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am i a squid?

3K views 56 replies 37 participants last post by  metalwizard  
#1 · (Edited)
so I'm 41 years old, and moved fro so cal to so utah 2 years ago, because of the crazyness on the socal freeways i havent ridden much in the last 5-6 years, just an occasional weeken on the dirtbikes etc. so now that i'm here in Utah and the roads are longer ( i drive 43 miles to work) and safer/way less crowded, i bought myself a 2006 R1 (in october 06) I've been riding it to and from work and all over hell and back (got almost 4000 miles on her already)

a few weeks ago some "kid" sees me on my bike and invites me to ride with their club out here ( the only one around) of course i accept. last weeken they went up a local canyon road miles of twist turny up and down roads ( like the gap but smaller) so i go with them, they are flying up this thing (i guess they do it all the time, well i've never driven the road before so i take it easy, they are to the top way before i get there and they even send someone back to look for me. heck i'm still hitting 120 on the straights im just taking it easy on the turns.

well they meet again today and i get a bunch of shit from these little punks like "Oh thats the guy we lost" "Oh he don't know how to ride" and other stupid comments..

so is it im older and wizer than these "Punks" (most of them ar in their low 20's i would say) or am i just a squid?? and should i brush off their comments and still ride with them? :dundun:

or should i go on my own learn every turn and dip in that canyon and go blow them away once we thaw out next spring?/ not sure what i should do?

O.K. let the flaming begin!! :fire
 
#2 ·
I think you answered your own question. However, i would NOT ride with those guys if they trash talk you and/or ride like without caution. Riding in a group should first and foremost be with people who care where you are at and where they are at while riding. Bottom line, when ridig in a group, i ALWAYS trail at the end at first, to see how the others ride and react to other riders. Then, after the ride and shooting the shit, you can get a fair assesment of their riding capabilites, character, and attitude on whats the reason you ride to begin with. As for the last part of your statment, i would just ride your ride, and if you nblow them away, kewl, but if not who cares, as long as your enjying your ride, and eventually, you'll hoolup with riders who want and ride the way you are all comfortable with each other.

My .02c

Cheers
 
#56 ·
I think you answered your own question. However, i would NOT ride with those guys if they trash talk you and/or ride like without caution. Riding in a group should first and foremost be with people who care where you are at and where they are at while riding. Bottom line, when ridig in a group, i ALWAYS trail at the end at first, to see how the others ride and react to other riders. Then, after the ride and shooting the shit, you can get a fair assesment of their riding capabilites, character, and attitude on whats the reason you ride to begin with. As for the last part of your statment, i would just ride your ride, and if you nblow them away, kewl, but if not who cares, as long as your enjying your ride, and eventually, you'll hoolup with riders who want and ride the way you are all comfortable with each other.

My .02c


Cheers
Well said. :thumbup
 
#3 · (Edited)
your age should not make a difference. Id say if I was riding r1 by the time im 41, I would consider myself fairly cool guy. Im 24 and have been riding since I can remember, but I do remember being the rookie. With that being said, everyone has to start somewhere, and no one starts from the top. Dont get discourged because some "punks", and their comments. I would brush it off and try a few more times and if their being ass again then consider finding new riders. I use to ride with many diffent groups and it gets old after while, the stupid shat that some people do, speeding tickets, angry drivers, you will witness a few crashes, some funny others not soo funny..but its very clear its bound to happen.. Its obvious that you have lots more common sense and your not pushing your limits but still managing to have fun. one thing I realize with having a motorcycle of any kind is that you dont need anyone to enjoy it but yourself.
 
