Charity Bike rides.. worth it?

[CrypticCrud]

Ride to Skeggy on 28th Sept, It says it's 125 friendly, which helps!
3 quid to participate

Are they worth it?
Any etiquette? (Big bikes at the front?)

Me on my monkey is going to have to refuel once we get there, when do I do that... on the way in? the way out? or do I just take 5 minutes out of the day & do it myself? or is this stuff discussed on the day?

heeeeeellllp meeeeeee!
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CBT - Aug24, Theory - Jun25, Mod 1 - Jul25, Mod 2 - Sep25
Kawasaki Z125 > Honda Z125

[Ste]

Got a link to the event you're asking about?

[CrypticCrud]

[Ste]

The question of are they worth it, if you want to ride for 70 miles with a group of people who've named themselves after a black American motorcycle club (an MC, not an MCC) then you'll probably enjoy it. If not then you might find it a bit boring.

Where and when you refuel to get home is your business.

You could just give a fiver to whatever charity it is and not get yourself involved with their soul taking circle jerk.

[CrypticCrud]

It’s just a name, right?
Riding a bike, boring? Since when?
Got that on the refuelling!
If there’s an opportunity to go somewhere on the bike then I’m up for it. If it’s somewhere I haven’t been before (on the bike) it’s a yay from me.
I’m not sure I’ll be participating in any ‘club activities’ but it would be nice to meet some people who also ride. (I have no friends who ride)

Great input tho. Thanks!
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CBT - Aug24, Theory - Jun25, Mod 1 - Jul25, Mod 2 - Sep25
Kawasaki Z125 > Honda Z125

[blurredman]

I'm not a fan of riding in groups.
____________________
CBT: 12/06/10, Theory: 22/09/10, Module 1: 09/11/10, Module 2: 19/01/11
Past: 1991 Honda CG125BR-J, 1992 (1980) Honda XL125S, 1996 Kawasaki GPZ500S, 1979 MZ TS150.
Current: 1973 MZ ES250/2 - 18k, 1979 Suzuki TS185ER - 10k, 1981 Honda CX500B - 91k, 1987 MZ ETZ250 (295cc) - 40k, 1989 MZ ETZ251 - 51k.

[Easy-X]

In my experience proper motorcycle clubs - ones that call junior members "prospects" and have little waistcoats - are the most boring people in the 2-wheel world
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Royal Enfield Continental GT 535, Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[A100man]

[WD Forte]

As above, do it and report back, it will be an experience.
Dont feel pressurised to ride in a way you're not comfortable with.
'Ride your own ride'

I've been on lots of ride outs and hated close knit group riding and others did too so we used a way point system
instead ie:
Leave here, meet up here for tea fags toilet etc,
Count heads then carry on to next way point or destination

This allowed for hooning like mad eejits and/or gentle bimbles going "Ooh look! cows!"
I would expect at least a print out of the route and contact numbers in case of problems
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bikers smell of wee

[MarJay]

I've done the Toy Run a few times, and honestly? After once I didn't need to do it again really. Riding 'at parade speeds' is dull as ditchwater. If it's a faster ride then there is a risk you get goaded into riding above your ability, or some idiot on a wrecked old bike with only one working gear and no brakes wheelies across the pack and takes a load of innocent bikes out.

If I ride in groups generally it's groups I trust, and otherwise I am very very wary.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[CrypticCrud]

I'm not a speed demon by any stretch & I wouldn't be comfortable riding along side anyone, so I might just go along, cough up & ride along/alone at the back!

Thanks for your input folks!
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CBT - Aug24, Theory - Jun25, Mod 1 - Jul25, Mod 2 - Sep25
Kawasaki Z125 > Honda Z125

[slowasyoulike]

I hate riding in groups; I've found that even relatively sensible individuals' road sense goes to rat shit once they're riding en masse, egging each other on to go faster, taking stupid risks etc.

They claim the ride is '125 friendly' so I would hope that means they have considered the need for small bikes to refuel. I bet they haven't though.

Seriously, riding with other people is over-rated. One of the main reasons I ride is that it's a good way of avoiding them!

[CrypticCrud]

It sounds like it’s more hassle than it’s worth.. I’m now wondering whether, as suggested to just stick a fiver in the pot and give it a miss!
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CBT - Aug24, Theory - Jun25, Mod 1 - Jul25, Mod 2 - Sep25
Kawasaki Z125 > Honda Z125

[A100man]

[WD Forte]

Yeah! gwan ya pussy, do it!
With a biker gang named "Soul takers" what could possibly go wrong?

take a friend

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwallpapersok.com%2Fimages%2Fthumbnail%2Fdumband-dumber-motorbike-scene-2yrqar0i517jump3.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=15f91c969594952130d9448b20ad8c7ded95e48261c2e1a748d7475c817b2988
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bikers smell of wee

[that_impulse_guy]

obviously not all rides take place in the confines in London...but I have been on many rides in and around London, with all that entails.

I dont take a bike with a heavy clutch...you'll be doing a lot of stopping and starting and balancing. Riders are generally side by side a tlights, two per lane, and go into a zip formation as speeds incrase above 10-20mph (yes, exciting). The one on the left gets to dodge the dodgy road edge, the one on the ride gets to check their mirrors constantly and swerve out the way of the marshalls...you are the superheroes of the day in their own minds. Hopefully, someone has done the route the day before to see which red lights cameras are active/present...and the marshalls tend to block the road ahead so cars dont interfere with the ride...we're all about making friends along the way.

