Are my biker buddies c$nts?

My advice would be take yourself off to a novice track day, that's a great place to start to learn to improve your ability and confidence not only in yourself but also in your bike.
The track is a safer environment, no road hazards to think about, no vehicles coming in the opposite direction should you overshoot a corner, no potholes, no trees a few feet from your face etc.

Just a big bit of tarmac and a few others riders (and some rules)

Then you can apply what you have learned and transfer that across to road riding, im not saying then go riding like a lunatic, but imagining how much calmer & feeling more in control you could be by having a better understanding of your capability and how your bike reacts to different situations.

A track is for pushing / a road is for riding (imo)

 

You totally did the right thing. I probably would have given up on it the first time they stopped. Not worth killing yourself trying to catch up with more inconsiderate and dangerous riders. Ride at your own pace - not theirs. Sounds like one day they'll run out of talent if they carry on like that...

 

Thanks to everyone for the advice

Went out and did 100miles with 2 other riders i know from training school, one of them was a guy from yesterdays outing that was the 2nd slowest....best group ride so far was the consensus at the end....had no time to take pics I'm afraid, was on the bikes most of the time burning rubber as they say, lol. Good mix of straights to get some top speed power runs and then bends to test skill....apparently im leaning the bike a fair bit according to one of the guys, and maybe my chicken strip reflects that...was a good 2 finger width, now is getting closer to 1 So my confidence in taking bends is growing.

From the start we had agreed on each person rides their own ride....if anyone is not comfortable with the pace then they are free to take it down a bit, but it never really got to the point where anyone felt that.

These guys probably wont push me to a significant new level or riding as we are pretty much all the same....but it was definitely fun

We were joined by one of the fast guys from yesterday, i think he got fed up of the pace as he overtook from the back and bolted off thinking we would follow but no one did, so he got the idea and then weirdly let us overtake him again? Didnt last long as he overtook us all again and left us, didnt bother us as we agreed from the start...each person rides for themselves.

 

I think this is a very common situation. The gulf in skills and bikes people have, can sometimes be massive. I ride with a group that range from quite frankly what I call dangerous, all the way to ridiculously slow.
I've been riding bikes for 24 years, but most of those years were on older less powerful bikes (nevertherless just as scary. Try and muscle a 1980 Z1000 through a bend quickly and you'll see what I mean). When I go out with the fast guys they will always stop at the next waypoint and change of direction and wait for the group to catch up. When I ride with the slow guys I do the same. Sometimes I fall right to the back and pick my way to the front before doing it all over again. It can be quite fun
The most important thing is to ride within your limits and keep it shiny side up. You will pick up the speed over time. One thing I am concerened about is that you have a blade so soon after passing your test. I would normally suggest working your way up to such a powerful bike. This makes it even more important to ride within your limits.
Stay safe dude

 

Good on yer Mo, you will probably find that the guys you rode with will grow faster with you as riders.It takes time and sometimes alot of mileage to get to what we call a bloody fast road pace.We are all learning from one another regardless of what machinery we have.Enjoy your learning curve like I am

 

One thing to watch when riding with groups like this is if a couple are behaving like loonies and get stopped by the old bill you all get tarred with the same brush. So two twats racing on the public highway - you're all racing.

 

I just bought my 17 year old nephew a CBF125 and spent 4 days on a road trip with him.
Most important rule of biking I told him "Get home safely".
Well done buddy

 

When I was younger I fell for the same sh1t they aren't nice people, the type that will laugh if you come off. Are you on your bike for them or you. Give them a miss. Any good biker would be helping you improve not trying to show how clever they are. You show signs of a good rider, aware of your own limits is an essential tool to stay alive. As you build your confidence and skill level speed will follow naturally, if that's what you want.
Mike.

 

Been out again today..on my own this time...seems like im clocking up the miles as i did 100 miles, which seems to be the norm when im out!

Getting better in general i think, my confidence is growing as i think im generally better in my technique of taking corners, not a pro but better....have been watching/reading up on how to improve...so overall im happy, good weather here so just making the most of it before it turns bad

Ride safe folks!

 

It's why I tend not to like riding in big groups.
Which only really happens at the TT.
This year I got a bit annoyed as we were taking some B road to Peel from the Calf of Man, and it started raining too.
Gravel on the roads etc, and there is me stuck between the group, holding up the rest who couldn't get past due to the tightness of the roads, and the ones in front bombing on ahead.
Felt like an arse, but was determined not to come off myself, and was raging when we got to Peel.
Didn't speak to anyone for twenty minutes until I had calmed down.

Usually back home there is only two sometimes 3 of us, and I just let them go then catch them up or they stop and wait with no issues.

You did the right thing in keeping to your own pace mate.

 

Why did you have the arse mate, they done their own thing, you done yours. I dont see the issue with that? unless you didnt know where you were going of course and they didnt wait at the next junction?

I really wouldnt have been bothered if I held the others up either, they can either get past safely or fcukign wait.

Aint the end of the world IMO.

 

" Don't ride behind me, I may not your leader
Don't ride in front of me, I may not your guard
Just ride beside me, and be my brother ! "

When I'm going for a blast then usualy on my own, or with someone who I really trust.
When riding in grup we stick togheter and look after eachother...Ain't that point of riding in group?

 

Mainly because I was invited to this group ride, i dont or havent ridden in a big group before, told them i was likely to be slowest of the bunch and the place we were going was new to me....yet they stormed off and left me and i didnt know where i was going. I thought the whole point of a group ride was to ride together? or have i misunderstood what a group ride is?

As soon as it started it turned into who had the biggest balls contest....

 

I got why you had the hump mate, was referring to ratser post above mine....

Although after reading you comment there, I guess that a similar situations could have happened to him which is why he had the hump, so I might of miss read that?

Guess best way to avoid everyone getting hump on group rides is establish ground rules with new guys, or ride with tried and trusted pals.

 

Sorry mate, i didn't realize you were referring to Ratser!

TBH i love riding on my own for most of the time, no one to hold make me go fast or slow me down...i go at the pace im comfortable with If i make any mistakes then its on me and i know where i went wrong...like yesterday i took a bend too early, so had to adjust mid mend to make it through....learning at your own pace is fun!

The 2 guys i went for a ride with on sunday were good, those i would go for a run again no bother....the ones on Saturday, not likely anytime soon.

 

best way to be mate. and once your comfortable with the bike and your riding etc, group riding does bring a good dimension and fun to riding also. providing it's with the right people, too fast, too slow, dangerous, different ideas of good miles, long stops, short stops, types of roads.... sooo much to factor in, and you'll never please everyone.... but it's epic when you get a good group ride out. dont let sat put you off. but good on ya for getting out there and putting the experience behind ya.

 

I think with big groups because of the diversity of skill and experience involved its always going to be problematic....as the slower ones will hold back the faster one and vice versa...2 guys i went riding with on Sunday were both at my level...one of them a bit better than me and another poorer than me....so we can help each other out as we took turns to be in potion 1 2 3 so each could monitor how the others ride and see where their lines are etc.

Another sunny day here...so will try to get out again if i can....seem to have found a good road i like riding thats good at testing my skills