Devon TRF Group Forum

doug9270 · Powermonger!!

Rideout Moan

RichT4 · Champion

Agreed - but I just looked in the ride outs section and it seems that there are 11 ride headings for May alone. Those rides are spread out across east & south Devon as well.

So, I just wanted to add that there are still rides being advertised even if others are full before they get a chance to be advertised.

Also people don't have to wait for a run leader to advertise a ride, if you feel like going out but can't lead (or don't want to) then put up a request (and make it colourful) - that just might be enough to flush out a rusty leader or two. wink

Torr · Expert

Fed up with being accused as a slow coach and having to allow those fast guys to go first????????

..... try riding alone.... and it is stealthy!!!

(Take a GPS and mobile phone)

TTR · Powermonger!!

It is still better to get the run reports and pics - especially if you aren't able to get out yourself - it's nice to see who is about and where.

Lots of reasons for runs not being advertised but mostly it's to stop you signing up to them Doug biggrin

I am not riding this weekend coz of birthday and DIY duties but hoping to see lots of run reports from those that do get out - advertised or not wink

TTR

gaschef · Devon's Best

Torr wrote:

Fed up with being accused as a slow coach and having to allow those fast guys to go first????????

..... try riding alone.... and it is stealthy!!!

(Take a GPS and mobile phone)

Wait till I get back from the land that time forgot, and I will organise a stealthy ride in the east, even the badgers wont here us coming

I also agree with Doug, seems that a lot of runs are full before they are posted, the few that are posted are full within hours, and its the same leaders who are taking the brunt

Like Torr the only way I get to truly relax is to ride on my own, Most leaders enjoy the opportunity of riding with a group but not having the responsibility of leading, but quite often find that the only way they get of riding with a group is to lead, as other runs are half full before being posted, and are full very quickly there after. From November last year to March this year I led 18 runs all full, I got to ride on other TRF posted runs twice not for lack of time but places.

Dont get me wrong, I dont mind leading, showing people around and enjoy their company as do all the run leaders, but it galls a bit when you would like to get out for a ride with a group and cannot, or a ride report is listed with people you have taken out and you dont get asked if you would like to go on their ride, as it seems its all been organised on the quiet

As for 11 rides posted for may, given the TRF guidelines of 6 riders max thats only 55 places in may for a membership of over 300, thats excluding the run leader. Maybe its time for the DTRFG to host a run leader training programme.

Thats the end of my rant.

Torr · Expert

Nice rant Tim !!

The other point of lone riding is to get to find the local lanes and area and seek out new lanes!

I have found a few not on the overlays yet {have informed DTRF of them} and watching some metalled lanes begin to degrade.

Maybe as my own expertise and knowledge of where the lanes are in my neck of the woods I will be able to lead out some runs more suited to the laid back and novice riders.

To infinity and beyond!!!

Liz · Novice

A reminder to all. If there is a group who want a run leader to show them around, then I am happy to do this. Areas I will lead runs in are Devon, Mid Wales, North Wales, East Cornwall, France, Spain and Romania. What I don't do is book hotels, sort out transport, organize dates and people.

hampsterracing · Devon's Best

People seem to forget this is all voluntary !!

i ride when i can and offer to lead when i have time/space on the run.

but a lot of time goes on "request runs"

i personally like reading all the run reports.

but no problem i will start only doing reports for officially sanctioned advertised ones in future.(if i can be bothered)

Roger

jt · Powermonger!!

Yep, good point virtually every weekend either you or I lead one, always advertise them and they are normally oversubscribed.......it is quite a lot of work doing the route, having to focus on the actual run navigating and keeping the group together, watching the time etc etc....then doing the report....bla bla....

I does seem to always be the same old faces front and back.

Today I had a really great day cause I was at the back and could just enjoy the ride and not have to think (that easy for me wink

) That was the main reason I would not lead a 2nd group today - I wanted to be a follower for a change.

Now I am more than willing to help 'bring on' a few leaders - we have 6 pitch up every Sat and it's about time some of them had a go at the front !

jt · Powermonger!!

RichT4 wrote:

if you feel like going out but can't lead

Then give it a go - we will support you.....

jt · Powermonger!!

gaschef wrote:

or a ride report is listed with people you have taken out and you dont get asked if you would like to go on their ride, as it seems its all been organised on the quiet

Yea pearcy.....you reading this.....you know like when your mates work hard to clear a new lane and then you go ride it without inviting them cry

Just want you to know how much emotional distress you caused me that weekend - the councilling is still not helping.... disbelief

gaschef · Devon's Best

Torr wrote:

Nice rant Tim !!

The other point of lone riding is to get to find the local lanes and area and seek out new lanes!

To seek out new lanes and new places, and boldly go where the many fear go, and nobody has probably been for a long time. Beam me up Scotty.

Sat here in my overheated pit in the land that time forgot, I have come up with a game plan for a ride when I get back, the run leaders day out, only open to those who have lead 5 or more runs since the start of the year

Sorry if it sounds selfish but its probably the only way to get a group run together and not have the worries of leading, and be able to relax and enjoy it fully

gaschef · Devon's Best

jt wrote:

Now I am more than willing to help 'bring on' a few leaders - we have 6 pitch up every Sat and it's about time some of them had a go at the front !

