, four minutes short of time on target on arrival. I challenge anyone, in any vehicle, winged, wheeled, or all of the above, to match that.

Stephen, Tail End Charlie. A position so many riders in groups don't appreciate, and so important if s**t does happen. My computer still has a lesson plan for a workshop for Tail End Charlies resident on the drive - the first time I ever tried to 'indoctrinate' other riders about anything to do with ride safety. If it goes pear shaped, this is the person that will, nine times out of ten, assume control of whatever situation has arisen. I was impressed that there were a number of volunteers for the job at Papakura, instead of folk ducking for cover to avoid it.

T'other riders: good folks. No one trying to climb up my exhaust, no blow-by passing trying to scrape the paint off my tailcone, behaviour on corners to keep the ride together (second rider dropping out to mark corner, tucking in in front of TEC) rock solid. In short, courteous and cooperative. I just hope that the eleven hundy and moi met the rest of your high standard.

I would like everyone on that ride to give themselves a pat on the nose for their great company and courtesy, it was a very big change from some of the attitude and road behaviour I have experienced in other groups.
Gotta say that the pace was a bit quick for me in some patches, but that is a personal thing. I'm an ex-cocky, and an inveterate looker-over-of-hedges. Sometimes that habit and control of a motorcycle are mutually exclusive.

I made my own way home, following my nose, and once again verified that an R1100S is not the best choice of bikes for exploring off the tar-seal, but what the hell, if ya wanna know what's around the corner, well ya gotta go have a look, eh?

I am, for the time being, staying divorced from (any) club admin. I hope to join you on more rides, as time permits, but I've also gotta work on the problem of my five under-utilised kayaks! I can and do carry my body-surfing gear on a bike, but six and a half metres of sea kayak strapped to your panniers makes even a Bee-Em unstable.

[Dave Ross]

#5715

It was great seeing you at Ironique. We couldn’t get out of bed early enough to join the group ride. I’ve got to agree, Arne must know every road there is and I am constantly amazed where it gets us. I am looking forward to future rides.

Cheers,
Alex

[aegis4805]

#5716

Bwucie – I enjoyed the sentiments you expressed in your post – about consideration for each other and the responsibility assumed by tail end charlie. Like you I like to take in the scenery and ride with a margin for error.

Cheers Aslan

[Arne Rohde]

#5717

Thanks for the ride report and the kind words, Bwucie. And thanks for coming on the ride.

I must admit I'd taken the same route about a month previously, on a group ride to Waihi, and had timed it to 2.5 hours. And with the amount of traffic on those roads, the time is usually repeatable within a fairly narrow range.

It is also a big help when the ride leader and the tail-ender are in radio contact with each other. Steven (or Jim or Dave) lets me know when he arrives at a turn with a marker, so I have a feeling for how far the group is strung out. And I will usually inform the others with radios when we are approaching a non-obvious turn, or if there is any hazard on the road.

Some like to be informed of traffic coming the other way, but normally I don't do this, as riders should be far enough within their lane to avoid oncoming traffic. I do it occasionally on the twistiest parts of the route.

A couple of years ago I wrote a ride protocol for the group rides that I lead. Perhaps there is a more appropriate location to post it permanently, but here it is for anyone who may be interested.

---

Ride Protocol

1. Always ride at a pace you feel comfortable with. Do not try to keep up with the rider in front of you if you feel uncomfortable doing so, or if you feel the pace is too fast. Also, you are free to pass the rider in front of you if you feel the pace is too slow. But make sure you do so safely!!

2. You are always riding entirely at your own risk. Nobody else is responsible for the way you ride.

3. There is a designated ride leader and a designated tail-ender. Make sure you recognize them. The tail-ender will be the last rider in the group. The leader will usually be at the front of the group. However, you may pass the ride leader if you wish, and if you are sure you know the route the group will be following. Slow down or stop and wait for the group if you are in doubt, but if you get lost from the group then you have only yourself to blame.

4. If, for some reason, you want to leave the group and follow another route, make sure you let someone in the group know this. Preferably the ride leader or the tail-ender.

5. When the leader comes to an intersection, a fork, or a turn where the route is not obvious, he/she will point and mark the spot. The rider immediately behind the leader will stop at that point in a location which is safe, but where they cannot miss being seen by following riders, pointing the riders in the right direction. The marker can join the group as soon as the tail-ender is in sight, and it is obvious the tail-ender knows the direction to ride. The tail-ender will often wave to you when you can leave. DO NOT LEAVE until you have seen the tail-ender.

6. If the ride leader does not point and mark, or you reach a turn which might not be obvious to following riders, and where there is no marker already, you are welcome to stop and act as a marker at that turn. The ride leader is not necessarily infallible.

7. Always try to keep at least one rider behind you in sight in your mirrors. At least when you have a long, clear rear view. If the riders behind you fall back too far, slow down, and the rider in front of you will also slow down when you drop out of view, and so on.

8. Do not follow too closely behind the rider in front of you. Always follow (at least) the 2-second rule. Many riders feel uncomfortable having someone right on their tail.

9. On straight stretches or motorways, if riding close together in a group, ride in a staggered formation, with every second rider towards the left side of the lane and every other rider to the right side of the lane. This gives you more space ahead for braking in an emergency.

10. Enjoy your ride. It is not a competition.

[Jim Young]

#5718

Great write up Brucie and it was a pleasure to have you with us and hope to see you again.
Most of us on that ride with you do ride together every week and it is a pleasure to ride with people of a like mind and who are great company and will look after each other and we are lucky inasmuch as we always have someone who will step up to lead the ride or be tail end charlie.
In saying that of course we do tend to get Arne to do it as he knows every road around and does a lot of pre planning and riding the route before leading a ride.
There has been many a time when I have been a member of that tribe you mentioned and then suddenly we will arrive at the destination spot on time.
See you on another ride soon.

Cheers

Jim

[Peter Nash]

#5719

Thanks Brucie….. as Jim said “Great Write Up” looking forward to ride with you again 🙂

[Tharon KNOETZE]

#5720

[Jim Young]

#5721

Thats clever, I can’t even add one photo to the web site !!!!!!!!!!!!

Great pics 🙂

[Dave Ross]

#5722

Youngjim wrote:

Thats clever, I can’t even add one photo to the web site !!!!!!!!!!!!

Great pics 🙂

Jim, do you know how to upload photos to photo bucket?



To copy left click to highlight first and then right click to copy.

Hope this helps.

[Jim Young]

#5723

Thanks for that Alex, I will give it a go sometime

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