From: viking@iastate.edu (Dan Sorenson)
Subject: Re: A question.
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames IA
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1992 02:10:13 GMT

klinger@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Jorg Klinger) writes:

>As often happens, the corners in the posted area are very
>tight and we crest a hill in one corner where the road immediately
>switches back the other way on the down hill. Wow!, I say to myself and
>reduce my speed way down in preparation for a hairpin turn. Just before
>I enter the turn I look back in my mirrors and see a bike and rider
>sliding across the road.
> 
>  He said he was riding at his own pace and not trying to keep up, but
>after thinking about it I'm not so shure. I suspect he was trying to
>make up time in the posted zone in order to catch up with us. He's not a
>bad rider, he just hasn't ridden much in the last while, he was on a
>strange bike, and I think he was trying to make up time.

	Both are possible, and even somewhat likely.  Be glad he's fine.

>  Was I at fault? 

	No.

>  Should we have slowed when we saw him fall back?

	No.  You *could* have, but it's not necessary.

>  I guess it only makes sense that he would push harder to keep up to us,
>but on the other hand we had just ridden 2 hr. across bare-ass
>cross-wind prairie to get to enjoy these twisties and we didn't want to
>waste them.

	There's no need for you to.  The thing to do is talk to the other
riders and tell them what's going to happen.  You ride at your own pace,
even somewhat on a group ride.  If somebody in a group ride slows a bit, 
the group slows as the bikes spread out.  This is fine.  If I'm in a group
and Hesh decides to burn canyons, I sure as hell ain't chasing him, or
pushing myself to keep up.  Let him run -- that's his choice.  All I ask
is that he sit by the side of the road and wait for me if he's turning
off the planned route.  This doesn't mean that 1000-mile trip needs to
find him three hours behind you, but you get the idea.

	Your friend was at fault if he pushed himself beyond his limits,
the limits of the bike, and drove too fast for the road.  Keeping up
with you is of no concern -- the joy of motorcycling is not dependent
on keeping you in sight unless you're in some competition.  His own
lack of practice should have been restraint enough.

	It brings to mind a section of the under-650 group ride at the
last Ride and Feed.  Our Intrepid Leader passed a slow-moving Winnebago
on some twisties, and slowed down a bit to wait for us.  The distance
varied a lot, but he never cranked it open and made the gap too wide.
The rest of us passed as best we could, and eventually caught up.
That group ride was scattered across two miles of blacktop for what
seemed like a half hour, but at the next stop sign we re-grouped and
rode on.  Had our Intrepid Leader decided to take it WFO, I'd have kept
my own pace an expected to find him at the next stop sign because
there's no way I'm running the edge on a borrowed bike.

<Dan Sorenson, DoD #1066 |"I see angels on Ariels in leather and>
<z1dan@exnet.iastate.edu | chrome, Swooping down from heaven to >
<viking@iastate.edu      | carry me home."   ---    R. Thompson >
<ISU thinks I need more education, which they provide for a fee.>