Normal practice for Boxertrix rideouts, don’t recall any dramas and it caters for all the various capabilities of the group.
Al.
Al.
Using the Drop Off system
- Thread starter Greg Masters
- Start date
Just keep it simple and even large groups (including within it, some with an intellect only marginally above plant life) can manage it. Adding lots of additional rules just confuses people needlessly and, more than anything else, bores everyone to death when they should be listening to just a very simple briefing before setting off.
Simplicity is the key; it was after all apparently invented by the Pan Clan….. and they are hardly a gathering of Nobel laureates
until tail end charley breaks down...Poor marker sits for hours!! Or a rider in the group who is not yet a marker or the TEC breaks down...
It’s been a chuckle reading this.
3 is 1 too many for me.
1 is optimum.
Didn’t lose anyone today.
3 is 1 too many for me.
1 is optimum.
Didn’t lose anyone today.
Dr Alfs spirited rides used the drop of system it was disciplined and worked very well
A few years ago in Dent the pack had a few who would not wait at a junction so they’d leave there spot - This can happen when you have some in the pack who don’t realise that there is also a need to keep up, the desire to keep up was why DrAlfs worked well.
Worst was a Wiltshire event c15 years ago, a rider was not keeping up and just meandering at there own pace and a person on point had left to catch up with the group. The person who’d not been keeping up decided to just keep going making it up as they went along, sensing something was up ( junctions not being marked) I made my way forward to question the person in front what was going on to find they’d taken us miles of course.
It’s not hard - Don’t leave your spot and make an effort to keep up, don’t want to keep up then ride your own ride on your own
A few years ago in Dent the pack had a few who would not wait at a junction so they’d leave there spot - This can happen when you have some in the pack who don’t realise that there is also a need to keep up, the desire to keep up was why DrAlfs worked well.
Worst was a Wiltshire event c15 years ago, a rider was not keeping up and just meandering at there own pace and a person on point had left to catch up with the group. The person who’d not been keeping up decided to just keep going making it up as they went along, sensing something was up ( junctions not being marked) I made my way forward to question the person in front what was going on to find they’d taken us miles of course.
It’s not hard - Don’t leave your spot and make an effort to keep up, don’t want to keep up then ride your own ride on your own
Works well until someone from outside the group becomes part of the group and gets followed to their destination.
Do keep up (He he!)
Pootler
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Used to ride with a well-known touring company and used the drop off system regularly and it really works. Even if you get strung out a bit you usually end up arriving at the next stop just a minute or two behind the lead riders. Does go spectacularly wrong at times though on two occasions riders missed the corner marker and did another 60 miles via the even longer scenic route to the next stop. Once the lead rider turned all 20 bikes into a cul-de sac creating the need for a mass u turn to the amazement of residents.
Happy days
Happy days
It's one of the questions I get on my tours "do you use the drop off system?" Nope, not a chance but I do provide everyone with the route, coffee stops and destination so if they want to ride their own ride that's fine.
It's good for group ride outs at events etc but everyone has to buy into it because one person who decides he's had enough or keeps stopping will fuck it right up.
I did have a guy on one trip up in the US who rode about 100 miles the wrong way before he realised he was on his own. When he finally showed up that evening, he blamed me for not waiting at a junction etc etc and couldn't quite work out that every other person, confirmed that he was at the morning briefing, knew the route and had no problems.
It's good for group ride outs at events etc but everyone has to buy into it because one person who decides he's had enough or keeps stopping will fuck it right up.
I did have a guy on one trip up in the US who rode about 100 miles the wrong way before he realised he was on his own. When he finally showed up that evening, he blamed me for not waiting at a junction etc etc and couldn't quite work out that every other person, confirmed that he was at the morning briefing, knew the route and had no problems.
No doubt life is simpler now than it was with good GPS systems - and you can even find out stuff simply on your phone now.
My first trip abroad was a group trip ran by Micky here back in 2007. We trundled down to Slovenia. I think we were pretty lucky, everyone on that trip was pretty good and it worked really nicely and with hardly any drama. One of the only times I recall it got a bit messed up was in some German town and we found ourselves going round in circles for a bit until finally we just stopped outside this German kebab shop, where I saw a little man in a suit having lunch so went in and discovered how nice das kebab was. Everything happens for a reason..
