Group riding etiquette question?

[GYMBRAT]

hard to say, work hasn't been all that busy so it's hard to book any outings like i can when we're balls out trucking. if it gets busy like everyone promises then I might be able to get a couple extra mountain rides in, only planned rides I hit without fail are family day week/weekend in Vale, and mid april for the 'junkie get together. the rest I squeeze in when I can, we've got good snow up here so far and it's a hell of a lot cheaper to pound the local spots into submission.

Yeah ive hear you guys have some great snow, kinda miss the local riding being where I am but then again 3,5 hrs from the big "hills" is handy as well Well keep me posted if ya do as I plan on hittin it up when I get back from the States in March

 

[Weirboondocking]

Good thread, glad to see that so many have a proper group riding dynamic going on. It doesn't matter as much what your system is, as long as your group follows it. We ride "lead" and "cleanup". Lead and cleanup are both experienced guys. In our case, lead has a bright orange helment, cleanup has a bright yellow one. Lead stops every few clicks if he doesn't see cleanup for a little while. Doesn't matter who is in-between, but they STAY in-between. If one of the group looses the orange helment for whatever reason (which only happens generally if there is a big group of sleds riding in an open area), they find the yellow helment and follow him because both lead and cleanup know the final destination. If others pass our group, that's no problem either. Most times lead and cleanup can sight each other every half-a-click or so, and both keep track of the sleds in our group. When lead stops periodically, he waits for a thumbs-up from cleanup before going again. No radios needed. But I guess we have been doing this for a long time, before there were radios small enough to carry!


This is the way we ride but there is no colored helmets. This works well for every level of rider as well because the strongest riders usually go faster then the newer riders. You can get a trail in that allows newer riders to get into places that would normally be out of there reach.
The "clean up" rider is also able to help a few stuck sleds out and keep everyone moving along.

Also we teach rider clinics and anyone that takes people out should know better then this. You have to keep everyone in the class comfortable for it to be fun.

End of the day a group is a group and many hands make light work.

 

[dirtball08]

If I only had losers like that to ride with, I would be giving up the sport. Life is to short for $hit like that. The sad part is, you see alot of that kind of attitude on the mountain. Sure makes me glad that everyone I ride with has common sense.

 

[teeroy]

and dont u love when the guy u r riding with fawks off 2 peaks over to rip some avy drainage and not even let u know ... gotta watch out ! even when yer in the play grounds not just on the trail !!

lol....so even your friends put you on ignore?

 

[TylerG]

lol....so even your friends put you on ignore?

I literally just laughed out loud at that one.... good one Tee!

 

[dezmitchell]

We typically ride in a group of 4 or 6. Everyone checks behind them as often as possible and we try to keep a more capable/reliable rider in the back of our group just incase something does happen at least we know someone isint panaking and we will be back as soon as we realize there gone.

And we try to keep a even amount of riders so that way the smallest group is 2 and those 2 are always with in sight of each other. As far as towing a sled out, we come in as a group so we will go out as a group so when there is 4 and one sled dies we all go down (its happened). The reasoning is if there is only 2 guys going down eventually there will be 1 guy by him self coming back up the trail and even on the trail something can happen and if you send 3 guys down there will be one guy left up top.

In a group of 6 we will send 3 guys down and keep 3 guys up top but the golden rule for us is ALWAYS 2 or more!

 

[Pistonbroke]

lol....so even your friends put you on ignore?

bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahah!!!!!

 

[Pistonbroke]

I really need some feed back on this.

6 of us came sledding to Valemont for 4 days. Day 2, today I was at the back of the group and my motor grenades (Sucks to be me). The person in front of me turns around right away and comes back to see what's wrong. We screw around with the engine and figure out it's blown , this takes about 15 - 20 minutes. Nobody has come back still, so I told the other rider to go tell them we were towing the sled back to the truck. The other riders are 20km ahead so it takes the guy a bit to catch up to them.

So my question is???? Should they have rode that far ahead or is that just being a$$hat's.

We have always looked out for the person that is right behind you, and so on down the line. So if you look back and don't see anyone behind, you stop and let them catch up or in a case like this go back and see what's wrong. If everyone just looks for the person behind them on the trail then no one is left behind. I am really pissed off about this and just want you guys opinion to.

By the way I loaded my sled and told the other guy to go catch up and ride for the day. I am going to be sitting in my room for 3 days but I certainly don't want to wreck anyone else's trip.

Thanks in advance

Looks like it's time for new riding partners, clear and simple. It takes time to refine a riding group into a unit you can trust!

We always designate a lead and a sweep sled. 2nd from last position is the only one who has to look back to check on the sweeper sled, that way no-one is ever alone for more than a few minutes 99% of the time.

 

[teeroy]

Looks like it's time for new riding partners, clear and simple. It takes time to refine a riding group into a unit you can trust!

We always designate a lead and a sweep sled. 2nd from last position is the only one who has to look back to check on the sweeper sled, that way no-one is ever alone for more than a few minutes 99% of the time.

them little radios are handy, sure worked for us one day...eh? lol.


find a high point and start calling.....

"shepherd to lost sheep, shepherd to lost sheep, over....krrsshhhhht!"

"tee....is that you? over....krrrsshhhht"

 

[carlsonswerve]

good people to ride with is as important as any piece of equipment. lol you wouldnt go to the hills with crappy equipment would ya?

 

[boydo]

ive been riding with the same 3-6 guys for 12 years and met some more good guys recently, no problems! break down, blow up, crash, get lost dont matter! we all get down the mountain! i thought i was in a burrandt video on sunday and twisted up my a arms on a tree everyone helped out and got down. no complaints just thats what we gotta do!!

 

[teeroy]

riding them little mole hills again eh ! lol

fo sho....valemount's mole hills are awesomer

 

[Doo800ho]

20 k that is along way for no one to come back a see whats going on........i never half left a riding buddy behind no matter what u always make sure every one is ok.

my $0.2

 

[RXN]

Had a big group in McBride this past weekend, was a good group, riders ranging from all sorts of skill levels. I felt bad, As I tryed to Organize the trip and My sled wasn't running right. Saturday Morning two of us needed to hit Spin drift, Kris's primary's to his coil rotted, Glen had to solder the wires together, worked great Thank you Glen. , My sled not backshifting in snow, Glen changed the helix and some rollers, but that didn't help. Starting to think snow coming in from the hole in the belly pan is hitting the clutch causing the belt to slip???? Find out later.

Any ways one group of 6 met the other group of 5 in the meadow on Bell, My issues were pissing me off, promised guys ride time, and I'm wrenching. So I'm feeling bad. Decide to run back to the trailer, swap my sled for the spare Dad brought. told them hang in the meadows, If they ain't in the big one, we'll find them in a smaller one, and It worked good, We hooked back up in the meadows and all was good.

Managed a big group with sled issues pretty well I thought,

 

[polcat]

Yep worked out well,sorry you were having issues with your sled but thanks for putting the ride together, had a good time.