A newbie and those sunday rides

[oldgeezer]

I am just learning to ride--under 500 miles--and am indeed an old geezer. I want to get more experience. Is the weekly Sunday ride appropriate? I don't want to be holding up the group, but I would like the compnay of more experienced riders for tips, moral support and of course fun. If anyone has any comments, please share.

[brennahm]

The best advice I can give is just ride as much as possible. With less than a thousand miles under your belt you should be hitting empty parking lots and uncrowded roads as much as you can. Make it your job! Use any excuse to make runs to the grocery store, quickie mart, bank, etc.

When you are starting to feel truly comfortable just hopping on the bike to run down the road, then start looking for noob friendly canyon rides.

ALWAYS ride your own pace. If you don't know what that means...use google. Hope to see you out there!

Also, feel free to post a ride (time, place, destination) and try to get people to go along.

[= Buckeye Jess =]

I am a new member so pardon the naivete. I am an old guy but a new rider. I've got a bit less then 500 miles in. I s the Sunday ride an appropriate place to get more experience now, or is there a better way? I know you said slowr riders are welcome and I am sure I fit that description, but I have no point of reference to say how much slower. Should I get more experience before joining the Sunday rides? You will not hurt my feelings in the least with your answer. I would be very embarassed to be holding up the whole ride. Thanks, Old Geezer.

I stole this from the other thread to put in the more appropriate one.... so now....
NEVER EVER, EVER feel bad about holding a group up. This is where n00bs will start to feel pressure and start to make mistakes. If there is a ride that people don't want slow riders on, they will say as much. A good group will probably pull far ahead of you, but they will ALWAYS wait on you. If you are on a long straight stretch, they may pull off part way through to wait, or more often, they'll wait at whatever spot the ride is supposed to make a turn at. If you find yourself riding with a group that does not do this - you don't need to be riding with that group. I'm not the newest rider out there, but I'm still dang slow, so I'm well used to this routine by now. LOL Trust me when I say that the faster riders do not mind waiting if that means that someone learning is not going to wad their bike up and get hurt. Often times this turns into a smoke break, photo opportunity or just a good chat session for them. When you catch up, they hop back on and repeat.
If you find yourself in a group ride with people whose skills you don't know and the group doesn't know you, just let the lead and/or a few of the riders know that you are new/would appreciate tips/will be slow. Most likely they will be totally cool with it and will more than help ya out.
We all have to start at square one. The key is to make it safely to square two and so on. Your fellow riders want to see this happen and we will all help you as we can.

[sugarrey]

Hey oldgeezer, two great posts below. There are plenty of riders out there that are running at a "new rider" pace. Post a ride up with your intentions and skill level and see what happens. Think you'll be surprised at the turnout.

[Bueller]

http://www.cosportbikeclub.org/forum...322#post485322

Check my post in this thread

[PunyJuney]

I am just learning to ride--under 500 miles--and am indeed an old geezer. I want to get more experience. Is the weekly Sunday ride appropriate? I don't want to be holding up the group, but I would like the compnay of more experienced riders for tips, moral support and of course fun. If anyone has any comments, please share.

I started riding at 15 and grew up on street bikes, then got stuck in corporate life for over a decade and was bikeless. This summer I got back on 2 and have been having so much fun that the hubby had to get a bike. He's newer than new (and 58, I'm sure that qualifies as FOG). I concur, the Sunday group guys were nothing but nice as they went zipping up ahead. It was fun to ride with the group and we hung in for a while and then told them after a couple of stops to go ahead and we dropped off as I didn't want my own personal noob to bite it with only a few weeks under his belt. He has since taken a class and is a lot more confident. We are out a lot, so get in touch any time you want to take a few turns and we'll join you.
PS if you join in then drop out make sure you let someone know so that they're not waiting or looking for you

[Dogsbody]

Is there a ride this Sunday (8/23)? If so, where and when?

[CanAm]

Oldgeezer, have you taken a motorcycle safety class like from the MSF? You didn't mention that. Someone mentioned practice, practice, practice and that is very important in developing your "motor" skills (dual meaning there), but it won't teach you how to survive in traffic. I am in my 50's and have been riding on the road for just three years now. I have taken both basic and experience rider courses. I am confident in all types of traffic including city and interstate. If I hadn't had proper training I would probably be just a memory and a smear on a road somewhere.
If you have taught yourself or learned from a friend, STOP and take a course right away for your sake for the the sake of those around you.
Don

[PunyJuney]

Is there a ride this Sunday (8/23)? If so, where and when?

