About Phoenix Motorcycle Riders Group

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WELCOME!!! Thanks for stopping by and visiting. Our About Us section has information in it that is useful to the curious, new members and old members. Stop by often to catch up on things.


If you join this group, it is expected you will read this page. This may prevent you from being surprised or unprepared later.

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General Group Q&A


What kind of group is this?
This group is for people who like to ride motorcycles to find other people who like to ride. Some members may not attend any posted rides, but will email other members and have their own little mini-group. Some members will want to only go on big rides. Some will only go on smaller rides. If there is something you want to do, either post it on the message board or send the organizer an email. If there is something you don't want to do, don't do it.

Is this a club??
This is not a club, no officers or leaders or dues. This is not a dating service, although anyone that rides and wants to meet other single riders is welcome.

Sounds fun and I like motorcycles. Who can join this group?
Everyone is welcome. This group is for people who like bikes. You don't have to own one, some of our members will share rides, just let it be known. A little chipping in on gas would be appreciated too. In fact, you don't have to be a member to go on rides, just to reply on the message boards, get announcements of events, and to RSVP for events.

What is up with this page?
Everyone needs to read this page. Fully. If you don't like what's on here, offer suggestions in the message boards or don't go on rides until you do. This group is probably a little different from any other club or bike group you've been a part of.

What should I do after I join??
Each profile has some questions. Please fill them out as best you can. You don't have to be serious, but please be sure your zip code is correct. This will be helpful when planning rides and where to meet.

Profile?? What was the point behind that stupid 'African Swallows' question? I don't understand it.
'African Swallows' is a reference to a running gag in the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It has nothing to do with motorcycles. But it isn't pointless. It is a 'break the ice' question, and you should go read other people's responses. Some are quite funny.

Is there anything I need to sign?? I know some clubs have liability forms and such.
Please re-read meetup.com's terms of service, especially section 5. You agreed to it in order to use this site. You may not have read it, but you had to check the box that said you did. In general, section 5 says if an organizer or any member places a ride on the calendar and you get lost or something, it's your own fault. If someone runs into you on the highway, call the cops and handle it like any other traffic accident and not sue everyone in the group. If you can't live with that, this group isn't for you.

Who runs this group??
This is a group of people riding, there is no one in charge. If someone starts telling you what to do and you don't agree with it, don't do it. Use your own common sense and leave the ride if you think it is too risky for your taste. However, if someone starts suggesting how the group should ride, listen. They just might have a good idea and you should try it.

So who is this John Fox who is the organizer?? Isn't he in charge??
John Fox runs the web site. He can post calendar entries and moderate the message board, as can the other organizers. (Moderate means if someone puts something up that is inappropriate, he can delete it.) Some say he is the leader, but I think he is more of a cat herder. If you have ever tried to tell cats where to go, you will understand that.

I'm going to be away for awhile, I don't want to get dropped. What should I do?
Bikers are often wanderers and we understand that. It is better to send an email to the organizer and let them know you will be away for a few months. That way, your profile won't get lost.

Do I have to RSVP to every ride?
No, you don't have to. But the group would like to know, from time to time, why you aren't going on some of the rides. If we only get 'yes' RSVPs, then the rides that are posted will continue to be the ones that are posted. But if you RSVP with a 'no', and tell us why you can't go on rides from time to time, we can start to add rides that you can go on.

I don't know if I will ride much. What do I have to do to stay a member?
If you become a member and don't use the site for two months or go on rides, you will be dropped. Don't take it personal, you can come back by rejoining. You don't have to attend rides if you don't want to or don't see any you like. Just visit the web site from time to time. Members who participate on rides and use the message boards are also less likely to get dropped if they become inactive. People who have been active tend to get more personal attention before they are removed for being inactive.


Group Riding Q&A

What are the rules?
If you want a group that has rules, you don't want this group. Ok .. there is one rule. When on rides with other members, everyone will respect each other skills and riding styles. That means if someone does something you think is unsafe, don't ride close to them. They may be better than you and can deal with it. If that isn't good enough, tell them directly or whoever setup the ride you are uncomfortable. Or email the organizers. Nothing may get done about it, so be prepared for that. No one forced you to go on a ride, and no one will force you to stay on one. You can leave a ride any time.

So, what am I supposed to do when I go on rides??
All riders are expected to read the ride notes and be prepared to ride.

