Riding a trike in a group of two wheelers

[Sully]

Riding in the back gives you a good view of the Circus in front of you. :laugh:

 

[Ed Hobgood]

Well I'll throw my two cents in also, I ride most of the time with other triker's and some of the time we have bikes with us. I can see where the bikes have a little trouble seeing around the trikes at times but if that is the case they can either slow down or pass me. Most of the time when we are in the curves and we have bikers behind us when we get ready to pull off some of the bikers do also. On several occasions when we talk to the rides on the bikes, tell us they were surprised how well the trikes took the curves. I have bikers pass me all the time and I don't think it would have mattered if I was on two or three wheel they just have it in them to pass. Like the song says "Don't worry be Happy" just get out there and ride safe and have fun.

 

[HarleyPap57]

Not to be an a$$ ... but I think most missed the point .... this is a group I've ridden with for years (on two before this trip) ... always around 20 bikes or so ... I'm always towards the back or at the back depending on who goes.

We basically have two sub groups ... the 100 mph+ hair on fire, gotta do 700 miles a day group, and the slowdown, smell the coffee, enjoy the scenery 400 miles a day is ok group.

I'm usually leading the slow group ... this trip, we all agreed on the shorter route for the sake of an older rider, who does like to go fast but wasn't sure he could do 600 miles a day ... LOL ... everyone who ended up behind me said the same thing .. they felt watching the trike in front of them threw them off their riding game. They really can't explain it, but, I think maybe watching the trike not lean in the turns might have affected them .. I don't know ... it was just weird. They all said they didn't care how fast I went, they just didn't want to be behind me.

I always ride at my comfort level and that is at the posted speed limit or at most, 5 mph over and only on the major freeways (as stated by someone earlier, if ya don't ya get run over).

Anyway ... it's not a big deal, just weird ... maybe they are just used to me being towards the rear ... oh well ... another mystery of life.

I was going to say the same thing about the trike not leaning into the turns was throwing them off. But then again you all have ridden together before so they should have been comfortable riding around you.
Myself, I like riding with a very limited number of friends but we have not had a chance to get together since I got the trike. It will be interesting because I'm usually in the front leading the way. Somehow got appointed to be the Riding Road Map...lol. Heck even guys that had 14's with the GPS while I still had my 07 Ultra wanted me to lead.

 

[FuzzyWuzHe]

It must also be said, this was a pretty big group ... 21 bikes and me on the trike ... but it does seem that almost everyone has had a similar experience when riding with two wheelers.

I do enjoy being the sweep ... although with this group I'm sometimes as much as 5-10 minutes behind them ... doesn't bother me ... I like me and I'm always listening to audio books ... LOL ... they always wait for me at the next stop ... and give me all the time there I need ... so I'm cool ... I did get lost once ... they went left and I didn't ... went about 20 miles out of my way before I corrected, they were at the next gas stop waiting, wondering were I went. That doesn't happen anymore ... since I got gps ... in fact .. I've had to chase them down cause they've gone wrong and gps showed the error. I'm also the only one with gps ...

 

[pcombe]

2 wheelers don't understand what 3 wheelers are about. They don't realize most of us have vast experience on 2 wheels. So they feel uncertain riding around us. That means they want in front of us for that reason. I think if they would stop and think they would be more comfortable. The people I ride with know me and my abilities. They ride 2 abreast with me all the time. With all that being said if you are riding with a group that does not know you then just ride in the back or go on your own.

Im with you Gorilla.
I do the vast majority of riding and traveling on my own. and prefer it.

I don't stop until I'm ready, I leave when I want, If I wish to see what a historical marker says I will. If I want a picture I take it! I choose the road and departure times and stay where I wish.
I spent to many years riding with outlaw clubs and putting up with boneheads.
If I want to run 6-700 miles a day I will and if I want to run 25 miles no one tells me I got to keep up and go with the flow.