#4 ·
Nah, you're not a squid. I assume you're riding with some gear too, unlike most of them I'd be willing to guess. Personally, I just ride without them, find some twists that you can practice on, and be a responsible rider. Stay safe bro :thumbup
 
#11 ·
Nah, you're not a squid. I assume you're riding with some gear too, unlike most of them I'd be willing to guess. Personally, I just ride without them, find some twists that you can practice on, and be a responsible rider. Stay safe bro :thumbup
+1

You're not a squid for not know the rode and just getting use to the feel of the bike. If you want, you can still ride with them. Just let them get to you. For some reason everyone is looking for a trophy :dunno
 
#5 ·
So they think you’re slow because you choose not to ride fast on the streets? I would have laughed at them and been on my way. I know guys that are beasts at the track but tone it way down when riding the street. In their eyes there is just too much to risk running fast on the street so they choose not to. Sure, to the weekend canyon warrior it may appear as though these types of riders are slow and inexperienced, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Their street tires may show no sign of extreme lean, but their track tires tell a tale of always being leaned, and hard.

I also don’t see the big deal about them having to wait. When there is a slower guy riding with my group, and many times there is someone that is significantly slower, we simply wait for them and certain areas, mainly where the road gives multiple directions of travel. It’s not a big deal at all.

I personally would stop riding with these guys. You riding slower than them is obviously a hindrance to them based on their comments. Sure, it is always more fun to ride with a group rather than solo, safer too, but if the group doesn’t have the same values as you, the fun gets diminished.
 
#14 ·
Sure, it is always more fun to ride with a group rather than solo, safer too, but if the group doesn’t have the same values as you, the fun gets diminished.

Wizard, you got some great advice on here, this is the only point I'd take issue with. Riding in a group being safer. I think riding in a group is more dangerous. You get slow riders trying to keep up with fast riders. You have the one-upmanship factor. You have guys crossing you up, taking away your ability to evade hazards. Group testosterone, etc.

Whether in a group or not, the best thing is to ride your own ride, at a pace that you fee comfortable with. I have some friends that I ride with on occasion, but riding with strangers always gets me amped up. You don't know what they're gonna do in a given situation, where as riding with friends you generally have a good feeling as to what they're all about.
 
#6 ·
A squid would try to keep up and risk getting hurt. They do not wear gear usually and ride in a dangerous manner. You do not sound like a squid.

You could go dial in their favorite canyon road to increase your speed and knowledge of it but chances are there will still be someone faster maybe just because they would take greater risks. I think ignoring them works best. I cannot stand $h!t talkers and would rather ride by myself than hang out with that kind of people.

Go to the track and your riding will improve dramatically....it did for me.
 
#7 ·
i dont know about you, but i ride motorcycles for enjoyment and nothing else. racing motocross makes me happy. riding sportbikes makes me happy. stunting and screwing around on my supermoto makes me happy. thats why i do it. if you go out with those guys, and they are going faster than youre comfortable going, or talking shit about you, then dont ride with them. one thing i realized when i used to race cars was that i was stressed out from it, more than i was enjoying it, so i got out of it. dont let motorcycles become a creator of stress in your life, forcing you to get out of the sport. go ride your bike, enjoy it, and ***** what anyone else says. riding motorcycles is my favorite thing in the enire world, and i hope i never get to a point where i no longer enjoy it, and want to get out of the sport. people talking shit about you, riding too fast and getting hurt, getting tickets, etc will make motorcycling become un-enjoyable and you'll want to quit. i personally think that its kinda sad when people's favorite thing in the world ends up becoming negative, forcing them to quit. just go ride the way YOU want to. you dont sound like a squid at all, you sound like a 40 year old who is out to have fun and enjoy riding a cool bike.
my .02
 
#8 ·
You'd be stupid to try and keep up. Even if you knew the roads. When I run into guys at Angeles Crest or Big Bear I let them take off. I don't care if I get there an hour later. I guess most of my hesistation comes from riding Glendora Ridge all the time when I use to live 10mins from it. To me mountain roads are unmaintained and anything can happen.

When I'm about to go through a turn my mind starts running the "what if this...." routine (maybe because I drive for a living).

What if:
- they just threw the salt down to clear the snow off the road (had that happen).

- there was a rock slide (wait had that one too).

