Do you prefer to ride solo or in a group?

[thrilled]

I like going solo unless the group are moving at A good speed

[taninthai]

Smallish groups are great fun and if you employ the corner man system with a tailgunner no_ one ever gets lost and the fast riders still get to go fast

Would you care to elucidate?

corner man system you have one person leading all the time and one person always stays at the back (the tail gunner),when making any turns the leading rider points the person behind him to wait at that turn,that rider will wait until he sees the tail gunner coming then he can set of again and race back near the front of the pack if desired.

its a good system which allows everyone to ride at there own pace yet still get the whole group to the destination.

little vid below explains it better

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hak3egkcRDo#t=41

[BSJ]

Back home I did the Annual xmas toy run. Would be 15 times in Victoria and twice when living in Adelaide. That was OK as it was slow speed and my antlers would stay put!

Here I never ride in groups. I think the Harley riders are envious of my superior American made cruiser.

[dave_boo]

I prefer the smaller groups or solo. Have rode every paved road in Nakhon Sawan (and a lot of the unpaved ones) and quite a bit of Kamphaeng Phet and Uthai Thani solo. Great getting out and seeing things at your own pace.

As others have mentioned...it can be an issue finding good riding partners. Matching the skill level (most are more advanced than me so through the technical stuff they get 'er done faster) as well as personalities is paramount. There are certain boardmembers that I simply wouldn't ride with due to the inanity of their postings. I make certain exceptions for non-native English speakers as idioms and turns of phrases can come out wrong; but if you're from a Commonwealth or North America and sound like an asshat...you probably are one and wouldn't be much fun to ride with.

I've also become more OCD about reaching checkpoints are certain times. Blame the electronics. Throw in the fact when I'm on a ride it's because I'm on vacation and those with me are simply on their weekend it's hard to plan good rides. Riding down somewhere to meet someone for an afternoon ride only is a bit of a bore. And yes I love those long distance rides which most people don't care for...

[DualSportBiker]

I know exactly what you mean about clearing your head. I had just returned to Singapore after my start -up had tanked and was fighting my partner in a messy breakup. Flew to Krabi and rented a 750 Honda cruiser and rode to khao lak and back. By the time I was back in Krabi I had a strategy to close up and get that douche out of my life.

Oh, I too am open to riding with new groups and am not fixated on finding mud...

I need my solo rides to clear my mind. Groups are ok but as some said dont like it too big groups; sometimes i joined groups but their riding styles or just personality/ preferences doesnt fit. So i skip these and ride with riders iam comfortable with; however still joining new ones sometimes to see if i fit in

Sent; how is not important.

[ttakata]

I historically like both but it depends on speed and safety mostly.

When I lived in LA, I had a Honda Ruckus 49cc and we had groups rides of 100+ riders which was fun because a 49cc bike is dangerous alone and funny to ride in LA with V12 whatevers everywhere.

When I used to go off roading here; I enjoyed and had to go in a group for safety and the convenience of having more than one person getting a bike through technical trails.

When I had bigbikes I preferred riding alone or with just 1 other person for safety; bigbikes are just too fast and dangerous to have many others around.

Nowadays even with a scooter I prefer riding alone, there is just too much traffic in BKK to concentrate on.

I don't even like when my girlfriend talks to me when we are scooting because I'm concentrating on not getting sandwiched by 2 cars.

If I had a bigbike and a radio headset, I would probably ride in small groups again but only outside of BKK.

[alanr1610]

I am happy to ride solo or in a group but my preference is riding with some well known friends. That way you understand each other and know what to expect.

We usually ride in a group of 5 when touring these days and that works well. 6 or more and the problems and interruptions start compromising the enjoyment.

Very big groups are fine for a parade or a very organised and usually non technical rides but that's not for me. Fun to watch though.

I tend to ride safer in that group as we have a responsibility to each other. When the road gets twisty I and another usually tear off in front knowing the others will be enjoying their speed in the comfort of companions until we all join up again shortly after. I feel it is always a good idea to stick to at least one other rider as should something happen then you or they have instant assistance.

[DualSportBiker]

Many thanks

Smallish groups are great fun and if you employ the corner man system with a tailgunner no_ one ever gets lost and the fast riders still get to go fast

Would you care to elucidate?

corner man system you have one person leading all the time and one person always stays at the back (the tail gunner),when making any turns the leading rider points the person behind him to wait at that turn,that rider will wait until he sees the tail gunner coming then he can set of again and race back near the front of the pack if desired.

its a good system which allows everyone to ride at there own pace yet still get the whole group to the destination.

little vid below explains it better

[Gweiloman]

I quite enjoy riding in big groups as I like studying group dynamics. How a person behaves in a group of people with common interests and passions tell me a lot about that particular person, whether they are a team player or a prima donna, about their personality and attitudes and ultimately, whether we can be friends or not (nothing to do about riding styles or speeds, just character and personality).

To me, riding in a big group is sometimes more enjoyable as the group naturally "splits" up according to each rider's individual comfort zone. Most important is that there should be recognised and accepted ride leader as well as a "sweeper", bringing up the rear. The biggest group I have ridden with was 40 riders and pillions in a group of 35 bikes (organised by a well known motorbike dealer). There was a designated group leader as well as escort riders and strict rules about formation riding and no overtaking at speeds. A 4day 3 night ride all the way to Mae Sot and Umphang, everyone got home safe and sound.

The biggest group I have ridden with was 40 riders and pillions in a group of 35 bikes (organised by a well known motorbike dealer). There was a designated group leader as well as escort riders and strict

rules about formation riding and no overtaking at speeds. A 4day 3 night ride all the way to Mae Sot and Umphang, everyone got home safe and sound.

You could have done all that in a bus...would be about as unenjoyable.[iMO}

You wouldn't have enjoyed it for sure as intuitive counter steering won't cut it with a group travelling at this speed.

[metisdead]

Some posts in violation of the following forum rules have been removed:

7) You will respect fellow members and post in a civil manner. No personal attacks, hateful or insulting towards other members, (flaming) Stalking of members on either the forum or via PM will not be allowed.

9) You will not post inflammatory messages on the forum, or attempt to disrupt discussions to upset its participants, or trolling. Trolling can be defined as the act of purposefully antagonizing other people on the internet by posting controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.

[BBJ]

I enjoy solo rides but small groups of 3-4 riders also. We often pass through quiet villages and I feel it is a little inconsiderate with a big gang. Myself and my colleagues are equally impulsive and we often venture down a trial that looks interesting. Quite often it is a dead-end, but it's still worth exploring.

[Gweiloman]

My definite preference is group rides as I look forward to the interim stops for toilets, petrol, coffee, cigarettes and the exchange of notes on what happened and the light banter. The icing on the cake is the end of the ride where we can sit down and have a couple of drinks and have a good laugh.

You can't do this when riding solo. No one is really interested if they were not there.

[Gnasher328]

I like riding solo but meeting others along the way and at an overnight stop for beers and natter.