I'm not scared of my bike breaking down in the middle of nowhere, and I don't have to dodge the idiots in front of me when they take a corner to fast or run up each others exhaust pipe and I don't have to pick em up and put band aids on em! I don't have to worry about Mr. Mustang driver trying to pass 5 motorcycles at once and deciding to take me out when he sees hes about to have a head on with another car.

 

[FuzzyWuzHe]

I do the vast majority of riding and traveling on my own. and prefer it.

I don't stop until I'm ready, I leave when I want, If I wish to see what a historical marker says I will. If I want a picture I take it! I choose the road and departure times and stay where I wish.
I spent to many years riding with outlaw clubs and putting up with boneheads.
If I want to run 6-700 miles a day I will and if I want to run 25 miles no one tells me I got to keep up and go with the flow.

I'm not scared of my bike breaking down in the middle of nowhere, and I don't have to dodge the idiots in front of me when they take a corner to fast or run up each others exhaust pipe and I don't have to pick em up and put band aids on em! I don't have to worry about Mr. Mustang driver trying to pass 5 motorcycles at once and deciding to take me out when he sees hes about to have a head on with another car.

I only ride in a group twice a year ... might be dropping that to once.

 

[jaxbobg]

I'm totally in agreement with pcombe and FuzzyWuzHe.

Maybe it's a side effect of getting older. I'm really a nice guy, but prefer to do things my way, move at my own pace, and really don't give a flip what others think of my trike, riding style, clothing, or anything else for that matter.

Same here Fuzzy. Was planning two long group rides this year, but it's down to one now. Will take 5 or 6 other nice solo rides and feel like I'll enjoy it more.

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

I ride with a small group and they are comfortable with me. Whoever says "hey let's go to......" leads.
I have had guys get tired of being behind me, but not because of being a trike. Mine is a bit of "ahem" a hot rod. They that they get tired of hearing it or if we are slow don't like the unburnt gas smell of the big cam.

I don't normally ride with my hair on fire, but I can and have before. Just for giggles, when the road time and place allow it, a stranger come along and thinks he is gonna pass the trike and finds out he ain't got enough beans to do it.

 

[rhino 2]

I haven't ridden In groups scince the 70's, Even the few times I road with my Son, And twice with my Nephew I felt uneasy' Just me I guess?, But I prefer to ride alone' And control my own destiny ..:Shrug:

 

[FRR]

Also, a justification for Trikes to ride in the back of the group is the fact that, in most cases, Trikes can stop faster then 2 wheelers. And that is fine with me......The largest group I ever rode with was 1700 bikes on an MDA run when I was still on 2 wheels. I did that for a couple of years and decided it was not for me. Too many inexperienced riders that weren't paying attention to what they were doing. The ride was over 9 miles long and took forever to complete.

 

[FuzzyWuzHe]

Also, a justification for Trikes to ride in the back of the group is the fact that, in most cases, Trikes can stop faster then 2 wheelers. And that is fine with me......The largest group I ever rode with was 1700 bikes on an MDA run when I was still on 2 wheels. I did that for a couple of years and decided it was not for me. Too many inexperienced riders that weren't paying attention to what they were doing. The ride was over 9 miles long and took forever to complete.

22 was too much ... no way I'd do 1700 ... I can just imagine the rubber band effect.

 

[jaxbobg]

.....The largest group I ever rode with was 1700 bikes on an MDA run when I was still on 2 wheels. ...... The ride was over 9 miles long and took forever to complete.

Good grief, Charlie Brown! A string of 1700 bikes itself would be 9 miles long on the road. How far did you ride?

 

[TwoBye]

22 was too much ... no way I'd do 1700 ... I can just imagine the rubber band effect.

I rode in one MDA Bike-athon (yes I said one and ONLY one) and we had over 1500 bikes. Never did hear the final count. The ride was about 40 miles and it took forever. Never again! The one I rode in was originated in Columbus, Oh.

