POLITE - Thank You for wanting to ride with me, I feel very honored, however it's not my day to die so I'll be riding by myself.
Bless You Heart or With All Due Respect make everything OK, doesn't it?

 

I had a big ride this summer with 3 other guys. 2 I knew very well since high school who I trust my life with, the third guy was a new rider tagalong who somehow talked one of my buddies into letting him go along. The guy was an accident waiting to happen and I was in fear that he would take one of us with him. I made it very clear to my buddy that that was the last time I ride with that dude.

 

Before you start the ride tell them "if we get separated lets meet up at the hotel". Then drop'em. Easy.

 

If you are planning on hanging out with them when you get to wherever you are going, then "Meet you at the hotel" should work fine.

 

Right to the point, you got to love it!

 

2 ways to do this, you just say you aren't comfortable riding in a group however small and don't elaborate or sometimes some just don't take the hint.

Be polite but direct with a " Sorry I have another agenda on this trip so it's solo time for me " and offer to hook later down the road or not.

I've had to get outright rude to some about not wanting to ride with them some people are just that dense, but look at it this way the fact they want ride you says they look up to you as someone with more experience than they have.

 

I usually just tell people the truth...that I prefer to ride alone...ride whatever speed I want to ride...stop when I want for as long/short as I want...eat where I want...basically just do my own thing at my own pace. I just tell them, "No offense, but I prefer to either ride alone or with old friends who I know ride like I do." I've never had anyone get pissed at me for being honest with them. And, if somehow I end up in a group with somebody who's gonna get me killed (it's happened), I'm gone immediately. If they want to question why later, I'll tell them why in no uncertain terms. I'd rather chance hurting someone's feelings than get run over by an 18 wheeler.


Had a neighbor/acquaintance weasel his way into riding with me and 4 old friends from Orlando to Daytona one time. He wasn't an experienced rider and his bike was a POS. Well, when his bike broke down about 3/4 of the way there, guess who got stuck with him...yep...me. I could have just left him there and rode off with my friends, but I wouldn't do that to a stranger let alone a neighbor. The whole day sucked. Learned my lesson.

 

Everyone should ride their own ride....

 

Plenty of good and bad tips/advice given so far but pretty sure you are smart enough to figure this out on your own. You know the person and we don't. Myself I like the meet you there approach. You can still be friends if you are concerned about hurting feelings. But better hurt feelings than the headache or worse of riding with someone that just pisses you off with their riding style. I just can't do group rides under most circumstances.

 

"I know from our previous rides that I like to ride faster than you. So I would love to meet you at the hotel, but I don't think our riding styles are compatible."

Even if he thinks you're mean, you get out alive. And with your British accent he'll think your nice anyway.

One thing I don't like about QOTR, is they are too nice. You can't be supportive of behavior that could get you killed or maimed, like riding 25 mph under traffic flow. Some of the best advice on HDF , initially hurt my feelings. I got over it.