You set dates. Make plans. Take off from work. Plan a good long ride with several friends who were very enthused about the whole thing and then one says he'll be there if theres's no rain in the forecast! I've road 3 days solid in the rain. I ain't retired. When I take off work to ride...I RIDE. May change routes or even destinations but I still ride. Snow, Ice, Hurricanes,...I can forgive...but RAIN. Come on! >:(
You need new riding friends.
Well I'm glad my buddies VWCarlos, Guidedawg, And mojo hung in there with me on the Alexander City/ Mt. Cheaha Ride. They are champs. We did get a bit wet. Thanks Guys!!
Oh and I think I heard the Arctic Bound Bama Bums ran into rain one time.....LOL
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160908/208ca4d0820c68ae538d2efd67623c5c.jpg)
I'd be ashamed to tell someone I couldn't show up because it was going to rain haha. I was just a mile or two down the road from this the other day on my bike. (http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160909/d3aa4c8cefde12cab1e034024d9c5f9b.jpg)
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Quote from: TwoLaneBlackTop on September 08, 2016, 01:37:20 PM
You set dates. Make plans. Take off from work. Plan a good long ride with several friends who were very enthused about the whole thing and then one says he'll be there if theres's no rain in the forecast! I've road 3 days solid in the rain. I ain't retired. When I take off work to ride...I RIDE. May change routes or even destinations but I still ride. Snow, Ice, Hurricanes,...I can forgive...but RAIN. Come on! >:(
Meh, I give this rant a 2 out of 10.
This is more of a look at me than a rant. Study up and come back. :)
Quote from: cam21943 on September 08, 2016, 02:12:22 PM
Well I'm glad my buddies VWCarlos, Guidedawg, And mojo hung in there with me on the Alexander City/ Mt. Cheaha Ride. They are champs. We did get a bit wet. Thanks Guys!!
It was kind of nice and cooled things off a bit for us. I am just glad it stopped while we waited on the construction guys to let us through the construction area. Riding in the rain is one thing but just sitting there in the roadway getting rained on is not fun in my book.
Nailed it. Imposing "standards of worthiness" does more harm than good to the sport/hobby. People can give themselves "points" for riding in lousy weather if they want and if that gets them through the day, people like me will get our laughs over it.
Quote from: DachshundUberAlles on September 09, 2016, 08:08:58 PM
Nailed it. Imposing "standards of worthiness" does more harm than good to the sport/hobby. People can give themselves "points" for riding in lousy weather if they want and if that gets them through the day, people like me will get our laughs over it.
Yeah...sounds great and cool and bad-ass until your buddy goes 50 ft. off the side of a mountain. I hope to never seek to get a buddy to do something he's not comfortable with, ever again. It did not even seem questionable to me. But it was to him. And, three years of PT and recovery is not worth a half-hour of making a point...if that is even what we're doing???
I almost never found him. I still have bad nighttime recollections of it....20 minuets seemed like 6 hours....I have practically no memory of the helicopter and extraction crews. It is a poison to my soul.
I can't imagine what he must have felt during the event.
My best recommendation is to be glad for every buddy you can still ride with...and do whatever you can to keep them riding safely....rain or shine. Keep on keeping on....and let those who cannot, live to ride another day.
No disrespect intended. I have several more pals that balk at the weather. Just let them do what they know they can do....and do not resent what they feel they cannot. We all will live to see better days...hopefully.
Good, valid points /\
But I still stand by my initial comment "You need new riding friends." Or perhaps more accurately "You need some new, additional riding friends."
If I scheduled time off work for a 3 or 4 day ride, planned with a few of my riding buddies, and then 1 or 2 of them said they wouldn't be going if it rained, well, I'd probably be a little miffed.
FWIW (which ain't much) I didn't read the IP as being a "Hey! Look at me!" kind of thing. Maybe it was and I just don't read between the lines very well. I took it as venting a little frustration. "I scheduled a trip with some riding friends and after all was arranged, one (or more?) of them said they wouldn't be going if it looked like it would rain."
And another FWIW.... I reckon, in my mind, I have pretty much always considered that folks who didn't like to ride in the rain, literally didn't enjoy it. They did not "like" riding in the rain. I never give much thought to the possibility they might not feel up to the task from a skills/technical standpoint.
Which is maybe a little unfortunate ?? Riding in the rain can be a very enjoyable experience. Mostly a mindset kind of thing - for me at least.
Today's motorcycle tires and the generally good roads we have (in comparison) can provide for a safe and enjoyable ride experience.
If that particular experience is what one seeks.
Side note - interestingly, some of the top individual "snap shot" memories I have from the countless days spent riding with buddies, involve riding in the rain.
