Covered Bridges of New Hampshire

[S76]

Let me ask you this, Shawn: Had I not stated that our ride invite was for FJR's only, would you have come up to New Hampshire yesterday?

Yes, I would have. My wife is from Texas and loves/is fascinated by covered bridges. I've never ridden in the area and riding with people who know where "the good stuff is" is something I like doing. But the "FJR Only" restriction meant that I *couldn't* bring my wife with me as she rides a BMW F800ST and has no intention of riding on the back of my bike.

I guess I don't really understand the FJR only rule. Admittedly the world would be a better place if everyone rode FJR's....but. Is there a reason for this or is it organizer's rules or what? As in SK's case this seems a shame.

Disclaimer:

Not trying to cause trouble, just wondering. The rules are what they are and that's fine, I guess.

 

[Fred W]

Let me ask you this, Shawn: Had I not stated that our ride invite was for FJR's only, would you have come up to New Hampshire yesterday?

Yes, I would have. My wife is from Texas and loves/is fascinated by covered bridges. I've never ridden in the area and riding with people who know where "the good stuff is" is something I like doing. But the "FJR Only" restriction meant that I *couldn't* bring my wife with me as she rides a BMW F800ST and has no intention of riding on the back of my bike.

I can appreciate that, but if that's the case, then why didn't you follow my advice and ride the same basic route with the Seacoast riders? We actually shared coffee (and heat) at the Fiddlehead Cafe and later bumped into them at the Trebuchet in Greenfield at the end of the ride. Personally, I think you are pulling my leg and that you wouldn't have come. Afterall, it was pretty cold and a long way for you, but hey, it's always fun to stir up some shit, right?

Let me see if I can explain to you the idea behind the "FJR only" thing. I know this has been a sore spot for you.

As you may have already noticed, FJR riders tend to be a slightly more, ahem... mature group. We try to ride a pace that is quick enough to be fun, but without introducing unnecessary danger to ourselves, our passengers and most especially to any of the other riders in the ride group. If you've ridden in groups at all in the past I'm sure that you'll agree that there is a certain "gang" mentality that can take over. Testosterone is clearly a part of it. Guys feel they need to push their pace. Keep up. Go Fast. They don't want to be the slowest cog in the machine. But that is just bad. Way bad. Nobody should push themselves beyond their own limitations in a group ride. Ever.

We joked on Sunday about how many of the Seacoast group would not make it to the end of their ride. That's their history. 1 or 2 down per weekend. Part of what made it funny was that we heard that one of them didn't make it out of the originating parking lot in Derry. A good percentage of their group were kids in the 18-25 age group with raging hormones and really hot sport bikes. Under dressed for the weather and dithering uncontrollably when they pulled into the very first stop on the route !!.

That's not my bag, nor most of the rest of us old coots. Now, I know your wife on her F800 isn't gonna be blistering up the pavement like a reckless hooligan. But if we opened up a group ride to all makes, how can we say that you wife is OK but the other guy with the 'Busa isn't welcome? See what I mean?

Let me give you a little advice. Next time, PM the ride coordinator about bringing your wife on her bimmer (on the side). I guarantee it will be O-kee dokey. But when you publicly challenge the "rules" and throw down the verbal gauntlet in a public thread what is the ride coordinator to do?

We all realize you're probably an OK guy, Shawn. (You are right?) And we'd like if you would join in our reindeer games. Just try to be cool and come along (quietly). I'm sure you'd like us all just fine once you actually are in the same room...

So, see you next year on Covered Bridges 2009? K?

PS - There are ~60 covered bridges in New Hampshire alone. We only saw 7 of them on Sunday (due to our desire to go see the punkin chuckin Trebuchet). Watch for more posts from me. I'm going to try and photo tag and document all of them and create another couple of GPS routes so that anyone will be able to hit all the good ones (at least the ride throughs) in a 3 day weekend.

 

[ShawnKing]

I can appreciate that, but if that's the case, then why didn't you follow my advice and ride the same basic route with the Seacoast riders?

For a few reasons - it wasn't clear what their route would be (their web site was terribly unhelpful) and, although it may sound strange given the trouble some folks think I'm trying to make, I'd really like to meet up with fellow FJR Forum folks and put names to faces. Finally, it may sound odd, I wasn't getting a good vibe from the organizers or the other folks who said they were going to be on the ride.

Personally, I think you are pulling my leg and that you wouldn't have come. Afterall, it was pretty cold and a long way for you

LOL I'm Canadian so it wasn't *that* cold (and I have heated gear - my wife and I rode that Sunday for a couple hundred miles on our own in Eastern NY State) and as for "a long way"? I've ridden 4 hrs one way just to have coffee with people - granted, she was cute people but... .

We try to ride a pace that is quick enough to be fun, but without introducing unnecessary danger to ourselves, our passengers and most especially to any of the other riders in the ride group.

That is the best kind of riding to do.

We joked on Sunday about how many of the Seacoast group would not make it to the end of their ride. That's their history. 1 or 2 down per weekend.

Then I made the right decision not to ride with them.

