Friday Fun Poll: Are you willing to ride with idiots?

bradzdotcom · bradzdotcom's Garage

Sometimes on a ride, you end up getting stuck riding with (or near) an idiot.
It happens.
You plan this nice ride and somebody you know shows up with an idiot in tow.

What do you do?

gigantic · gigantic's Garage

Well, if the guy is riding totally out of control, errattic lines, unsafe passes, obnoxious behavior, stupid stunts, etc. I'm Audi! i'll tell the ride leader why I'm going first, & then take off. I've seen too much carnage from squidly behavior in the last year; I've personally lost two friends last season. One guy I barely knew, the other my best friend. I've got no taste for seeing any more, once my spider sense starts tingling, I'm splitsville!

Lance

roger albert · 03-03-2006, 09:12 AM

Best to bail. I either ride well away from them, or if they're truely bad, just bail entirely. I'm leaning that way towards rides with poorly maintained bikes. My fav group ride takes place once per year, and I've been able to complete it only 2 of the last 7. When you're the mech, you always get to stop and help/fix. Vintage bikes are cool. Vintage maintenance is not.

wswartzwel · 09:26 AM

Bail.... I don't want to be in the position of having to clean up at an accident, Nor do I like to be near the gravitational effects of Cop magnets... I have a spotless record with the law and hope to keep it that way.

I guess I can Re- cycle my answer from last weeks poll

Quote:

Originally posted by wswartzwel
Met a guy through my shop, and he wanted me to go riding with him. We met Sat. am. 8:00 On the way out of town he proceeded to try to impress me by doing wheelies through traffic, and passing with oncoming cars. He was quite erratic, and appeared to be on the edge of an accident. Weaving and overcorrecting. At the first stop sign on the outskirts of town I informed him that I had OTHER things to do and would not be able to go. I turned around and went home. I lost a customer, but kept my self respect. The ride lasted less than 4 miles.

wswartzwel · 03-03-2006, 09:29 AM

Oh, and thanks to Bradz and his crack team of professionals, for doing the poll every Friday.

bradzdotcom · bradzdotcom's Garage

yea ed, your last week piece is what made me think of this week's FFP.

i'm personally a second chance guy. there are no third chances.
of course my version of talking to the guy consists of "if i see you do that again, i will put you on your head and make it look like a mistake. Understand?"

and, unfortunately, it's often safer to be way behind the idiot, rather than attempt to outrun them. (a last minute change of course is nice too, if available).

i've been tagged from behind more often than i've been tangled in carnage from ahead. only drawback is that if you run in the back, you have to get involved in what you already knew was coming...

Rapid Dog · 03-03-2006, 10:39 AM

...hard to choose ebetween #2 and #4...hell, I rode with a buncha idiots just this weekend...

...jesskidding, there was only one...

Flatbutt1 · 03-03-2006, 10:54 AM

IF I ride with a group I ride sweep. I rarely do the group thing unless I know every pilot involved. If one shows up with a flea, then I sweep.

be_are_why · 03-03-2006, 11:08 AM

can't stand to clean up others mess.
99% of the time I ride hermit style, more relaxing, I go fast when it feels right and slow when I get fatigued or mentaly lazy, When on a group ride with unknown riders I'll always let the ride leader know if I'm gonna peel off early, hate looking for a knucke-head that just "disapears" ends up pissing off all the others over the knucke-heads" selfishnes.

JonyRR · 03-03-2006, 12:59 PM

'Bail.... I don't want to be in the position of having to clean up at an accident, Nor do I like to be near the gravitational effects of Cop magnets... I have a spotless record with the law and hope to keep it that way.'
yep
me too
too many squirrels nowadays
too many consequences of even being associated on the periphry of stupid fools.

foobeemer · 03-03-2006, 01:22 PM

Must be a Joisey thing....I like riding solo or as a pair most of the time. Groups can be very confusing and mentally fatiguing...staggering all the time, passing and reclaiming lanes around slower drivers, etc. I'm so busy trying to maintain etiquette that I have no time or tolerance for stunts!

Steve Carlton · 03-03-2006, 01:31 PM

Never really ridden with idiots, but I think I'd bail instead of giving second chances. I don't think leopards can change their spots.

acidburn · 03-03-2006, 02:49 PM

review the rules, put the idiot on notice, stay away, give a short distance to shape up, or crash out, then f- him off as necessary.

Jeff Williams · 03-03-2006, 02:52 PM

unfortunately I've ridden with idiots, not by choice.
I will talk to them and tell them what is not cool, then if they keep on I'll keep as far away as posible to stay away from the carmage that might happen or I'll leave the ride.
jeff

steve abella · 03-03-2006, 06:27 PM

Ride away, Ride away

no need to encourage adolescent hormonally driven behavior or be involved in the clean up
Awhile back Shannon had a post about a guy getting cleaned up by a car that really scared him

On my 1st AZ Sunday morning group ride (8 bikes) there were 2 guy who came on hyabusa (sp)with sidearms which made me a little uncomfortable ( I am a NRA life member) with brand new bikes and shinny tires....

They went 20 mph through the curves went to the rear of the group and then raced each other WOT on the straits and passed with me in the middle well in to triple digits

I took the next turn off and had a nice ride

SparkyBlue · 03-03-2006, 07:04 PM

I love to ride with my best friends here.

bradzdotcom · bradzdotcom's Garage

yea sparky, can't wait until you host a group ride....
you need to talk to that dude in the front though.
explain to him that long pants cause too much aerodynamic friction.
shorts, tank top and sandals...that's the way to go!
that's how the pros ride.

less weight, less drag, go faster.
everybody knows that!

at least they're not wearing helmets.
those dang things weigh about two pounds.
totally unacceptable!
and completely unnecessary.

personally, i like to ride with guys like that.
they're donors waiting for an opportunity and the suspense of "when" tickles me in my private place.

as one of my friends said of a fellow (famous) competitor: "He's a well-versed, bad experience awaiting a dance partner so they can get their names in the paper."

stage1scott · 03-04-2006, 08:53 PM

"and, unfortunately, it's often safer to be way behind the idiot, rather than attempt to outrun them. "

are you copying me, brad? I have ridden with em all, over the years, as have you-nowadays i just try to keep myself out of harms way and have fun. but i will turn off and go the other way if it gets stupid.

John Lyon · 03-05-2006, 10:33 AM

If a guy is basically competent, but just not abiding by the rules (the pace), I'll avoid him for the day. Probably avoid him next time by not going.

If there are incompetents there (bad lines in corners then WFO on straights), I'm outa there right now. Besides, what do you say to a guy like that a lunch?

pwillikers · 03-05-2006, 07:18 PM

If I didn't ride with idiots I'd have to stay home - all the time - especially on solo rides. My wife is busy watching Jon Stewart bomb as MC at the Oscars'. She tossed me outta the room 'cause I wouldn't stop making idiot comments. I hate the Oscars. What a bunch of self congragulatory twits. They're just actors for chrissake!