Forum

This is the regular ride every Monday evening starting from / finishing at, for a nice post ride beer, TGB bar.

I usually ride the 'Faster Ryders' group. Actually, it was myself and a few others who didn't want the slower pace and larger group size of the Easy Ryders nor the non-stop pace of 'the Bez' that slotted ourselves in the middle and it stuck.

Quoted from Facebook group thread:
"Changes to Happy Mondays TGB Ride starts 20th Aug
6.30pm The Short easy Ryders-60-90mins shorter loop! (no lights just yet)

6.50pm Easy Ryders.
Usual route (the last section does require lights now)

7pm Faster Ryders
Usual route (lights required towards end)

'The Bez' 7.15pm
Usual Route (lights through woods now)
I MUST STATE:
This is NOT an official club ride..but a sociable gathering! All participants do ride at there own risk..no member leading,within the group,back marker or MYSELF
is responsible for any loss,injury or damage to themselves,bike, any member of public.
NO HELMET NO RIDE!
Gloves are strongly advisable!"

getting a little fed up with the attitude of the organisers, the highway code recommends wearing a helmet, common sense says you should wear a helmet, some people just come across like they are all important and i think they will be the downfall of potentially a good club, they need to calm down a little especially with the legacy stuff and they also need to choose their wording better. [/soapbox]

still, see you at 7:00

Hee Hee.

I think we have a good vibe in our 7pm group, glad you can make it Dude.. I'll txt Marco and prob meet him on the way at Chalkwell park.

Think I'll edit the original post too to make it clear fir those that don;t know, I'm quoting from the group page and not my wording

Spoken to Marco already, i'm going to his and we'll leave from there and ride to TGB for the off !

Cool... I'll meet you both en-route then

Perhaps 'helmets strongly recommended' would be better ?. After all it is an unofficial ride so the no helmet no ride bit does sound a bit strong, however good intentioned.

It could be phrased better.... To be fair we have this in the about us here



The logic behind this is...When people stack badly and your leading a ride it always comes down to those leading it to sort it out . Broken bones are fine but you should not put the burden on the person leading the ride to clean up ur spilt brains and deal with the associated fallout.

When your riding with others, wearing a helmet is not your choice, it the groups choice. If your on your own, do what you like.

Totally agree.

There were 60+ riders out last night ! had a good one, clocked up 14miles and turned my legs to jelly !! XC isnt really my thing but at least its riding and the route we do has a little of all sorts and like SurferEv says the smaller splinter group is a good laugh as we all seem to ride for the right reason, not to just hammer it through to the finish !

Wearing a helmet is a personal choice whilst on public land and that's the law, you cant dictate otherwise no matter who you think you are. I choose to wear one and i think its courteous to do so for the benefit of those around you, but i don't need to or appreciate being be told to do so.

Its great people make peronal choice to wear helmets. However if 'new' riders to the group ride arnt aware that a group rides with helmets and they turn up without one it would be then be awkward! Freak accidents do occur as we all know unfortunatly. I personnaly couldnt ride with anyone who didnt ride with a Helmet, as I would always be thinking 'what if something happens' and it would put me off my own ride. I am a worrier I know !!

i'm the same
its like passengers in my car have to be wearing a belt

Traveling in a car it is now the law to wear a seat belt. Riding a bike without a helmet is down the that person deciding if.

But if they fall off they still want to have the same medical treatment emergency services help...

Me personally I would not feel right riding with someone without a helmet.

Unfortunately any club - which is just another form of institution - will always have those who revel in the power of telling people what to do. These sort of people will wind others up. Maybe its the way they are saying it rather than what they are saying?

The being told you cant join a group unless you wear a helmet raises an interesting debate. There is a fine line where your personal choice starts to affect those around you. IMO someones choice of not wearing a helmet on a ride, could potentially have a huge impact on those in their group, not just them. That crosses the line and as such I feel the group has the right to specify what they do. Law or no law.

Ive cleaned up friends who have had stacks, and its not nice. Ive also been cleaned up by friends after ive stacked and have seen the burden it puts on them. Head injuries would take that to a level I wouldn't want to have to deal with.

Well..its not actually a club just an informal get together and they do state that above so it would be hard to think what would happen if you turned up helmetless, but of course you would feel rather akward and out of place.

I personally ride helmetless if its a nice day and im just going for a gentle ride say for example, following the river from Benfleet to Leigh past Two Tree Island but would wear one where there is a danger of trees and other high speed accidents and going full face where appropiate.

Jon also mentioned the XC Track 'legacy' where there were also some comments made about what the track should be and what type of riders should ride there that also seemed a bit insensitive and rubbed a few people up the wrong way, although the comments posted by ECC have clarified the situation.

Andy

i don't wear a lid if i'm pootling to the pub with the gf but otherwise i ride with a lid.

i don't understand what reasoning there would be for not wearing one other than being sikh or a rasta