Alone or in groups?

[Scout63]

Do you prefer riding alone or in groups?  I absolutely love getting together with other riders and talking about and looking at bikes. But when it comes time to get on and ride, I’d much rather be alone.  I don’t like adjusting my pace to others and having to mutually make decisions about stops, food, speed etc.  I also need to trust my riding partners, which is impossible until you know them well. In the dirt I do like riding with others.  Go figure.

[Huzo]

I’ve done 100,000 km in Europe on my own with the Norge and have never been “alone”. If you tour with the same people, all that happens is you talk the same crap in a different part of the world.
Touring solo is just that little bit more…”scary”.
Oh and the other 100,000k ?
That was in Australia and the better half of that was solo too, if you go on your own you don’t have to kiss anyone’s ass to keep them happy.
Just you and the bike…
This was about as “alone” as I ever felt.

[Jack Straw]

I'm a loner by preference.....and sad experience.

[AJ Huff]

I don't know anybody so it's always solo.

-AJ

[JJ]

Solo or small groups for me these days, 4-5 max...

[spmoto]

Another loner here. Years ago when we lived in Maryland we/I used to do an occasional group ride and campout with the MD /DC group. All in all good experiences, but, large groups and riding in formation was never relaxing. Some of my favorite motorcycling memories, though, are two-up cross-country with my bride. I remember, like it was yesterday, riding the Blue Ridge parkway at a leisurely pace and realizing that I wasn't making any steering inputs what-so-ever. When we stopped at an overlook later on I thanked Chia for getting us there safely. She hadn't been aware that she had been involved. Like dancing on two wheels!
Steve M

[usedtobefast]

Mostly ride alone, but that due more to no idea when I am going to take off and how long I'll ride.  Not like on Monday, I know that Wed between 1:00-400 I'm going for a ride.

For group rides, I think 3 is a great number.  For long rides I think an even number works for hotel room sharing (so 4 guys, 2 rooms kind of thing). 

I tend to not like electronic gadgets, but a buddy kept pestering me to get one of those helmet communicators (a Sena 10 in our case), I did, and it actually does make things better.   

For larger group rides, and people I don't really know well, every one I have done has been very problematic.  Probably around 60% have had someone crash.  99% have had people show up really late.  100% have been challenges at lunch stops (table for 14 please).   So I tend to avoid these if possible, but every once and a while I get pulled into one ... so mentally I think of it as a social event and we may get to ride our motorcycles for a wee bit.   

And my social etiquette is off ... example, 2 guys where I worked (knew them fairly well from work, never rode motos together) asked me a few times to join them on a weekend group ride ... so I agree ... the whole meet up time thing was a mess and finally under way over 1.5 hrs late, so not much of a morning ride, and then lunch ... lunch was a bit over 2 hours ... then the ride starts!  6 miles later a person crashes their moto because a squirrel (or rabbit?) ran in front of them, they locked up brakes and went down ... this group was about ~14 people, 2 of which I know from work ... so we are at a safe pull over spot, person that crashed is a bit scruffed up but mostly OK, shift lever broke so stuck in gear, clutch lever broke, so kind of unrideable.  So at this point I had gone ~12 miles getting to lunch spot and ~6 miles to crash spot and left my house ~4-4.5 hours earlier, and the person that crashed and their best buds I really don't know, and ~14 of us hanging around ...  there is discussion of a friend with the same bike, calling him, trying to get him to bring up a shift and clutch lever, and a few other plans being worked on ... and I am wondering "how long to I have to stick around?".   So after about 10 minutes, I told my work friends that I needed to get back home and better get going, said a brief goodbye to people and took off.  I guess I should have stuck around longer? 

[kballowe]

Groups of two.

 

[Guzzistajohn]

I have some friends I'll ride with, Like Kevin & Ginny ^^^  About all the old pharts I've met from the Guzzi clan in the immediate 4 state area I'd be OK with. And 2 or 3 local buddies.

But I do like my solitude 

[Perazzimx14]

Either. I don't mind riding by myself or with a small group of likeminded friends.

Years ago I found a local MC club that hosted rides. I arrived early and it was a disaster from the word go. 10am stands up meant roughly 11am, riders of all experience levels on varied motorcycles and the furthest we rode was about 10 miles before stopping for a 45-minute smoke break. At the second smoke break I pared off and forgot they even existed. That 3 hours ruined me on riding with strangers or in large groups of unknown abilities.

[jcctx]

One is great; two is good; three can work; four is wonky; five is tooooo damn many!!!!

[bikeridertim]

Almost all of mine is alone, probably 90%. The rest is split solo or 2 up. My GF isn't able to hang in there with me. 

[tommy2cyl]

Maximum of 4, with buddies that have similar skill sets.  On long trips, easy to pair up for hotel rooms and not too difficult to decide what restaurant to choose.

[Shorty]

I find that in a group I usually end up riding at a pace faster than I'm comfortable. More time is spent holding your position and reacting to input from in front and behind you, no time is left to just groove on the ride and scenery. So, I'll visit friends in the campground or restaurant and slip off to ride alone. I do have a few friends that I will ride with anywhere, but they go back 35 years or so and are thin on the ground.

[Jorg66]

The first 30000 km back in Germany ,'Young and restless' ,was ,...'very often in Groups of 3-4.
After that ,when fired up again in Canada,...30000 km alone.
And since 2011 ,now manely 'alone with my Wife right behind Me.
Don't really want to argue with other 'Friends/ Riders where to Camp ,where to go.
If so ,than getting together with fellow Riders after days end or at Meets.


