How many do you ride with??

[moshaffer]

As a matter of curiosity how many other bikes do you normally ride with??
If I am making a longer trip to the West coast or Alaska or just riding for a couple of weeks to nowhere in particular I either go solo or with one other bike. This makes for more efficient time on the road because you don't have to wait for the whole party to get moving in the AM and there is less to question where the next route should be. Also, I think most riders generally have one other good friend they prefer to ride with anyway.
A day or weekend trip I like to limit to six bikes maxium just for the safety side of things on the roads and that goes for meeting for lunch/dinner. If there is going to be a larger group to meet for food then I prefer to meet some of them there to keep the group size down.:eat
Any others?
Mo

[Bob1100RTC]

Usually just the wife and I on my bike. That way we do what we want when we want. No trying to keep everyone happy. Just trying to keep us happy. Occasionally we go on a poker run or a charity ride but for the most part just us.

[BuddingGeezer]

95% of the time I ride by myself. I will not ride in a group larger than 3 others and myself. Motorcycle riding is inherently a solitary endeavor. Without a bike to bike communication system, you can't talk to the others anyway. Besides my cruiser friends can't ride farther than 100 miles, that's a warm up.

Ralph Sims

[PGlaves]

Voni and I usually ride our bikes together - just us. There are a handful of folks who are one at a time - certainly no more than two at a time - more than welcome to travel with us. Normally, if invited to join a group I/we decline the invitation and go our own way.

Charity rides and club dinner rides excepted - but if they last more than an hour forget it.

[tommcgee]

95% or better, I'm riding solo. A group of 4 is about my limit. One or two others is much better.

[tourunigo]

Unless I am involved in a particular event (read Salty Fog Rally), I am not at all fond of group riding so have always gone solo no matter what the distance or where. These days rides almost always involve Mary but she shares the 'just us' philosophy with the same enthusiasm as me. - Bob

[AKBeemer]

Normally just Annie and I on our bikes. Sometimes with one other person; once a year we go on the "Last Ride of the Year" that is a large group, but we still end up riding in our own little bubble of space.

[jmbiii]

About 98% of my riding has been solo/single. I have met/seen/talked to many other riders on my travels, but mostly I ride when and where my schedule dictates.

JB

[DarrylRi]

"A committee of three can't decide where to have lunch." -- Robert Heinlein

Actually, I just returned from a ride to the Texas Gulf Coast. I rode solo to Deming, NM; four of us rode together to Corpus Christi and Lake Jackson; three of us rode back to Deming; and two of us rode back here to Santa Cruz. It worked out well, I don't think any of us got on anyone else's nerves. We all had somewhat different riding styles, but we all got along together well. That's pretty unusual, I think, and why most people seem to prefer to travel alone or perhaps with one other rider.

[franze]

I suppose most BMW riders are older riders.........whoops, I meant "experienced" riders. Kinda set in their ways. For me, riding days are too few and far between since I've got kids at home that are very active. I don't go riding "for pie" or "cheese" or " to get toys for poor kids". I ride for me. When the stars are aligned, it's all day or night, sometimes both. Not too many takers for that "ride profile" around here. I do have a buddy in PA that fit's my style pretty good.

PS. I am trying to set the record for the most words in "quotations" in one post.

[KGT1200]

Usually I ride solo, cause I'm not big on following, and really dont care to lead someone down the road, plus, when I have got to gas, got to pee, got to take a picture, I HATE asking permission.

I ride back roads with my 14 yr old on his dirt bike, and we are having fun, getting prepped for longer and better rides when he is 16!

[r11rs94]

Almost always by my self and yet I still get into great debates of when to stop and eat or just stretch out. :laugh When traveling I like to travel with no more than 3 + me. Even # of bikes make splitting hotels easier. Larger than that and you start geting into looooooooonger fuel stops, resturant stops etc. I have led up to 30 bikes, but that was for only about 40 miles or so to a charity run.

[rocketman]

I tend to ride alone or occasionally in small groups (such as a get together of the local airhead folks) but mostly alone as it allows me more freedom to change routes, stop when a picture op appears, take a road looks interesting and not have to worry about keeping up with someone or ensuring others are not left behind. For me it just makes for a more enjoyable ride I can allow met up with the group at the destination and since we cant interface while riding anyway... Riding is a solitary venture by nature, just you, the machine and the environment so...

When I was younger I rode more in groups but those where different times..

I'm also somewhat of a "loner" by nature.

