group rides

If you have never joined a group for a ride, it is an experience that can either bring you back for more or turn you away from it altogether. Trick is finding a group you will not only want to ride with, but socialize with as well, the reality is you start to become an extended family and a place you know where you are accepted. Searching for a group can be challenging and there are plenty of sites that you can peruse to find them, but join with caution, some groups are testosterone driven free for alls and will not only dare you to push your limits, but could very well end you in the hospital. Ask to ride with the groups a few time to view the dynamics, the organizers and their safety protocol. I think the biggest test in a group is how they organize their rides, how well all the organizers and assistant organizers communicate, safety briefings (especially in big groups) and the general vibe you get from everyone. If you don’t feel that they get along, time to bounce, you know that once you are on the road you may be dealing with egos jockeying for position and you don’t want to be a part of that.

Safety when riding in groups is a challenge and of extreme importance, there are always varying degrees of skill level and you want to be in a group that will cater to all and keep them relatively happy. The organizer should have a video or before every ride a pre-ride safety meeting to go over hand signals (which for the most part is the only way you are going to be able to communicate to the other riders), formations and answer questions . A good organizer will have posted the route, the gas/food breaks and basic eta from one point to another. Chances are times will vary depending on size of group, but generally speaking it runs pretty close to the times posted. There should also be a clear blueprint of what to do in an emergency (benefit of riding in a group, plenty of help) and everyone should be sporting and I.C.E. card (in case of emergency card). If you aren’t a member of the AMA, you should join up (you can find the link on my home page), it is beneficial in many ways. One being that they will tow your bike for free, but check out their site for a list of benefits. Your group should also have a list of requirements for gear they expect you to have, trust me when you go down jeans are not protection, basics should include: Protective jacket, pants, DOT approved helmet, gloves (preferably gauntlet) and boots. Most importantly though is how you will fit into the group, most groups have a core group and many other groups within sometimes bound by skill level, friendships, etc. But they should all be able to mesh together cohesively when on a ride and it should be about having fun and doing it with people you actually want to spend time with. Many friendships come from joining groups like this which is why finding the right group is so important.

I am part of several groups, but there is one that I hold very dear to my heart (Eastside Sportbikers) and I play a very active role in every chance I can get. They took me in as a rider who could barely keep her bike from tipping over (while standing on tiptoes) to being my fans as I entered my novice year of racing. They encouraged me when I was a newbie and they gained my loyalty in return, I love this group and the people in it, the friendships that have developed and the camaraderie. Those are the feelings you should get when you decide to join a group, if not, move on. There are plenty of them out there and just like finding a mate eventually you’ll find one that is “Just Right.” Meetup is a great channel to find groups in general so give it a try and find out how much fun riding in a group can be. Ride on Vixens!

As your skills progress, it is only natural to test your limits and start to add some more speed to the equation (I personally think we all get a little cocky the more confident we become). But with this added speed we have to be more alert and not think, “Hey I had this at the lower speed, I got this,” because what you will have is more than your share of, “Oh *&#@ moments.” At higher speeds it requires more focus and attention and you really need to be thinking well ahead of the turn, if you are focusing only on the turn in front of you, you will run out of road really quick (and I mean literally), in the CA Superbike School this was referred to as “wide view”. It seems simple enough, but at high speeds your wide view requires a great deal of concentration and interpretation on what is important and what you must disregard. If you don’t, you can start to feel uncomfortable and this can cause you to target fixate, for example you see a pothole and instead of missing it you end up riding right into it. Your mind has a moment of panic and before you know it what you were trying to avoid becomes the object you end up becoming very intimate with (in a bad way). On a road you have your lane, the outside edge and the inner edge, because of the size of your machine, you have plenty of room to play with. Now add a twisty road with a lot of blind corners, cars coming at you from the opposite side who sometimes are not so great at staying in their lane, this can really scare the crud out of you.

Learning how to read reference points (entry point, apex, exit points) in a turn will help keep those moments of panic at bay and hopefully with enough practice will give you the confidence to ride those twisties at speeds that make others nod in respect. It is not only women that have trouble with corners though, I know quite a few men who have misjudged a turn or two and ended up on the side of the road, heart in their throat. It is important to look well ahead of the turn and not only be aware of where the road is leading, but have enough attention scanning for any issues that may arise on the road like potholes, loose gravel, bumps, etc. This is even more of an issue when riding in a group setting where you are responsible for not taking out the person in front of you because you were in lala land, if you don’t feel completely confident in your riding ability, wait a bit before joining a group or join one specifically for novice riders. Riding in a group however has it’s advantages, which include safety in numbers, camaraderie, support, learning from better riders and the list goes on. However, there are disadvantages as well, such as varied levels of experience which can lead to accidents and people riding above their abilities to “fit” in. Never ride someone else’s ride, ride to your comfort level, if it causes your heart to palpitate too much take it back a notch.

Your best friend is knowledge and seat time (sorry no short cuts here ladies), invest and learn as much as you can. Take classes to better your riding, if there is something in particular that you want to improve on or seems to stump you, find a class that addresses that skill or ask a friend who is a rider for their input (however, ask a reliable source). We want women to learn from reputable companies we’ve established relations with and know that they are the leading authorities in their industry. I hope you will take the opportunity to sign up for workshops, courses or track days we put on to get more women out there feeling really good about their rides and loving it. Check out our events section for upcoming dates and be sure to sign up. I hope to see you all out there at the upcoming track day in June, I know you guys are in for a treat. Mark DeGross with 2 Fast puts on a great performance school and you will leave feeling exhausted and excited with your newfound abilities which you will be able to apply immediately on the streets. Ride on Vixens, the weather is looking up if this last weekend was any indicator!