At some point, a deliveroo rider on L-plates will decide we are in their way and make haste through the pack. Cars will swear.

I think this year was my last year escorting dead people to cemeteries and dropping chocolates off for kids in need.


The other rides...the ones that are "lets do 100 miles to destination X" at least you'll not overheat and hopefully get up to something nearing the speed limit, but theres always Harry The Hero trying to outdo everyone with his loud exhaust gixxer and tiny penis. You'll be able to stop him easily as he's the ones that'll go through the questionably orange light and then wait at the other side for everyone to catch up, thus gaining no time, and then blasting off again so we can all hear his exhaust.


TLDR; find some folks, no more than a group of 4 or so, that ride like you do and think about riding in the same way as you.
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Gone: Yamaha DT50lc, Suzuki DR500, Suzuki A100, Kawasaki z250ltd, RD350YPVS, Suzuki DR Big, Kawasaki AR125, Kawasaki KMX200, Suzuki GS1000S, Katana 1100, GS550M, Suzuki RGV250
Now: Suzuki GSX400X, Suzuki RF900R, NS400R

[superstacker]

I cannot be dealing with riding 15 miles between multiple stop and pickup points on the way to an event where you'll also be standing around in either a boiling hot or freezing cold car park paying a fiver for a can of coke.

[hellkat]

Bone up on the route and gas up at a petrol station nearest the start of the route before you get to the muster point. Probably everyone else will be, anyway.

Ride for yourself, try to keep up but don't endanger yourself. Especially if you're riding with bike clubs. MCs tend to ride a lot together in a pack of their own kind, and they ride very fast so you will never keep up with them anyway, they only ride slow(ish) at funerals.

So make yourself as aware as possible of your route - where to turn at which junctions/milestones etc - so that you can ride at your own comfortable pace if you lose the pack. A decent club (particularly if they say they are 125-friendly) will be likely to have a road captain and/or a couple of outriders to round you up and keep you in amongst the rest of them, who will ride behind and/or up and down to keep car lunacy to a minimum.

Plenty of people will be riding slower than the front runners anyway, and someone will invariably wait for you on the other side of traffic lights if they see you miss them. Make sure you thank them when you get a chance.
(Better to miss the traffic light than to get wiped out halfway across by over-eager cars jumping the orange light)
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[CrypticCrud]

I went to the meeting point, paid up & rode with them for about 15 miles before I left them to it.

They were speeding in 30 zones, blocking junctions & sped off without me. Granted after 5 miles or so they stopped and let me get in the pack and ride at my speed… but it was cold & wet & I took my time. (Like I always do)

After the 15 miles, I spoke to one of the junction blockers & told them I’d leave them to it. (It was cold & wet & was only forecast to get worse )

They were all really polite & seemed like good people but blocking junctions & speeding.. ain’t my thing at all. We were all staggered but still close, & again being an inexperienced rider.. I felt uncomfortable.

I’m glad I went & sampled it but I definitely won’t be doing it again!
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CBT - Aug24, Theory - Jun25, Mod 1 - Jul25, Mod 2 - Sep25
Kawasaki Z125 > Honda Z125

[blurredman]

https://i.makeagif.com/media/11-12-2017/Gb34j-.mp4
____________________
CBT: 12/06/10, Theory: 22/09/10, Module 1: 09/11/10, Module 2: 19/01/11
Past: 1991 Honda CG125BR-J, 1992 (1980) Honda XL125S, 1996 Kawasaki GPZ500S, 1979 MZ TS150.
Current: 1973 MZ ES250/2 - 18k, 1979 Suzuki TS185ER - 10k, 1981 Honda CX500B - 91k, 1987 MZ ETZ250 (295cc) - 40k, 1989 MZ ETZ251 - 51k.

[hellkat]

yeah, we all do it at least once before deciding we would really rather ride at our own pace than trust a lot of dickhead show-off riding by people we discover we don't even really like.

Still ... plenty of folk continue on and keep doing them, so I suppose it must be okay sometimes ...
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[fw750x]

I used to do the local Toy Run every december , 20 Years in a row , The last run was the usual The Police Blocked the Junction and then the Marshalls took over and the Police moved to the Next Major Junction. In between two Junctions about 3 Miles in Distance down a Hill and along a Straight Plenty of Vision to see if the Road was Clear, I was behind the Lead rider sitting about 40 feet from him to allow Marshalls to tuck in when getting back to the front of the run. Anyway this Village idiot of a Marshall who did not have a Clue what he was Supposed to be doing and could not ride a Bike to save himself, Was Passing the line of bikes behind i reckon doing about 90 mph as i saw his Headlight at the Top of the Hill he was going that Fast and was Never going to get Past the Lead rider before the upcoming Right hand Blind bend . I was right into the Hedge my Hand guard and left Knee bouncing off the Hedge to Avoid getting Taken out as he Swerved into the Gap still doing about 50 mph and missed me by about an inch How he missed the lead Rider i will never know he went between him and he Hedge and then once round the Blind bend took off again at Hyper Speed. At the Next stop about 5 Minutes later i Thought he would have came over and held his hand up and said sorry about that Nothing So that Finished me with Group Rides