I joined an on-line group for riders a couple of weeks ago. I quit a few days ago. First clash came when an older guy , cool shades and leather jacket, decided that anyone with a GPS wasn’t a real rider. You know the “I’m hardcore because I use a map” type. Well if you are real hardcore, why not use wooden wheels and sit on a brick?
It really is a load of tosh and just a means of elevating oneself at the expense of others. Of course point this out and you become the git.
Next, a new rider came on. 1000cc bike and 2,000 miles of experience, and wanting to know about cornering. The more experienced members of the site offered a number of views, then I simply asked, “are you using counter steering?”
“Never heard of it. But I gave it a go and I’d not want to do it at any speed. I’ve done 2,000 miles and not needed it though”.
“Well if we are ever in a group ride, can you let me know, because I don’t want to ride with you in front of me, or behind”.
You’d have thought I’d called him a Kiddie fiddler, or said his mother was a whore.
All hell broke out on the thread.
How dare I. Give him his passport and get him out of here. Who does he think he is calling us all lesser riders.
It seemed that once one particularly challenged individual thought there was in some way a reference to her (of course there hadn’t been, it must just have been a projection of inadequacy), a swathe of women became involved. Not pleasant. One in particular had a structured debate style that consisted of, “No”. “No” “No”. Well done for being so persuasive and eloquent in the reply. At least brevity was a factor that was much appreciated as the txt stile mssiges uzally uz’d was evn more anoyin. Why do people use text style shorthand in this manner, to look young and trendy, or to hide an inability to structure sentences, or is this the way their minds are working?
I went on to point out that, even with the highly inadequate US training that I’d learned to deliver, counter steering was a part, so, that it wasn’t used in the UK was a concern and where my safety was concerned, it was imperative to me, that I reduce risks as much as possible, so, when a 1,000cc rider hits the first bend feeling uncomfortable with “nudging the bars” (a term used in the argument, which in-of-itself shows a lack of understanding of the process) would only lead inevitably to the novice rider standing the bike up and T-boning whoever was in front of them, as they straight lined their 1000cc bike.
It quickly became obvious that this site only had a few capable riders and a whole bunch of “lifestyle” folk and certainly not people who I’d feel comfortable riding with, or even near. Sit them in a camp site getting p!ssed and wearing leather and that was their escape from humdrum mundanities, and that’s fine for them but not what I was looking for. Each to their own.
Rather than continue to bother with these people I left the site immediately…who needs that sort of bother, reaction and ignorance? Not me.
Two weeks earlier I had ridden out with two groups. One was the GS group, the other a local group of mixed bikes.
The mixed bike group may have individually been able riders, but as a group there were three that were shockingly thoughtless. Over taking just as the road narrowed, closing gaps when overtaking other vehicles and letting your wife get off the bike at the car park entrance so she can get into the ice cream queue first, while leaving all the riders behind stuck out on the road, in a single lane, because of road works, which were operating on traffic lights, so we were stuck blocking people behind us and when the lights changed, those coming towards us too.
I left that group eating their ices, to ride alone.
The GS riders, far better, far more of a unit and it’s not just the brand as most had other models of bike too. It was that the riders all had each other in mind and acted accordingly. They showed a discipline to riding responsibly, fast and enjoyably, but responsibly.
I guess that’s the key, ride within your limits, have respect for those around you and if that means learning the skills required to ride competently before you join a group, then that’s what you should do. Because if you don’t, it’s the ultimate in arrogance and selfishness and you may not only make yourself a statistic, but also add someone else to the rta list.
And those who feel pointing this out isn’t supportive, think again. If all the authorities need is sufficient data to limit motorcycling, then by pointing it out, I’m supporting all those who treat riding responsibly and cherish their ability to have two wheels on the road to such a degree that they train, they learn and they don’t believe 2,000 or 1,000,000 miles means they’ve stopped learning.
And to the folk riding in the BM Online group and the Waterloo based group, please remember that being ignorant may not result in you having an accident, it may not cause those around you to have an accident, but when the statistics dictate that you end up paying more for your insurance or have the cc of your bike restricted, or find that motorcycling is made more difficult to enter because the test is made more stringent, so fewer riders come through, so fewer bikes are sold, so manufacturers put the cost of machines up, that it’s behaviour and attitudes that you’ve displayed that are a big part of that…so thanks a lot!