Bear with me on this one because I need to vent to fellow riders that can understand.

My wife went down this weekend and I feel I should have done something to prevent it and want to share these thoughts.

We swore off group riding a while back. It was fun back in the day when we were wilder and crazier but now we're old and just love riding together, the two of us alone. This past weekend we got invited to ride with some old friends that we hadn't seen in a long time who are excellent riders and we elected to go. As it turns out they have put together an annual ride that has grown to 30+ bikes only 4 of which we know and trust to ride with. We elected to continue with the group and that was a bad decision.

The ride was uneventful until the third leg of the ride which was through a difficult and narrow canyon which she and I have ridden before with no issue. As we reached the end of the canyon two of the aggressive self proclaimed ride captains decided to work their way to the front of the pack to stop traffic once we got to the intersecting highway. They had made this move (dangerously) several times in the first 2 segments of the ride when we were in the flat lands however, they were not good enough riders to do so in this tight canyon. That didn't prevent them however from one getting in between us and trying to push me while the second tried to push her.

We moved to right several times to let them go by but they were not good enough riders to negoiate the move. We then came into a steep deceding left hander that fell away with a cattle guard in the apex of the corner. ******* #1, ahead of my wife freaked, jammed on the brakes and forced her to the outside. She stood the bike up to get over the cattle guard and then ran out of real-estate and went down in a rocky ditch.

When I lost sight of her out of the following corner I got turned around knowing that something had happened. I found her unconsious with the bike on top of her. ******* #2 that was behind her, continued riding and was waving at me as I went the other way, I guess to say "hey your wife is all ****ed up but I have to get to the stop sign and stop traffic". ******* #1 had no clue what happened behind him and went on his merry way.

The good news is that the ole bird (love of my life) is fine. A little bruised, sore and scratched up but on the mend. I did however have to slap her around a bit to get her to quit sleeping in the middle of the highway. All kidding aside, it scared the living **** out of me. We straighten the bike enough to get it down the road and she rode it 50 miles home an hour later.

The bad news is that her pride and joy Deluxe is bent up pretty bad but that is what insurance is for and it can be fixed and that's my current project because the boss wants it back on the road now!

Moral of the story:

When ******* #1 split us up and I could tell he was aggressive and couldn't ride worth a ****, I should have taken serious action by just coming to a stop since there was no where to pull over and forced him and ******* #2 around both of us.

Don't let others in a group influence the way you ride. Ride your own ride!

Thanks for the rant!

 

Good post. Another good reason that I ride alone. I only ride any distance with one other rider and that is my son. Glad your wife is OK and anxious to get back on that horse. A very good sign (and a very good woman).

Ride safe, ride YOUR ride.

 

Excellent post and good advice. Glad your wife is OK.

 

The same reason I swore off on Group Rides, too many idiots that THINK they know what they are doing, but can't do it.

Wife and I now ride with no more than 2 other couple, whom we know well, and are all excellent riders.

 

Glad to hear your wife is okay and is willing to get back on the scoot. Great advise on the group rides. Thats why I would rather be last bike in a group. Hope the insurance company comes through for you guys.

 

I like riding with groups, ill ride with just about any group, but i tend to always try and bring up the rear myself. but i can ride anywhere in a group and get along fine...if i go slow those behind me are more than welcome to move ahead of me, i will bring up the rear. Them guys would have known my anger at them, but more than likely i would have broke off from the pack first time i seen #1 and #2 being stupid.

Im glad your wife is OK, get her bike fixed and stay away from those people.

 

The older I get the more room I want on the road. I hate it when someone keeps coming up beside me and the reason I ride alone most of the time.

Hope your wife heals with minimal pain and the best of luck.

Charlie D.

 

Great post. Ride your own ride is good advice. If you find yourself in a group situation that feels uncomfortable, well, you know the way home. I've pulled out when people get crazy. Nothing wrong with that.

 

Very glad the wife's ok and kudos on your handling of the whole thing , don't think I would have reacted so well catching up with the twin idiots later . Always go with first instinct concerning riding very rarely does it prove wrong .

 

Glad your missus is okay. And hafta agree with the others- your post illustrates exactly why I ride alone most of the time.