Now, I know your wife on her F800 isn't gonna be blistering up the pavement like a reckless hooligan. But if we opened up a group ride to all makes, how can we say that you wife is OK but the other guy with the 'Busa isn't welcome? See what I mean?

No, I don't. You base the riding style/ability on the *rider*, not the bike. I'm sure you would agree that any one of us could ride a 'Busa perfectly sanely and normal. And any one of us could take a FJR and "rip up some pavement" with it. It's got *nothing* to do with the make, brand or model of the bike.

But when you publicly challenge the "rules" and throw down the verbal gauntlet in a public thread what is the ride coordinator to do?

The ride co-ordinator answers the question. If a ride co-ordinator doesn't want his "rules" challenged, then they should make that clear from the start. I wasn't aware at that time or any other that questioning each other is somehow a "Bad Thing" and shouldn't be done. And, by the ay, if you don't want to be questioned, the Internet is a *bad place*.

You are referring back to the original stink I caused. I think if you go back and look, you'll note that I was simply asking for an explanation (as you have given) of the ride coordinator. As I said, I'm a fairly new rider and had never heard this policy before so I was curious as to its nature. But that ride co-ordinator didn't feel like answering questions. So be it but he shouldn't be surprised when someone doesn't like being ignored.

We all realize you're probably an OK guy, Shawn. (You are right?)

It depends - what you see is what you get. If you have read what I've written on this forum and think, "Cool guy!" then I am. If you think I'm a dick, then I am. A lot of people here do think I'm a dick and (this may be a hint to my character) I don't care.

I'm the kind of guy who stands up for what he believes in (note that I use my full, real name as my forum handle. I stand behind everything I say and my name is out there to prove it), asks questions (I'm "in the media" by trade) and looks for answers. Some folks don't like answering questions I ask. And that's OK - they don't have to answer them. But don't be surprised when I don't just clam up and go away quietly.

I'm sure you'd like us all just fine once you actually are in the same room...

I'm not sure where the impression comes that I *don't* like any of you guys. I've never met a single one of you and I certainly wouldn't base any judgment on anyone solely through some silly web site forum. As a matter of fact, I've made *no* judgments on anyone in this forum. I don't like or dislike anyone here - I haven't *met* anyone here.

So, see you next year on Covered Bridges 2009? K?

As long as my wife and her BMW can come along. Like I've said, she's from Texas and is fascinated by covered bridges. If I tried to go on a covered bridge ride without, she'd shoot me.

No - I'm serious. She's from *Texas* - she has *many* handguns!

PS - There are ~60 covered bridges in New Hampshire alone. We only saw 7 of them on Sunday (due to our desire to go see the punkin chuckin Trebuchet). Watch for more posts from me. I'm going to try and photo tag and document all of them and create another couple of GPS routes so that anyone will be able to hit all the good ones (at least the ride throughs) in a 3 day weekend.

Very cool! I look forward to see those posts!

PS - thanks for taking the time to explain the "FJR Only" policy. I still disagree with it and think it's silly but I appreciate the explanation. Tell you what - next time you have a ride, invite everyone you'd like. If someone is riding like a hooligan, let me know and I'll be more than happy to be the "bouncer" and tell them their riding style doesn't fit in and that they should go their own way. I mean that seriously. I've done it on other rides and I'm more than willing to ask unsafe riders to leave a group ride.

 

[bergs]

A good percentage of their group were kids in the 18-25 age group with raging hormones and really hot sport bikes.

You know this for certain? I ask only because I happen to know otherwise.

 

[Fred W]

A good percentage of their group were kids in the 18-25 age group with raging hormones and really hot sport bikes.

You know this for certain? I ask only because I happen to know otherwise.

We were all in the same room at the same time (at the Cafe). The 20 year (if he was that old) kid sitting across the table from me was dressed in jeans and a thin leather sport jacket and shaking like a leaf when he came in. There were a couple of other guys in that age range in my estimation as well.

As they pulled out they made a lot of noise. I didn't observe any inappropriate hooliganism but we intentionally let them leave the cafe before us as I knew we were headed on nearly identical routes and didn't want to be bumping into them all day.

The "good percentage" comment applies more to the hotness of their bikes than their ages. Now that you mention it, it's pretty likely that the hottest (most expensive) bikes were probably ridden by older (more affluent) guys. I didn't match up riders to bikes outside.

[Edit] I want to be sure that I make myself 100% clear. I meant no disrespect whatsoever to the Seacoast Sport riders. They look like a fun bunch of guys. And as I already said, they did nothing wrong whatsoever (at least that I observed). They are just a different group with a slightly different angle on the same fun goals.

 

[snikr]

I'm with Fred. while on these rides I like to make it back home in one piece with some good stories to share with my wife if she doesn't ride with me.

We have a couple of sport bike riders that go with us and they are fun to ride with. If our pace is too slow they "do their our thing" and they wait for us to catch up. Ionbeam knows who they are (BJ and his wife Tatha). Another friend rides a FZ-1 and when they have a ride at least one has a "mishap" (or at least the last two rides I've heard of it has happened).

Tom