It really was an excellent trip and broadened my horizons massively, gave me loads of confidence and I couldn’t wait to get back abroad, so thankful for that experience.
But it was made simple, no complex briefings or road captain nonsense.
My first trip abroad was a group trip ran by Micky here back in 2007. We trundled down to Slovenia. I think we were pretty lucky, everyone on that trip was pretty good and it worked really nicely and with hardly any drama. One of the only times I recall it got a bit messed up was in some German town and we found ourselves going round in circles for a bit until finally we just stopped outside this German kebab shop, where I saw a little man in a suit having lunch so went in and discovered how nice das kebab was. Everything happens for a reason..
It really was an excellent trip and broadened my horizons massively, gave me loads of confidence and I couldn’t wait to get back abroad, so thankful for that experience.
But it was made simple, no complex briefings or road captain nonsense.
Pretty much spot on. I lead a lot of rides using the Drop Off system and it works really well. I have been all over Europe using it with groups of over 30 bikes and we have almost never lost anybody.
When it fails though (and this is almost always the cause) is when the drop off gets bored and decides to move on. As the drop off, you need to stay there until you see the TEC no matter what.
The other potential failure is if the drop off decides he doesn't like the spot he was given. That's fair enough and he needs to make his own decision based on his perception of his safety, but if you are going to park the bike somewhere that isn't visible, then get off and walk back to where you can be seen by the pack as they come up.
One other potential point of failure is at busy and complex motorway junctions where it could be dangerous to drop somebody off. I always try to slow down well before the junction to give the pack time to all bunch up so I can see the TEC - if you can see the TEC, then no need to do a drop off. I brief the group that if we are slowing down on a motorway, it means there is probably a junction coming up. I also like to sometimes have a second TEC as a "floater" at the back who can ride up to the front after a series of big junctions just to give a thumbs up that everyone successfully navigated it and the pack is together. Or do the same thing and give a thumbs down in the case of any issues.
Finally, on motorways, we often do rolling drop offs where the floater comes up to the front prior to the junction, then slows down and indicates the junction while the rest of the pack goes past. He then joins the TEC.
too many bikes becomes too many problems.
everyone rides different.
As others have said 2 is ok to stay in comms and stop for a flask break now and again
everyone rides different.
- some slow
- some fast
- some ride hours without stopping
- some ride and stop every 90 mins
- some like motorways
- some prefer A roads
As others have said 2 is ok to stay in comms and stop for a flask break now and again
Ahh, memories, "Steptoes Moroccan dashes", just turn up at the channel tunnel at a given time, then riding through France the first day, and then Spain the second day, 1500-1600 miles in 2 days, then into Morocco on the third day, then a 4 day blast around Morrocco and back home, all in 8-9 days. ...
i remember 12 riders turning up at the channel tunnel for the very first one, and even more for the following years "Dash", by the third year there was nothing that i hadn't encountered in previous years..... oh the stories,i could tell, one particular prevaricating UKGSer (who shall remain nameless) who thought he was getting left behind as we left the hotel early one morning not knowing i was waiting behind him and was crying out "don't leave me, don't leave me" as everyone rode off.
And where the term "tour dad" originated, Wapping was usually volunteered by everyone for the job
Oh, and another example of trying to herd cats.. . I get everyone to pull into the first petrol station in France and asked them to fill up so we all get low on fuel at approx the same time, keeping fuel stops to a minimum and the group all together.
30 miles after "everyone" filling up, i find a rider alongside me pointing to his fuel tank saying he needs to fill up. Oh how we all laughed.
Those were the days.
...i remember 12 riders turning up at the channel tunnel for the very first one, and even more for the following years "Dash", by the third year there was nothing that i hadn't encountered in previous years..... oh the stories,i could tell, one particular prevaricating UKGSer (who shall remain nameless
) who thought he was getting left behind as we left the hotel early one morning not knowing i was waiting behind him and was crying out "don't leave me, don't leave me" as everyone rode off.And where the term "tour dad" originated, Wapping was usually volunteered by everyone for the job
Oh, and another example of trying to herd cats.. . I get everyone to pull into the first petrol station in France and asked them to fill up so we all get low on fuel at approx the same time, keeping fuel stops to a minimum and the group all together.