I don't know why the "quote" feature didn't work for that. My post was in response to springer'. Personally, I ride for enjoyment, and rain (as well as very cold) are not enjoyable. Disparagement of other riders is a bad trait this site seems to carry, and that is exactly what I read in the original post. My apologies if it seemed I was agreeing with the original post.
Yeah....I didn't mean to overstate my point. I don't mean to be an ass but a day after posting, I can see a little ass may have leaked out. I too would not plan an important ride with buddies I knew would not ride in rain.
Quote from: DachshundUberAlles on September 10, 2016, 08:57:45 AM
I don't know why the "quote" feature didn't work for that. My post was in response to springer'. Personally, I ride for enjoyment, and rain (as well as very cold) are not enjoyable. Disparagement of other riders is a bad trait this site seems to carry, and that is exactly what I read in the original post. My apologies if it seemed I was agreeing with the original post.
I think the OP was remarking about his friends, not riders in general. And if you cancel a multi-day ride because it
might rain, you're not actually a rider but more of a "look at me, I have a motorcycle" owner.
QuoteMeh, I give this rant a 2 out of 10.
This is more of a look at me than a rant. Study up and come back
Disparagement of other members is a bad trait that was prevalent on the old BR site...good to see we're getting back to normal.
I always look at every ride as a "ride your own ride" ride. (Does that sentence even make sense?) basically I ride when and where I feel safe riding. I never base my safety and well being or that of others on a group mentality. I can still hear my mother saying "If all your friends jump off the side of a building are you going to jump too?". Same goes for riding for me. If I don't feel like it is safe for me to ride... I don't ride. I would never hold it against anyone for backing out if they didn't feel right riding that day. I have backed out of riding due to pure exhaustion. I didn't feel like I could ride safely that day so I didn't. If I am in a group and don't want to do what the rest is doing then I peel off and ride my own ride. I guess all I am saying is let everyone ride their own ride. If they can't keep up then that is no reason to dump them because the next ride it might be you that can't keep up.
Quote from: KevinB on September 10, 2016, 02:26:58 PM
Disparagement of other members is a bad trait that was prevalent on the old BR site...good to see we're getting back to normal.
Best line of 2016.
Quote from: Brian A on September 10, 2016, 06:44:16 AM
Side note - interestingly, some of the top individual "snap shot" memories I have from the countless days spent riding with buddies, involve riding in the rain.
Kevin B - one of them happens to involve you (and others) on a Nessler Chain Stretcher Ride, somewhere. Tennessee?
It was a bonafide, trash moving, frog strangling, flash flood. You were in front of me, riding through small rivers that crossed the road.
It was an outstanding day of riding!
Riding with KevinB in the rain. Devils Triangle with Shane, Glenn, Patrick, and Greg. One of my favorite riding memories.
^^Both rides were some of the hardest rain I've ridden through...and both were some of the best riding memories I have.
I don't consider rain riding "fun", ie: I don't go out and seek it, but I also have enough confidence in my riding ability and mastery of my machine that it doesn't frighten or bother me to do it. My stress level rises just a bit due to the "liquid lobotomy" effect rain has on other drivers but with the right gear sometimes it is almost enjoyable, especially if I'm on a long trip...it can break the monotony and is almost cathartic at times, taking in all the sensory aspects (the smell, the cooling effect, hearing the hiss of the tires on the pavement, etc.). In fact, I think I ride better in the rain because I lose all distractions and concentrate on riding.
Mr. Happy was a little unsure at first...but we had fun.
(http://www.pbase.com/kwb377/image/164057333.jpg)
(http://www.pbase.com/kwb377/image/161444673.jpg)
QuoteRiding with KevinB in the rain. Devils Triangle with Shane, Glenn, Patrick, and Greg. One of my favorite riding memories.
From this...
(http://www.pbase.com/kwb377/image/164057338.jpg)
To this, in the span of three minutes...
(http://www.pbase.com/kwb377/image/164057332.jpg)
Quote from: TFancher on September 11, 2016, 10:35:29 AM
Riding with KevinB in the rain. Devils Triangle with Shane, Glenn, Patrick, and Greg. One of my favorite riding memories.
Ditto. I was puckered up, mostly because my glasses and faceshield were completely fogged over. I have no idea how I made it off that road without a scratch. And I wouldn't trade the memory for anything.
Quote from: KevinB on September 11, 2016, 12:42:50 PM
(http://www.pbase.com/kwb377/image/161444673.jpg)
That is an absolutely great picture.
Who did that???And, in regards to my ass-nes...if the implied back-it-up did not register....I apologize. I just can't stomach anyone getting whooped on for what they can or cannot do.
I don't think that was the intent anymore....I hope it wasn't, anyways.
