It was mentioned we are a dis-organized group. Often it's difficult to see yourself as others do. So we listen to constructive criticism and learn from it.
Our meet up site at Billy Bob's overflow parking lot has served us well, it has plenty of room for parking and stretching out before a ride. It has proven difficult for new members to find due to the parking lot not having a physical address and it's a ways off the road. This was just the case this last ride. Our appologies to all.
This has been discussed and our organizer will follow up with a new place.

Perhaps we could post a southern meet up site for when we post a ride south. Doesn't make sence for some members to meet up at a location to just turn around and go right back the same way they just came.

On the trip back to Ft Worth, there were a couple things not done according to right from wrong. Mike & Karen, as the leader this last ride consider this constructive criticism. When passing a large group without completing the pass placed us in the back in extreme danger. Pass and do so as quickly as possible. As the tail gunner I was eventually put in extreme danger due traffic behind me not being able to pass. There for a while there was no more than 10 feet of seperation between me and the car behind me. Gary and I eventually ended up breaking the line of the other group and moving over in order to avoid what was quickly becoming a motor vehicle free for all. Now we just put the next rider in our group in the same danger. At that time I had one thought running through my mind, lead, follow or get out of the way.

I (Michele speaking) think that having a set place to meet up in some aspects are great... because we all know where we will be. But I agree with Greg that if we are traveling in a specific direction that it is great to set up an alternate or secondary place to meet (and everyone is great about this just as we were going to do in Weatherford this weekend) giving everyone the option of which spot they want to meet at (not saying this should happen every ride - but depending on where people are coming from and where we are going to it might be nice and actually might increase our number of riders). I personally would never complain about the location of meeting there on main and 28th because it's only about 10 miles from our house. But I know that's not the case for many of the riders. Since we generally only ride together once a month we have plenty of time to plan it out and get it organized.

Ronny and I have only been riding with the group a few months and I myself am a fairly new rider and we are thankful for finding a group we feel like we mesh well with and I hope that even though there were some issues with this last ride that all the new members give this group a second chance. This is a nice group of people and we are all only human! For all of you who are a member of the group come out and ride with us!

As for the trip back yesterday, it was a little disconcerting. It was a learning experience, I don't think as the lead I would have even contiplated passing such a large group of bikers - but how often are you faced with that situation? It was awkward staying right up front with the lead bike of the other group, and I think they were getting pretty pissed about the whole issue too! We lived, we learned, we speak our piece and then we remember to be thankful for the ability and the freedom to climb on the back of our bikes and go where we want when we want and then take one more minute to say thanks to Dragin' and Madmonk for putting Freedom Riders out on the meetup group for us to all meet each other, make new friends and ride together.

Yesterday provided the group with some hairy situations to learn and grow from, I am sure that this will be viewed by all as a learning experience.

Wishing everyone a great week!
Michele (of Ronny & Michele)

Pretty much every ride with other meet up groups out there that we've ridden with has, at one time or another had a disorganization problem crop up, but the problem Mike had about not passing the group and having the cars stack up behind, we already addressed at the last stop.

He didn't need to be chewed out here in public, too!


I've already set a new meet up place and we have MANY alternate meet up places to choose from. Those who made the Glen Rose ride...(which were NOT that many, I might add) KNOW that we met a couple in Granbury, just so they didn't HAVE to ride up to Fort Worth and then turn around and ride back down. Now Mike and I, on MANY occasions have ridden down from Keller, just to turn around and head back north, but as the organizers I wouldn't think about bitching about it unless provoked like I am now!

In the long run..nobody's forcing anyone to ride with us and if you want out, so be it. Mike made a mistake. I don't recall knowing one single person who's perfect!