- one of those crazy kids is coming from the other direction and is drifting into the other lane (rode behind a kid that couldn't keep his Harley in the lane and we were doing the speed limit).

- there's a car broken down on the side of the road, with what little room there is to begin with.

- an animal decides to cross the road.

I have a co-worker that rode with some guys, and appearently there's this section of the road where the residents dump oil, because they're tired of the bikes screaming through their neighbourhood.

I say ride a casual, confortable pace, one where you can stop the bike in a hurry if need be. If it still results in a crash, I much prefer a low speed crash compared to one that'd leave me with a totaled bike.

Besides, what's the rush when you're out for a ride?

BTW I love track days, that's when I go a little faster than normal, so that also ruined my going up into the mountains. It's so nice to be able to see through a turn. My track day hobby is looking bleek for next year, but hopefully I'll still be able to get a couple of days. :)
 
#9 ·
well guys youve made me feel much better! i was doing like you said, riding at speeds i felt safe at. i'll be taking your advice, and may not ride with these guys much especially if they give my old ass any more shit. of course i always give people a second chance. so i will ride with them again, but at my own pace weather they like it or not.

by the way this isnt my first bike, i used to ride all the time, i just kinda hung it up several years ago when things were getting to crazy and i had other thing on my mind! heck i still have my rz350 (now thats a machine from the past) and i still get out to the dunes on occasion.


thanx again for the vote of confidence!! this forum has some great peeps here!!:bow
 
#10 ·
As long as you're riding your own ride, and not someone else's pace, it's totally up to you who you ride with. Personally, I'd never talk down about a guy who was slower than me (except for Bogie, cause of his sexual preference). Hell, we were all there once, and being fast is in no way an indicator of how good you are as a rider overall.

It's entirely possible that you've hooked up with some pro's and they were just giving you a hard (but spirited) time. Don't forget, that "sense of humor" may be different there as well.

If you think they were being rude, I would probably find someone else to ride with. Who has time for that shit anyways.

At least they sent someone back for you after you didn't show up for awhile - that's a plus at least.

Just do what feels right and you'll be fine.
 
#21 ·
As long as you're riding your own ride, and not someone else's pace, it's totally up to you who you ride with. Personally, I'd never talk down about a guy who was slower than me (except for Bogie, cause of his sexual preference).

Just because I wouldn't accept your gay advances at the Gap you are pissed off!! :fact

:2bitchsla Fugger Skank!! :finger





As for the original post.......Ride your ride and if that isn't exceptable for them then I wouldn't ride with them! :fact
 
#12 ·
thanx skank, these guys arent pros, just wanna be's i think, like i said i will give them anoter chance,but i'm still riding were i feel comfortable. and as much dirt as I hear being talked about bogie, I gotta meet this guy....
(by the way bogie i'm straight so don't get your hopes up):secret:
 
#13 ·
thanx skank, these guys arent pros, just wanna be's i think, like i said i will give them anoter chance,but i'm still riding were i feel comfortable. and as much dirt as I hear being talked about bogie, I gotta meet this guy....
(by the way bogie i'm straight so don't get your hopes up):secret:

Be careful though bro, you thought riding above your comfort level could be dangerous, don't take your eye off him...:secret:
 
#15 ·
They are the squids, you should never encourage or taunt a rider to ride beyond their comfort level. You should always put the safety of yourself and those you ride with first and look out for your friends. Lastly, even though I do it, flying around twisties, especially ones you don't know on regular roads is seriously dangerous. Don't ride with them anymore, but check the obits and you will see them eventually.

stupidity begets accidents
 
#16 ·
We ride with a variety of differnet ages, styles and experience. Ages from low twenties to mid 40s. We hit twisties, rock long wheelies etc.. Sure we joke around but we never insult someones riding abilities or style. If they are dangerous sure we tell them and o
 
#18 ·
I have to agree with that. I was the first in my group of close friends to get 2 wheels. When 2 of my other buddies got bikes this summer we rode all the time, but I always stayed in the back of the pack, if I thought something was going to be tricky or unsafe coming up I could always scoot up front and change things to take a different route. We even spent time at a particular spot with each of us taking that same corner and watching. Trying to learn, things to practice, and when I could offer advice I did. But telling someone they're a slow loser is complete BS.
 