 

[FRR]

Good grief, Charlie Brown! A string of 1700 bikes itself would be 9 miles long on the road. How far did you ride?

Believe it or not it was about 80 miles. Twobye will appreciate this since he is from Ohio. We started in Milford, rode to Wilmington, then to Williamsburg and then back to Milford. And it took FOREVER. The organizers even had cooperation with the train schedulers so we didn't have to stop for trains. I was probably close to the middle,( it was really hard to tell) each year. I'm told we still had bikes leaving Wilmington when the first riders got to Midland. I don't even know if they still have those rides anymore, but it was a heck of a fundraiser!

 

[rhino 2]

1700 Bikes, That's like painting a bridge, By the time you get to the finish, The lead bikes are passing you the other way making to back to the start..:xzqxz:

 

[Doug D.]

Im with you Gorilla.
I do the vast majority of riding and traveling on my own. and prefer it.

I don't stop until I'm ready, I leave when I want, If I wish to see what a historical marker says I will. If I want a picture I take it! I choose the road and departure times and stay where I wish.
I spent to many years riding with outlaw clubs and putting up with boneheads.
If I want to run 6-700 miles a day I will and if I want to run 25 miles no one tells me I got to keep up and go with the flow.

I'm not scared of my bike breaking down in the middle of nowhere, and I don't have to dodge the idiots in front of me when they take a corner to fast or run up each others exhaust pipe and I don't have to pick em up and put band aids on em! I don't have to worry about Mr. Mustang driver trying to pass 5 motorcycles at once and deciding to take me out when he sees hes about to have a head on with another car.

Brother, you just said it all!

Amen...

 

[TwoBye]

Believe it or not it was about 80 miles. Twobye will appreciate this since he is from Ohio. We started in Milford, rode to Wilmington, then to Williamsburg and then back to Milford. And it took FOREVER. The organizers even had cooperation with the train schedulers so we didn't have to stop for trains. I was probably close to the middle,( it was really hard to tell) each year. I'm told we still had bikes leaving Wilmington when the first riders got to Midland. I don't even know if they still have those rides anymore, but it was a heck of a fundraiser!

Appreciate it!!! Brother, Milford, Wilmington & Williamsburg are like my next door neighbors. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt and everything.

 

[roadking2]

On my burger run, last weekend (100 miles), whenever I would get in the middle of the bikes, the bikes behind me would practically kill themselves to get ahead of me. There were 19 bikes and me on the Tri. I mean, passing on double yellows, on curves, even once in the tunnel in Zion National Park on a double yellow. Anyway .. my first opinion was that it was a macho thing ... can't let a trike beat me ... but after talking to them, they all said that was it was really "un-nerving" being behind a trike ... None of them could really explain it, but they all said the same thing ... it made them feel "off" behind me, so I stayed in the back, which is where I am most of the time anyway (I do the speed limit, the rest of them, not so much).

I've been thinking about this for a week now, and finally thought why not ask about it on TT (Duh) ... this was my first ride with lots of bikes, but I'm sure you guys have had lots of experience with this, so I'd be interested to hear other experiences or opinions about this.

I hate group rides. I ride at my pace whether it's slower or faster than everybody else. If someone wants to pass me, I don't care. If they want to pass doing something stupid to get around me, again I don't care as long as they are not putting me in jeopardy when and how they do it. I ride to please me and nobody else. If they pass on the double yellow, it's them that will get involved in a head on, get a ticket, or have some negative result. I shake my head and go on my merry way.

 

[Loner]

My signature name below says it all for me.

 

[Trail Blazer]

rides

99% of my riding is just the wife and I on my wing, unless we have a time we need to be some were, we take our time and enjoy the ride. we do ride in a group some time and have no big problems with it. all the groups we have road with seams to have good sense . I guess we just have fun and if it gets were it is not fun we will pull out. if we are riding with 2 wheeler s I like the back, like many has said 2 can not stop as fast as 3.