Another first: LARGE group riding

lespring · Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 7:13 am Post subject: Another first: LARGE group riding

So on the 4th we went on a ride with our group. That's about 30 bikes (though we were missing several) It's the first time I've been on a ride with them as a whole group.

We first rode up to a hospital 35 miles away to see my brother in law who had a knee replaced. What a sight to see all these bikes parked in front of the hospital, and all these bikers standing around visiting with my BIL who was quite loopy at the moment. LOL

Then we went on a gorgeous ride down around Stillwater, MN on some fun twisty roads.

So lets see...riding with the big group. Because I'm the newbie, I'm supposed to stay towards the back, but we had about 40 total miles of freeway riding. Getting ON the freeway in a big group is quite interesting. You can almost feel the confusion of the 4wheel drivers as all of a sudden bikes appear in every direction, all trying to gather together into one lane, one group. I ended up in the middle instead of the back. But I did just fine. I've spent enough time riding with a large group on the back of a bike to know what to do/not do, so I didn't do anything stupid. (although we have two very stupid people in our group who ALWAYS do something dangerous!)

I DID do one good thing. At one point our group got separated by a light, in an area I was unfamiliar with. DH had our map of course. Anyway, I was in the very front sitting at a light, a guy from our group next to me, and about another 15 bikes behind us. The guy next to me said, "We're turning right on 92, I think it's the second light." So the light changes, we move on, and I'm trying to read the overhead street sign coming up, when all of a sudden the guy next to me hollers, "Shit! It's right here!"

This was NOT "92" but our corner marker was there! I was ON TOP ofthe turn, and knew there was no way I was going to make it without bikes piling on top of me, so I went on through the intersection to turn around at the next exit (1/2 mile away) In my mirror, the guy directly behind me didn't make the turn either. I was glad I made the split decision to take the safe way out, and to know the very seasoned rider behind me did the same thing.

So...there at the next exit is our group photographer! Apparently the guy who marked the corner where everyonem made the sudden turn was at the WRONG corner. These guys had been sitting at the correct corner waiting for the group to come up over the hill to get a great picture...and here comes just lil ole me. LOL So I lled them back, and dh and a couple other people were waiting for me.

All in all it was a beautiful ride. But man, talk about performance anxiety the first time you ride with a group like that!