#20 · (Edited)
its always better to be slower & safer, ride at your own pace. trying to ride at their pace on unfamilier roads is a disaster waiting to happen :thumbup

the group I ride with has rules for group rides and appoints ride captains for each ride, we also buddy up new riders with more experienced riders. sure there's always the joking around, but our goal is to make new riders feel comfortable (riding in a group) & welcome on our rides. we have an EMT who rides with us as well, and they accepted an old fart like me (55yrs.), our group is pretty diverse in ages :rock

we also have monthly meetings so everyone can get to know each other, and get to feel part of the group. we have group events all year long, even in the winter, makes for closer knit group.

looking for a great bunch of guys & gals to ride/hang out with in MI, check out DetroitSportBikes, several R1 forum members are also DSB members here. we welcome all makes & models of bikes :thumbup
 
#23 ·
Ok, i've been lurking long enough. You need to ride your own pace. Remember when you started riding on two wheels, most of those riders were either playing with power wheels or still swimming in daddy's nutz. Like you , i just got my '06 R1 and i'm 42. But with that said this isn't my first sportbike, nor do i plan on it being my last. If you want to go stupid fast, take it to the track. Find people that don't have a death wish and a mortgage to ride with.
 
#24 ·
Negative, you're not a candidate for Team Calamari.

I'm 45, ride a R1 and learned a long time ago not to let "locals" run me at a pace I'm not comfortable with on an unknown road.

When I first moved to Groton Ct. I met some locals who thought it would be funny to run first timers through some of the nearby twisties at speed. One particular corner had a gravity cavity that would unsettle the bike if you weren't ready for it. This would cause you to corner wide and hit marbles on the shoulder and carry the unsuspecting rider into a creek. Luckily I was pacing the guy and saw his suspension extend and saved it. When we got back to the meeting parking lot he smirked and said, "how'd you like that corner by the creek?" When his buds started stifling giggles I knew what they were trying to pull. I kicked the guy right square in the ass with a steel toed size 11 and said, "Nice corner, how'd you like that kick in the ass? Lets go again."

Learn the road, then up the speed. You're not the squid.
 
#32 ·
too much to read, but if you are riding without gear than yes you are a squid, if not than you are not. however if you are new to riding than you are a noob, newb, newbie or whatever. fugg dude always ride your own, dont know the trail, dont push yourself. better to take it easy and ride another day i always so, no point in falling off a cliff just cause you need to prove your manhood.
 
#36 · (Edited)
lol was it DSR, Dark Side Riders?

Anyways dont worry about what kids think of ya, theres always someone faster, just stay within your limits. If u want to meet some cool people in slc check out the usba guys http://www.utahsba.com and get out to the track in the spring http://www.millermotorsportspark.com , it was just voted as the nicest facilty in the world by some important organization :secret: either way its a dope track.


oh shit just realized you were in southern utah, nevermind.
 
#39 ·
sandman thanx for the input, but yes thats about 5 hrs north of me. Heck the track might be worth the ride!!

and for the milage, its 43 miles one way to work, but it only takes me 1/2 hr. much better than the hour or more it took me in CA to get like 20 miles....

and i think im gonna stay away from that group, I wanna ride for more than just today!!
 
#40 ·
The guys seem like a bunch of punks. Implying that they expect you to keep up is a stupid idea, for anyone. They should know better than that. I would not recommend riding with those jack asses.
Find yourself a different group of people who enjoy riding for the sake of riding itself. No need to get hassled by people like that. remember, you dont ride for them. You ride for your own enjoyment.
Once you have more experience in the twisties, you will show them your exhaust smoke...give yourself time. Rushing leads to hospital trips on the streets.