RM

"I'd rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion"

[Newstar]

Often just the hubby and I ride together however we met another couple about a year ago and have become good friends. The four of us often ride together now.

I prefer to keep to a group of four or less. It's fun to ride with a larger group once in a while but more often than not, it gets tricky trying to judge so many people whose habits you are unfamiliar with.

[jdmetzger]

I also ride solo a huge percentage of the time. It's relaxing because I don't have to worry about annoying someone if I have to stop, and I don't have to be bothered by someone else's stops. It's also hard finding someone who has the same "style" - speed, schedule (early riser, for example), etc. Group riding can get downright stressful for me.

Sometimes I DO ride with one other person, or maybe with 3-4 others. The 3-4 is pretty rare, and I enjoy the change. It's always for shorter day trips, though. For a longer ride, I maybe only know 4-5 people I could ride with for an extended period of time where our styles are similar enough.

I rode in a charity ride ONCE and will never do it again. Aside from the noise and inhaling exhaust for a few hours, the other riders weaving around scared me, and I saw a car (who was watching the bikes) almost smash into part of the group (in front of me), so that wouldn't have been fun.

[bullit7801]

I agree with the reasoning for riding solo, so just another data point and a quote.

Almost all of my riding is solo. When out east at a rally, I saw the Sled Dog t-shirt and agree with the saying. "When you're not the lead dog, the view never changes.":D :D You can imagine what the picture on the back of the shirt was.

tb

[Rollifahrer]

Mostly solo. A couple trips w brother(Goldwing). One trip w Harley group of 6...lots of stops, long stops, no GPS or even tank (bag) maps/notes resulted in 3 stops in 20 minutes...super nice guys, though.

One other bike with big tank and tough-butted rider is the way to go, for me.

[crazydrummerdude]

As a matter of curiosity how many other bikes do you normally ride with??

99.99% of the time I ride alone. I've gone on two group rides, and I babysat my friend as he put his first (and only) 100 miles on his bike.

[Rpbump]

Usually solo and occasionally with a good friend. Ride Safe :D

[grumpyone]

I thought I earned my name by being this way. Nice to see nearly everyone agrees for a change.
We tell everyone we ride in a group of ONE. Three cant decide where to have lunch? Heck two cant decide that. I drive She decides. Been that way for years.

Jim and Esther

[aaaaaa]

If it's a motorcycle ride I'm alone. I would call anything else a social gathering.
robert

[rinty]

I like to have compatibility on:

1. the timing of the start and the end of the day's ride
2. riding speed
3. when to stop for breaks
4. safety
5. apres ride festivities

so for the last few years, it was mostly solo.

[robsryder]

For me 4 bikes, including mine, is a big group. I've ridden fairly short distances in a group of 4, usually to go somewhere for breakfast. That was ok.

Once I did part of a group ride. There were 30 or 40 bikes in the group. Too many for my liking and I let the group leader know that I was peeling off at the first stop.

For multi-day rides I usually have a buddy with me. It seems safer and we can split the cost of a campsite / hotel room (depending on weather, fatigue level, etc.)

Single day riding is usually done solo unless I/we are heading/meeting somewhere for a meal (this includes coffee and pie!). There are some really good places that serve great pie around Ohio.

Oh yeah, Go Bucks! Beat Michigan!

[BubbaZanetti]

short rides, whatever

but rarely will i ride with more than one person on a long ride, i try to be "efficient" at everything i do while on the road, gas stops, etc, and most people don't share my sense of timing. i usually end up sitting around and waiting because someone has taken their helmet off to get gas or is doing whatever.

[SheRidesABeemer]

I take one bike at a time. The other one has to stay home. :p

[tessler]

short rides, whatever

but rarely will i ride with more than one person on a long ride, i try to be "efficient" at everything i do while on the road, gas stops, etc, and most people don't share my sense of timing. i usually end up sitting around and waiting because someone has taken their helmet off to get gas or is doing whatever.

But ya gotta luv Tessla.Gee, I thought we wuz riding pals. :cry

[moshaffer]

I take one bike at a time. The other one has to stay home. :p

Gee I thought everyone carried a spare bike with them in case you had a flat with the first one. :blush

[PGlaves]

We tell everyone we ride in a group of ONE. Three cant decide where to have lunch? Heck two cant decide that. I drive She decides. Been that way for years.

Jim and Esther

Voni and I took an extended trip through the mid-South a couple of years ago with a good friend and excellent rider, Karol Dietrich. Karol is one of those select few individuals who rides with us and it is almost as if she isn't there. We split the decision duties pretty neatly: I navigated and led. Karol was in charge of selecting restaurants. Voni picked the hotels. Worked out pretty well actually.