 

[flower_king001]

I mainly ride alone as I haven't ever found any fellow Guzzi riders in my area that I would enjoy spending time with. On bike, off bike and even on this forum.

[Canuck750]

I have had a very good friend / riding buddy for 25 years, we have done a big trip at least once a year and we are always in sync. I have ridden with many other people but have never been in sync with the speed / style or attitude to travel. My wife and I have traveled a fair amount two up and always have a great time. Last summer in Italy I traveled with another friend but quickly split up during the day while riding, we were very different riders and I was just not comfortable being out of sync, I ride a little faster but not fast and I only have a basic direction and destination and this was not in my friends make up. I do prefer riding alone in new environments.

[cliffrod]

I usually ride alone.   As mentioned, when properly synched (other rider & machines) I don’t mind riding with a select few other people.  But I generally ride alone.

[Scout63]

Seems like we are a like-minded bunch of misanthropes. I knew I liked you all.

[Stretch]

I almost always prefer riding alone - or 2-up on one machine.
My partner Lynn is a good passenger! We rode from Maine to
North Carolina and back last summer and had a ball - even in
the rain.

Large groups are a pain. I did only one Toy Run years ago - never
again.

Twice in my life I've run into riders on the road who were REALLY great to ride
with - but only twice. Once in Maryland I tagged onto two Harley riders
who'd obviously been riding together for years, and they were a blast to
ride with for an hour or two. Smooth, safe, and reasonably fast.

The other time was at night on the Autobahn on the way home from the Oktoberfest.
A friend and I hooked up with a couple of Dutchmen on XS1100s with Martini fairings,
and a German girl on an XL 500. (We were on a GS750 and a KZ750 respectively if
I recall correctly.) They were fast and smooth - and obviously knew exactly what they were
about. The German girl was drafting the lead Dutchman at about 90 MPH, because
otherwise she couldn't keep up! They were A LOT of fun to ride with for an hour or two, and
impressive to watch.

It sounds terribly presumptuous to say this, but most motorcyclists don't seem to pay enough
attention to roadcraft. I'm not Gods' gift to motorcycling, but it's draining to ride around
other people's ideas of speed, awareness, anticipation, etc.. If you DO find a good riding partner -
great fun!

                                                                 -Stretch

[willowstreetguzziguy]

Its often said that riding a motorcycle is freedom. Freedom to go anywhere, anytime at at any speed you want. You can stop anytime to take a picture, pull over at an interesting place to get a bite to eat, stop to adjust something that’s bothering you, or explore what looks like an interesting road…freedom to explore and go where I want ride.

I can’t really have that freedom when I ride in a group. It all depends on what you’re looking for when you ride.

For me personally, most times I choose freedom.

[Zenermaniac]

Primarily alone or with family.

[Moparnut72]

I generally ride alone. I used to ride with a small Harley group. I was never really comfortable riding with them, too fast around blind corners and bunched up too tight. It didn't matter where I started but usually wound up bringing up the rear. I occasionally ride with a couple of guys that are good to ride with. One has a V7lll and the other a loop. I usually hang back as their speeds vary and I run cruise because of my hand. I have to turn it on and off because I don't have + and - buttons. We like to do the same things and we all camp. The Harley guys wouldn't sleep in a tent if their lives depended on it. But I ride alone for the most part.
kk

[John A]

Tex said if you ride alone, at stops you’re likely to talk to the locals. If you’re in a group, you’ll likely talk to people in the group. It’s a wise observation. I like some groups but alone is best.

[twowheeladdict]

Do you prefer riding alone or in groups?  I absolutely love getting together with other riders and talking about and looking at bikes. But when it comes time to get on and ride, I’d much rather be alone.  I don’t like adjusting my pace to others and having to mutually make decisions about stops, food, speed etc.  I also need to trust my riding partners, which is impossible until you know them well. In the dirt I do like riding with others.  Go figure.

So, how do you get to know them well if you don't ride with them?   

I will ride with most people once, and ride local before I ever decide to take a trip with them.

[rschrum]

When I ride alone, I prefer to be by myself.

[Bulldog9]

Prior to my Moto Guzzi riding days, I much preferred to ride alone.

I got so tired of idiots trying to keep up with me or set a pace they
couldn't maintain and crashing, that I very seldom rode in groups
unless I knew the individuals very well.

For me it depends on the group of individuals,
But if I'm going to be honest there's nothing I crave
more than spending hours and days completely alone
just me the motorcycle God and nature.

For day trips group rides are a lot of fun and all of the Moto Guzzi group
 rides I've done have been excellent.

Right now I'm visiting my daughter in Denver and today we drove down to the garden of the gods and all I could remember was when I was here in 2007 to 2009 having four guys crash trying to keep up with me as we zipped through the garden of the guys at 5:00 a.m..

[s1120]

My feeling is that if its people I like hanging with, look forward to riding with. Other then that I just like to ride alone. I do go on a charity run each year that my BIL puts on. Lots of bikes, and 95% HD, but does get me a chance to see how others ride, and also to understand why I like riding alone.

[mechanicsavant]

Mostly solo , occasionally with a few close friends, we’ve done 100 k Mi. Together . Anything else is hearding cats !

[twowheeladdict]

When I ride alone, I prefer to be by myself.