30 miles after "everyone" filling up, i find a rider alongside me pointing to his fuel tank saying he needs to fill up. Oh how we all laughed.
Those were the days.
We had about 30 folk on my Baltic States tour in 2005. No drop-off system, but a road book detailing where your bed was that night.
On arrival at the first night's hotel in Lidköping, Sweden, one rider casually mentioned that he'd fallen down some stairs on a ferry across the Oslo Fjord and had dislocated his shoulder. He said that he would drop out of the tour to get treatment and rejoin us in Berlin - which he did!
The rest of us said our farewells to Liv and Lidköping and headed towards the Baltic ferry from Stockholm to Tallinn. It was pissing with rain throughout most of that ride. Another chap, on a 'new-to-him' 1100GS broke down somewhere in Stockholm. He missed the ferry and, to this day, I've never seen him again!
Try being one of the marshals with 1500+ people riding the planned route through London using the drop off system on the DGR event in 2019
..... One of the reasons why we capped the London ride to a 1000 rider limit.
One particular prevaricating slightly Oriental UKGSer (who shall remain nameless
And where the term "tour dad" originated, Wapping was usually volunteered by everyone for the job
Updated it for you ...
Oh, and another example of trying to herd cats.. . I get everyone to pull into the first petrol station in France and asked them to fill up so we all get low on fuel at approx the same time, keeping fuel stops to a minimum and the group all together.
30 miles after "everyone" filling up, i find a rider alongside me pointing to his fuel tank saying he needs to fill up. Oh how we all laughed.
Those were the days.
I don't recall much laughing on the 3rd occasion he did it...........
Whatever works for you and your particular group of bikermates…
My experience of the drop off system was horrendous, set off with a group of unknown riders using DOS, chap in front of me roars away and I thought “ok, this should be ok”, first mild crest and every slight curve after that, he’s on the brakes(unnecessarily), no reading the road ahead. I vaguely knew the route we were to follow and was trying to work out when I would ascend to #2. Then it happened, he pulled in and I felt the massive relief of not having brake and squirt in front of me all of a sudden, 200m later it’s up to me to stop and guide, 30 seconds later I’m back behind Mr Mcgoo…
Having reached Hawes I made my excuses and set off with just my mate with whom I have ridden for a while and we understand each other and most importantly, have similar pace.
Top and bottom is you need to understand and be compatible with those you ride with, anything else is a compromise and probably that includes safety.
My experience of the drop off system was horrendous, set off with a group of unknown riders using DOS, chap in front of me roars away and I thought “ok, this should be ok”, first mild crest and every slight curve after that, he’s on the brakes(unnecessarily), no reading the road ahead. I vaguely knew the route we were to follow and was trying to work out when I would ascend to #2. Then it happened, he pulled in and I felt the massive relief of not having brake and squirt in front of me all of a sudden, 200m later it’s up to me to stop and guide, 30 seconds later I’m back behind Mr Mcgoo…
Having reached Hawes I made my excuses and set off with just my mate with whom I have ridden for a while and we understand each other and most importantly, have similar pace.
Top and bottom is you need to understand and be compatible with those you ride with, anything else is a compromise and probably that includes safety.
Drop off works fine for our regular gang and we do two big trips a year. We are all on comms too though which must help hugely. There are typically 5-8 bikes so it is difficult to mess up really.
The only time I went out with a Sheffield based motorcycle group on a big ride (50+ bikes), the drop off system was a total mess and loads got lost. Never again. Not solely because of the drop off system, but more because I had to pick up litter after three of them at the first coffee stop and then gave them a piece of my mind. Two complete twats in power ranger suits on gixers also thought unzipping their leathers to reveal steroid field torsos was a great look. A good sprinkling of wankers in that crowd who shall remain nameless.
The only time I went out with a Sheffield based motorcycle group on a big ride (50+ bikes), the drop off system was a total mess and loads got lost. Never again. Not solely because of the drop off system, but more because I had to pick up litter after three of them at the first coffee stop and then gave them a piece of my mind. Two complete twats in power ranger suits on gixers also thought unzipping their leathers to reveal steroid field torsos was a great look. A good sprinkling of wankers in that crowd who shall remain nameless.
Must be fun to ride with you guys
It is.
I've only ridden with Toddmeister here and, yes, it was fun.
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