Typically there's a meet at the MoCo (Morrison Conico at C470 and Morrison Rd). 9, KSU 9:30

I rode up thru Golden Gate yesterday thru Blackhawk down to Idaho Springs, over to Mt Evans, Evergreen and back to Morrison with the girls. For the most part the roads were in great shape with the odd patches of dirt/gravel from last week's hail storm. It should be all rubbed off by now.
The hubby (new 1 month) and I were going to run some or all of it again today...but slower with a stop for breakfast. Feel free to join us, call the house. (303-979-2414) we'll be gone by 9.
June & Gary

[DorJammer]

Is there a ride this Sunday (8/23)? If so, where and when?

Me and Geezer are meeting up with a buddy at 10:30 at the StarBucks on Lincoln and Highlands Ranch Rd. this morning. Anyone's welcome to come, it will be at a sedate pace, so if you wanna drag a knee we won't be the right group

[Dogsbody]

Okay, I'm reading all these messages the day of and too late to meet up. And if I drag a knee, it's because I tripped walking to the bike... Next time I suppose.

[PunyJuney]

Okay, I'm reading all these massages the day of and too late to meet up. And if I drag a knee, it's because I tripped walking to the bike... Next time I suppose.

We ended up taking 285 to Fairplay for breakfast at the Burro. We could have picked you up enroute
I have to get a couple thousand miles in before my class this Saturday if you want to get out during the week.

[DorJammer]

We ended up taking 285 to Fairplay for breakfast at the Burro. We could have picked you up enroute
I have to get a couple thousand miles in before my class this Saturday if you want to get out during the week.

So Geezer, me, and a couple of buddies did about a 130 miles today. We rode from HR thru Waterton Canyon, Deer Creek, Turkey Creek, Mt Evans, Pizza at Bojoes in Idaho Springs and 6th to 470 and home to the big HR.

We had a blast till the clutch cable broke on my neighbors bike just as we turned off onto Quebec at 470....

well then it was getting the trailer, dragging the bike home, and then Sushi, and beer the rest of the night!

This guy knows how to roll some good sushi..

[PunyJuney]

mmmmm sushi, bring me next time

[Dogsbody]

We ended up taking 285 to Fairplay for breakfast at the Burro. We could have picked you up enroute
I have to get a couple thousand miles in before my class this Saturday if you want to get out during the week.

Yeah, we could've met up. That would've saved me from witnessing the stupidity in my other post. A couple thousand miles? I might have Wednesday off, so a ride then is possible and I'm quite new to riding with a group, so I'll be hanging off the back and out of the way. And I'm all about good sushi any day of the year (avoid Sushi Hai in Conifer though...).

[PunyJuney]

Wednesday sushi ride....could happen. Give me a call or PM Tuesday. Now I just have to google "sushi in the foothills" and see what's out there. And we're slow too! My hubby rarely gets in to the left hand lane, so getting pinned by a truck is not an option. If you feel really strongly about the truck situation make a mental note of the plate number next time, pull over and call it in to a trooper. I called when some kid amped up on something (testosterone or crack ?) road raged me into the fire lane. The cops went to his house and charged him.
A group of 2 slow people (3 if Gary joins) will not be a major event. If the weather is good I wouldn't mind doing Mt. Evans and/or Golden Gate.

[DavidofColorado]

Ride slow and have fun. You are going to need to learn at your own pace and people know that so don't be worried about asking questions and going at your own speed.

[oldgeezer]

Wow! What a great number of great posts. Since most of you seem to be in about the same place I am, maybe we should consider a regular Sunday ride from The Starbucks at Quebec and Highlands Ranch Road. I'd suggest we meet at about 10, spend a few minutes with introductions and deciding where to go, and shoving off about 10:15 or so. I don't want to compete with the Sunday ride from Morrison, but that seems to be better suited for a bit more advanced riders.

To give credit where credit is more than due, DorJammer picked out the start place a couple of weeks ago and it is great for people on the south end of town. He also makes a great leader.

So how about meeting up on Sunday?

oldgeezer

[PunyJuney]

I'm taking an advanced class on Saturday 8/29 so if my bike's in one piece and I'm not too beat up I would come out Sunday morning. Gary would probably join too.
Put us down as tentative.

[Snowman]

9:00am Morrison Conaco pick a direction and go. Can't be simpler than that...