Quote from: kdtrull on September 11, 2016, 06:48:01 PM
That is an absolutely great picture. Who did that???
That was done by one of the Dragon photogs (can't remember which one in particular).
I didn't mean to sound as if I feel like I'm a better rider because I ride in the rain, just to say that I don't let it ruin my ride if it happens.
Ride when you are comfortable to ride. Ride when you feel like riding. If, for what ever reason YOU do not feel up to it, don't.
It is as simple as that.
Personally I would much prefer that if you do not feel like going, you don't.
I am not going to talk you into it.
I will not try to shame you into it.
I will not disparage you if you cancel.
I will not bitch about it.
Not because I am a super nice guy who has this deep well of understanding and compassion for my fellow man.
It is because I really don't give a f#ck. ;)
The reason I don't give a f#ck is my riding enjoyment is not dependent on you. I am responsible for my riding enjoyment. If I feel like, I will do it.
With a group or not.
I am perfectly happy to go by my lonesome self if I want to go. Matter of fact I would much prefer to go by myself than to go with anyone who is going to bitch the whole time because of rain, heat, cold or what ever.
Or, worse yet, someone who will be riding beyond their abilities do to weather, a over estimation of their abilities, or their equipment.
Crashing sux...............and so does waiting on the ambulance to show, talking to the police, dealing with seeing the rider in pain, and all the other fun stuff that happens when someone goes down.
So if for what ever reason you ever do not want to go on a ride with me, do not go.
It is cool with me.
Take it as you will.
BTW, THAT /\ is how you do a rant. ;)
I'm not gonna ride if I don't think I am able to. If I am not comfortable with a situation, I will not try it.
Lots of interesting feedback. I mostly ride alone and some of you have given me more insight as to why. And after further information I understand my friends reason for wanting a possible rain check. This is a high school group. Most of us haven't seen each other in 40 years. My rain check friend isn't in the best of health and I wasn't aware of that till today. In spite of that he says he's changed his mind and is coming hell or high water and was the first to book a room. Someone above made the statement about the crash and helicopter airlift and all. Thank you. I'm informing my old friend ASAP that he's not expected if foul weather arises.
Your tag line says a lot....and I'm still learning the principles of it, at dang near 50. I'm often a little slow on the uptake. I hope y'all have a fine ride.
Quote from: springer on September 12, 2016, 05:23:44 AM
..................BTW, THAT /\ is how you do a rant. ;)
Sounds more like a Geritol moment! You're losing your edge Springer. :o
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Quote from: Chuck A. on September 12, 2016, 08:40:31 PM
Quote from: springer on September 12, 2016, 05:23:44 AM
..................BTW, THAT /\ is how you do a rant. ;)
Sounds more like a Geritol moment! You're losing your edge Springer. :o
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Yep, some of it. It happens as you get older. Refusing to acknowledge it can land you in an ambulance ride like I mentioned above. /\
But from what I have seen over the years, pride is a much bigger factor in the ambulance factor.
Most of the crashes I have seen over the years could be directly linked to a rides pride over writing his/her skill level. (More the guys than the ladies too. Most guys are tougher in their minds than in their bodies. ;) )
Never to fool yourself is a hard thing
not to do. 8)
It generated some butt hurt but C'est la vie, I think the O.P. got what I was saying, to bad some of the others did not.
Any who................ride your own ride and all that.
................Refusing to acknowledge it can land you in an ambulance ride........................
You nailed that one. Been there, done that.
......................Most of the crashes I have seen over the years could be directly linked to a rides pride over writing his/her skill level................
Learn this the hard way. Got too many fake joints and screws now. I've slow way down from 20 years ago.
I won't leave the house on the bike if it's raining but if i'm more than 3 or 4 minutes away from the house oh well. And I've never had rain gear, I just deal with being wet.
I understand about taking off and having plans. BUT, I'm old and I ride for fun, it's not fun being rained on for 2 or 3 days it's not enjoyable to me. I've done it because I didn't have any choice. Do I like it NO. I like so many others have stated wouldn't want anyone to ride if they were uncomfortable with conditions. Just my opinion...
When I plan a trip that intensive, I usually plan two directions. The way I want to go and the other direction if the rain is forecast to be monsoon worthy. A few showers and I'm sticking with my original plan.
Quote from: Chitza on September 16, 2016, 04:50:43 PM
When I plan a trip that intensive, I usually plan two directions. The way I want to go and the other direction if the rain is forecast to be monsoon worthy. A few showers and I'm sticking with my original plan.
I often ride without a plan. Sometimes I come to an intersection and I'll go the way that looks like it's not raining. However, I'll ride in the rain if I need to or sometimes just for fun. Given the choice I prefer sunny and dry.