[nhbmw]

I like to have compatibility on:

1. the timing of the start and the end of the day's ride
2. riding speed
3. when to stop for breaks
4. safety
5. apres ride festivities

so for the last few years, it was mostly solo.

+1 Rinty

I'll join a small group of like-minded riders (your points 1-5), but large groups, or strangers, are off limits. Too much time spent judging distances, intentions and skills of the others.

There's a constellation of road hazards out there. Focusing on them is hard to do when there's a group rider who thinks good position is 5 feet behind your elbow.

I think of motorcycling as a solo event. Fortunately, my bride of 35 years thinks the same and is the best pillion rider ever. So we go down the road together, solo.

[Vagabird]

Fortunately, my bride of 35 years thinks the same and is the best pillion rider ever. So we go down the road together, solo.

:scratch I thought I had the best pillion rider ever.

[Jfixit]

Voni and I took an extended trip through the mid-South a couple of years ago with a good friend and excellent rider, Karol Dietrich. Karol is one of those select few individuals who rides with us and it is almost as if she isn't there. We split the decision duties pretty neatly: I navigated and led. Karol was in charge of selecting restaurants. Voni picked the hotels. Worked out pretty well actually.

Interesting idea. I always feel like a baby sitter when I have to make all the decisions and tend to eliminate riding partners for that reason. Maybe next time we'll try designating decision making duties before the trip begins.

[john1691]

I ride alone the most, but a close second is with one other rider. Sometimes a third will join us, but not often. I enjoy a once or twice a year larger group ride, just to do it, but when I really just want to go riding, 2 bikes is plenty.

[Brettendress]

Almost always solo except maybe to a rally or a big weekend ride. Most of my riding is on the weekdays because I'm in the restaurant business and I need to be in my buildings on the weekend. Also most friends ride and drink all day and total about 100 miles, not really a ride for me. Plus not safe so I choose only a few close friends when I ride. If I ride with strangers at all I stay in the back so I feel like I have more control over their mistakes.

Brett Endress
Altoona Pa.

04 1150gs
1970 r60/5
1996 VFR
71 Scrambler
05 Vulcan Classic (wife)

[hlothery]

I ride two up with my wife, usually. We prefer to ride alone. Each time we have participated in a group thing it was less than optimal. I kind of like optimal!:D

[shire2000]

I prefer to ride alone. Occasionally will ride with one other person, but then I ride well behind them as I just don't trust what they might do.

Besides, when riding alone I get to converse with all those voices in my head and have some really good conversations. At least I always have company with me. :brad

:ca

[rocketman]

Almost always solo except maybe to a rally or a big weekend ride. Most of my riding is on the weekdays because I'm in the restaurant business and I need to be in my buildings on the weekend. Also most friends ride and drink all day and total about 100 miles, not really a ride for me. Plus not safe so I choose only a few close friends when I ride. If I ride with strangers at all I stay in the back so I feel like I have more control over their mistakes.
Brett Endress
Altoona Pa.

04 1150gs
1970 r60/5
1996 VFR
71 Scrambler
05 Vulcan Classic (wife)

That's quite a feat! I don't think I know many people who can make the claim that they can control others' mistakes, but I'm sure it would come in handy! Ha ha!

RM

[SCQTT]

99% solo, or I'll ride with one other person if I know them well (there are only about 12 people in that category)

That is for street. I prefer to ride in a small group off-road, but again I tend to only go with people that I know well.

[henzilla]

Ms Helen and I ride seperately together most of the time. We compliment each others styles...and it's a lot of fun!!:brow
On weekends there are a select few we meet for breakfast, then decide if we will play with the group or not. We take trips with members of the same group and usually it's small enough to not be an issue,we all end up where we wanted to go...most of the time:stick Usually a group of 5-6 is never an issue since we seem to understand each other. I learned a long time ago,when Chuck's cigarette is out...better be ready:stick :laugh

We have been on a few rides where there were so many different styles of riders that it can be a little tense...I usually ride sweep on those rides to help with potential breakdowns( few) or the nuisance flat and allow the followers to follow the leader.

Back in my mostly HD days, I hated riding with a large group due to a lot of inexperience and a little drinking problem of some of my "buds"...Not all fit that typecast...but more than not did. Picked up a few bikes and people almost every time so I stopped. Missed the guys,not the riding with them.