A 37 Mile POLAR BEAR, GROUP RIDE is nothing to sneeze at. Just happened the weather didn't co-operate and was unseasonably warm.

HOG Chapters setup these functions, sometimes months in advance, and that one was probably designed around much worse weather conditions than actually happened. We have done some P/B Rides here in PA when the temperatures were in the low teens, and that was a fun time.

Most P/B rides are just a short jaunt in nasty conditions, to appease the diehard, don't want to stop riding, riders.

 

It is still a short hop in cold weather. If you dress right for the cold, you you can ride all day. 37 miles is just not a "ride" in my book, it's a "hop". A ride in my book is what I did in November...Washington DC to Cumberland Maryland and back -- and the weather was in the 20's. You figure out the miles. And I was warm the entire time.

Just my opinion......

 

My chapter is very clichie, but everyone is very freindly, and welcomes anyone to hang out with them. I currently don't fit in with any one cliche, but I always find a couple of people to talk to on a ride. We have a Friday night ride every Friday, and if you want to double up on that, on Wendesdays the ride crew meets up at the dealer to ride the route and look for any dangers, now this isn't a "sponsered ride" but anyone can ride with them. Our Friday rides are anywhere from 30 miles to 100 miles (one way) and you can bring one freind to the ride. Its really awesome. then they have a bunch of other sponsered rides thoughout the year and at least 4 charity rides (average right around 1,000 bikes the last two I did.) these are in the range of 60 miles or so. I think you have answered you own question really, sounds like the chapter you are talking about is really interested in the social aspect of the chapter. Which hey, there nothing wrong with that. But it sounds like you like to do a little more riding, and meet some potential riding buddies. I suggest that you go to a few other chapter meeetings in your riding area, and talk to some of the folks that you run into and see what that chapter is all about. My chapter has aprox. 1,400 member, which can get a little crazy at times, we average about 70-80 bikes per Fiday night dinner rides. Some people think its too many, but its great that, that many people want to ride together Another suggestion for finding some riding buddies, is check the local hangouts. In my area (80 miles area) there are about 4 places that have a bike night on wednesday nighs
Good luck on your search for some riding buddies. I hope this helped.

 

Find other people to ride/socialize with. I've been riding for years, and the one thing that keeps me buying new scoots is the fact the wifey rides with me now that the kids are grown. This way if the whole HOG chapter was on the rag, I'm still good for a ride.

Seriously, find a different bunch to ride with.

 

All Hog chapters have rubs and rub cycles
that is why they are concidered Snob members

join national hog and be done with it

 

Yup, probably the same daywe left my place here in Pittsburgh and took a jaunt over to Altoona, State College,then on to York,back to Hagerstown, Cumberland, and then over the mountian home.(480 miles)21 degrees whenI left in the morning(0 dark30)and upper 50'sjust afternoon, and around 50 whenI got back around 7 pm.
I am just gladI had the storage space, to carry the extra clothes home. And it also was a great idea to drop down to 70 over by Hagerstown, and then run I-70 to I-68 to US Route 40.(much warmer)

 

Like people, there are no two clubs alike. I've belonged to many car clubs, as an example, there are three different Corvette clubs in our city and each one is totally different as far as what type of people they haveand attract, try different clubs before signing up. The only way that I have found acceptance in any club was to get envolved, participate, help with functions and soon I was more then welcome.

I personally try to stay away from manufacturer or dealer organized, sponsored clubs because I'm paranoid about thier agendas. I do not like the pressures implied by the club that their club's dealer isthe only place I should do my shopping, I have a bike for the freedom and independenceit provides me.I'm kind of burned out on clubs right now but probably willlook into some ofthese local independent clubs next.

 

I ain't evengetting the HAWG out of the pigpenfor a ride less than 500-600miles a day.........and "cold" is only a figment of the imagination.

 

"A ride aint a ride unless you burn a tank of gas"

 

Exactly.

There are some folks in the local chapter I don't want riding around the block with me let alone a longer ride. We have fair weather riders who won't go if it's "too cold" or "looks like it might rain" but we also have folks who will ride in anything except when there is snow and ice on the roads.

It took me about a year before I befriended and was accepted by the ones whos riding styles and tastes are similar to my own.

I would not have wanted them to make a big show of "welcoming me to the family" or some other phoney bull.

Out of 600 members there are about a dozen that I will ride with no questions asked, about another 30 or so that I feel comfortable with on group rides, and the rest are passing aquaintances (they are basically good hearted people but not someone I think about outside of HOG).