What does that mean??
It means you know the expected ride route. It means you know where we will be riding and how long the ride might be (both in miles and time), and should be able to ride home if things change. (See note above about asking.) It means you know what the weather might be like and have the proper gear (or choose to ride without it.) It means that you know whether or not we plan to stop and eat so you either eat before we ride or eat during the ride. It means you show up with a full tank of gas, unless you know you can make it to a planned stop where there is gas. It is unlikely anyone will get left behind, but it isn't impossible, please prepare for it. Ask for cell phone numbers if you are uncomfortable with that prospect.

Above all, it means that if you go on a ride, you are not allowed to grumble if it does something on the plan. The group may or may not choose to stay with the plan after the ride starts, but we usually stick fairly close.

Who leads the rides?
Someone will lead the ride. Usually, the person who suggests and plans the ride will do that. Sometimes they won't. There are some members of the group that are very active and will take up positions in the front and back of a ride to make sure we all get where we are going at the same time. It changes. If you want to lead, get up front. If you don't, stay towards the back.

How do you keep everyone together?
This group has members designated as 'outriders'. By definition, outriders are a mounted attendant, one who escorts or clears the way for a vehicle or person. In our group, they are a group of members who help guide the group from the beginning of a ride to the end. See the Outriders page for more information.

I'm still a little nervous about riding with the group?.
We all had our first ride, if you want someone to help you through a ride, ask. I know someone will help. Above all, you need to be responsible for your own riding, that includes knowing how to get home and being able to take care of yourself if you get separated from the group. It doesn't happen very often, but it can.

What happens if my bike breaks down during a ride??
Ah ? the biggest advantage to riding in a group. If something happens on a trip, the group will make sure that you are taken care of. Someone will stay with you to make sure you can at least get home. The whole group may stay, so get rid of your guilty feelings. We know you would do the same for us. We have members with trailers that might offer to help. We all know good places to take bikes to be worked on, and some places to stay away from.

What if I don't want to go on the whole ride??
If you do have to leave a ride, let someone know. If you are riding and have to leave, try to safely get someone's attention and wave bye-bye. Make sure they wave bye-bye back, or nod, or do something that seems to look like they know you are leaving.

It is usually best to let the person at the front or the back know, whichever is safer. These riders tend to keep an eye out for how many riders there are.

What if I want to join the ride somewhere other than the starting points or I'm late???
All riders are expected to join the ride at the designated meetup points 15 minutes before the ride starts. Plans change, and only those at the meetup point on time are guaranteed to know about it. If you choose to meetup someplace else, or are late, you are on your own until you find the group. It is not fair to all the riders that showed up on time at the designated place to have to worry about finding you and making sure you get on the ride. We try to take rider counts at the start of the ride and at all stops; someone showing up late can throw it off and cause someone else to be left behind.

If you must join the ride somewhere other than the starting point, try to do it at one of the designated stops, and let one of the outriders or organizers know then. If you want to join up mid ride, please fall in at the back and stay with the sweep rider to the next stopping point so he can let the rest of the outriders know you are there.

But, be prepared that rides do change, sometimes for weather, sometimes just because we feel like it, and if we don't show up where we said we would, have a good time without us. At least you got out on your bike.

There is somewhere I would like to go, how do I get a ride to there?
There are two ways. You can post something in the message boards, or you can send the organizers an email.

Do I have to plan the whole thing out?? I'm not very good at that.
A ride suggestion can be as simple as 'I want to go to Jerome and hang out for an hour or two on this date'. Or it can have a detailed ride plan. That is up to you. If it's not detailed enough, usually an organizer or other member will embellish it, so don't worry.

I noticed sometimes you go to bars. I don't like to drink and drive, can't we go someplace different?
Bars serve non-alcoholic drinks as well as alcohol. Those drinks are often cheaper than beer and sometimes have free refills. For the most part, when we go to a bar, some of the riders may have a beer and some may drink sodas. No one will chastise you for not drinking.

This group isn't about drinking at bars, bars are places where adults can go to hang out and be loud and obnoxious if they want to. Denny's doesn't always appreciate some of the jokes we tell or how loudly we may laugh. Other places might not appreciate a group of 20 people showing up in leather covered with road dust and taking up all the parking places. We have a list of places we know we can go to that have parking to suit us and either tolerate or encourage 'our kind'. You know, nice people who like to have fun and would help a total stranger alongside the road.



To other bike groups: If you would like to copy portions of this page, you may do so as long as you add the text in the gray box below and include a link back to this page. Thanks, and good luck with your group.

Portions of this page were copied from the About Us page for the Phoenix Motorcycle Riders Group.

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