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New Era - New Riders, old riders

atoyf

atoyf

Active member
Joined
May 30, 2004
Location
East Bay
Moto(s)
BMW
Hi folks, simple language. simple message -
when i started in 2004, i felt like i was surrounded by folks who wanted to ride, socialize and would ride and ride.. over the years, i got distant, for about 10 years, then started riding again, and now i feel like the riders i knew are no longer riding, or the ones that still ride, dont want to ride in groups, or no comradeship.. am i just old, and not in the circle of energy..

i used to organize day rides, such a great times..
 
As another old phart (not that you are..), I agree with what you say here. Most of the guys I used to ride with each week have either moved away, don't ride street anymore, or have gone 'Lone Wolf' and ride by themselves.
I find myself riding solo a lot more, but sometimes still have a friend or two get out with me.
The other factor is that I am more picky about who *I* ride with too. I don't really want to spend the day fixing someone's motorcycle, waiting for a tow or trailer for them, or worst, waiting for an ambulance.
So I can't place ALL the blame on others. I'm an ornery old coot too.
 
I'm 65 and still ride a lot. Mainly sport bikes. When I moved to Shingletown I had to build up a new group of riding friends. Most of these people are in their 20s. Here's a recent conversation I had with my daughter.

"How old is your new riding friend ?"
"24"
"Ewww"

Mad
 
Maddevill said:
I'm 65 and still ride a lot. Mainly sport bikes. When I moved to Shingletown I had to build up a new group of riding friends. Most of these people are in their 20s. Here's a recent conversation I had with my daughter.

"How old is your new riding friend ?"
"24"
"Ewww"

Mad
Click to expand...

:laughing
Kids are SOOO intuitive. :thumbup
 
When I started riding the street *cough* 1974 I had a few HS buds that rode, but honestly we did not do many group rides like we think of them. My 20's was all racing really so the groups had 40 or people in them :laughing

Things morph as we age and riding is included in that. I have always done rides with friends and rides alone. Probably more alone, but I do enjoy a group. :ride

Knowing all in the group is more usual than just meeting folks to ride. I attended a few of those BARF rides where I only knew a couple and getting to know new folks is cool. Those are kind a rare now except for a rally and now even then I know most :afm199

I have seen you post a "Hey let's ride" thing, but I am busy so the spur of the moment is unlikely and you live to far. :laughing

Next year lets plan a few Mt Hammie rides.. or if you come this way we can ride the coast. In my case I am working working working so planning stuff is more important.
 
Always thought it was funny whenever I read in for sale ads that say, "Selling my bike because all my riding buddies have moved away and I have no one to ride with." Guess those of us who like riding alone are lucky.
 
A new era without googly eyes is just too disappointing.
Glad they were appended.
 
We had a good loosely-knit group of about a dozen like-minded (Euro-trash, non-Cruiser) Boomers about a decade or more ago. Fact of the matter is some have died and others have ailments enough to pretty much stop riding. Around here the few younger riders I meet don't seem to be really into bikes in general, just doing the sport-bike hooligan impersonations. Any idea what percentage of BARFERS are Boomers?
 
atoyf said:
Hi folks, simple language. simple message -
when i started in 2004, i felt like i was surrounded by folks who wanted to ride, socialize and would ride and ride.. over the years, i got distant, for about 10 years, then started riding again, and now i feel like the riders i knew are no longer riding, or the ones that still ride, dont want to ride in groups, or no comradeship.. am i just old, and not in the circle of energy..

i used to organize day rides, such a great times..
Click to expand...

If you're active on FB or IG, you'll see that there are still tons of people who rides and meetups, and organize day rides. It could be that your peers are dwindling, but you're not familiar with the next "gen" or whatever.
 
I’m actually probably meeting up irl much more with other riders nowadays, than I did in my mis-spent youth.

for me, rallies are the trick. did three of the four BARF rallies this year, and even got to ride a little tiny bit with some BARF boomers in Morro Bay … :toothless

gearing up, now, for the ADV n00bs Rally in Death Valley/Panamint Springs in March, ‘24, with over 200 of my closest internet riding pals. :ride

see if I can keep my old bikes running—that’s more of an issue for me, currently, than finding rides. :facepalm:rolleyes
 
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I concur with the notion that there is likely more rider activity on Facebook and Instagram than on BARF - and I love BARF. Just a guess.
Social media has taken over in many ways.
Also, I just don't see as many bikes on the road anymore. Interest seems to have waned among the younger crowd.
 
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Lonster said:
As another old phart (not that you are..), I agree with what you say here. Most of the guys I used to ride with each week have either moved away, don't ride street anymore, or have gone 'Lone Wolf' and ride by themselves.
I find myself riding solo a lot more, but sometimes still have a friend or two get out with me.
The other factor is that I am more picky about who *I* ride with too. I don't really want to spend the day fixing someone's motorcycle, waiting for a tow or trailer for them, or worst, waiting for an ambulance.
So I can't place ALL the blame on others. I'm an ornery old coot too.
Click to expand...

I hear you Lonster and miss riding with you.
We have put in some great miles together, usually in-sync and not haveing to give much attention to each others riding.
That just doesnt happen on most group rides.
The older I get, the less drama I will put up with.
Even when riding with my best buds, I ride for me. I know selfish, but honest.
It is when I ride my ride that I am the most alive and hense, better company.
So maybe I do it for you as well:x.
DT
 
Come spring I’ll propose a ride that has me going through Shingletown on the way to Red Bluff and beyond.
 
Very interesting discussion—a topic I’ve thought about a lot, particularly now that I’m retired and in my sixties. I have a few good friends that I enjoy riding with. They like to go quickly, but safely, and are good conversation. But they’re available only sporadically, and so I find myself increasingly riding alone—so much so that I now run a Garmin inReach all the time so I can be located on all the little goaty roads that I enjoy so much. I’m always on the lookout for new riding buddies, but sometimes it goes off the rails. I took a flier and hooked up with a couple of guys recently and I swear they spent half the ride over the double yellow. I’m not opposed to an occasional foray over the double yellow, but for me it’s the exception, not the rule. I’m lucky that my wife likes to sit on the back, yak in the intercom, and enjoy a sandwich at Alice’s, so there’s that. And I still love riding, no matter what!
 
needles said:
Maybe it's time to do do a BARF awareness campaign as to why it's cool here?
Click to expand...

How would you do that.. or anyone for that matter?

Youtube ads? IG ads? Bookshit ads? :facepalm
 
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