Disco Spurs

Sometimes things aren't quite what they are supposed to be.

I went for a ride with a bunch the other morning, I hadn't ridden with this particular bunch before this morning. I did know a couple of the riders and thought it would be good.

Wrong.

The riders are all sensible, upstanding citizens, successful in their lives and generally nice chaps, but as a mass, on bikes they aren't. They disobeyed almost all the central tennents of bunch riding and committed some sins so grave that I will not ride with them again. I will have a chat when I get a chance, but at this stage it's just a case of me venting anger.

The sins, where do I start? Half-wheeling, rolling red-lights, doing that dreadful turn into a side road to avoid a red-light before doing a u-turn and popping out past the lights, failing to wait for dropped members of the group, failing to point out BIG holes, failing to look after ALL members of the bunch.

The only bright side to this ride is that most of the roads are quiet and traffic free, but sooner or later there will be an accident or incident that will have consequences.

Twice riders were left unaccounted for. The first time I waited, and waited for an unaccounted for pair at the top of a climb. The bunch just rode off. After waiting three minutes I rode on, eventually catching the bunch again, who had continued undeterred. Two climbs on, one of the unaccounted for pair was found at the top of that particular climb. He'd taken a short-cut, but had told nobody.

The second time was worse, and because of the nature of the event, it angered me immensely. On a descent, at approximately 45kph, with the bunch in twos and threes, one of the front riders failed to point out a very large pothole. The following rider rode into it, there was a load bang. I was off to one side at the time, as the bunch slowed and regrouped a little round the corner with the road flattening out, I started drifting back. One of the back riders said that the rider who had hit the hole had punctured. I turned and rode back. The bunch didn't stop, ask or wait, they carried on unabated. What if the rider involved and broken his frame, bent a rim, or worse?

What if, in the earlier case of the unaccounted for riders, one of them had had an accident? Been stung by a bee and suffered an anaphylatic reaction? Had a heart attack? An asthma attack? Where would aid have been?

To me, this is completely unacceptable, and again highlights the need for a bunch riding education.

Bunch riding is social and competitive, but has a large degree of responsibility with it. Remember that, also read this missive if you haven't already (or send it to those who you think will benefit) - Avoid The Clown

It's time to change those terrible habits.