Hey JT my thoughts exactly, once im back will be more than happy to help bring on a few leaders

Pearcy · Expert

JT your being mean again

First of all you get my hopes up by saying " your mates work hard to clear a new lane" - I thought for a second you liked me. biggrin

Then you take it away with - "and then you go ride it without inviting them" hmm

I have never organised a run ever!

How can I lead?
1: I ride like a muppet
2: No one would ride with me, cos you all hate me.

I do write the odd run report for "other" people some times - because they are better on the bike than a keyboard.

Seriously, if you want me to lead the odd run I will, but you will have to help me and let me know what sort mistakes I will make

and............

There is a very good reason I never asked you to join me that weekend JT,
I was playing hard to get!

Torr · Expert

Liz wrote:

A reminder to all. If there is a group who want a run leader to show them around, then I am happy to do this. Areas I will lead runs in are Devon, Mid Wales, North Wales, East Cornwall, France, Spain and Romania. What I don't do is book hotels, sort out transport, organize dates and people.

ROMANIA... THERE YOU GO TIM... ON YOUR DOORSTEP DIVE IN !!!!

Torr · Expert

Perhaps not !
Parcel force to Romania for a CRF in bits works out at a wopping £985.85, then you cant be too sure some CCM owner might nick the much critisised but highly effective rear drum brake!!

gaschef · Devon's Best

Pearcy, If you want to lead a run, do it as we all learnt to do, little steps at a time, go plan a short route near you, learn it parrot fashion so you dont need to worry about navigating, and then take a few people around it.

Let them know its your first attempts and things might go a bit wrong, but who cares its the ****ups that are the learning experience, and no one is going to take the mick at least you are trying, which is more than a lot do

If you want I will plan a short route for you, my advice is learn it, dont use sat nav, and take a map with it marked out. do it a couple of times and then build on it a few lanes at a time

You have seen my way of doing it, never use sat nav, but its with me and after a while you can lead a 5 hour ride without any aids

Just remember to take a few essentials with you, tools, puncture kit, first aid kit, something to drink etc and go and try it

JUst dont try anything to adventurous to start with, like the lane out the back of combpyne, If you dont know someone, do as I do a little warm up around Branscombe you know the route, that will show you the experience and skill level of your group, and remember to put a get out of jail route in if people cant manage it

Finally get everyones mobile number so you have a chance at least of getting them together.

jt · Powermonger!!

He's not having my number - he'll be abusing me by text as well as E Mail then....

gaschef · Devon's Best

THere is always that JT, maybe we should do the same as I do with divers make them tow a surface float around. A small barrage ballon attached to the back of the spurious pedigree yellow thing will allow all run members to see where the leader is and regroup accordingly

THat would stop the vertically challenged ones digitally generated nonsense, on the other hand we would all have his number and could blitz him with where are you now messages

Garry · Clubman B

I'm planning on doing some run leading soon, so would be happy to take people out around east devon.

Lost · Expert

its a funny old world ive posted three ride outs and had next to no response in the past and nobody turn up ahem , billy no mates :

xtriple · Champion

If you all cast your minds back, I had this same rant last year. It made no difference, as there is no onus on anyone to post up a run.

The argument then was that people like to read run reports even if they never have the opportunity to go on them.

I've found out that people do like run reports. I personally never read them except for the ones I was on - hayho, I'm strange.

I've also found out that people like to go out on rides - what a surprise!

There are plenty of people who organise rides between themselves who never post ride reports and then some who do. I think I prefer the former!

RichT4 · Champion

I think sight is being lost about what this forum actually is.

It's not the official run registration forum, or is it the only means of arranging a ride out. No permission is given here.

Run reports are not mandatory - just fun for those who were on the ride and for those that like to read them.

Those who considers run reports to be to much effort tend not to do them, those that like them do - where's the problem?

Getting back to the original point Doug - what would you like to see happen?
If you'd like to go somewhere but not lead then why not post up a request... We have many run leaders on the DTRF.

All I can say is well done to the guys who do post up run reports, it shows anybody who cares to look that rides are going on even if no one else was invited. It also might wet the appetite of others further a field to venture into a new area - south Devon here I come

Pete · Devon's Best

Post a request for a ride in the runs/ride outs section and you may well tempt someone else to go out or you may get an invite to join a run.
I often go out at very short notice,if I knew someone else wanted to ride I might call to let them know.Plenty of times I have posted short notice rides without any replies but the forum is a superb tool for arranging rideouts.
Most of my rides go unreported though as I'm too busy riding to stop for pictures and it can take quite a while to write up an all day explore.
Failing that take out your map and go exploring,write a report amd make someone else wish they had got out there too.

Wheely · Expert

Yes I remember this very discussion before.

I lead plenty of runs but maybe only 1/4 of them get posted as Ride-Outs on here. You must remember the forum is not the only way of communicating runs and quite often in the week I'll get a text from another forum member or other asking for a run and before you know it the rides full before you even get a chance to post. In addition I tend to always ride with my son, KwakaGeoff and Landyman cause we all live within a mile of each other - so having a run within the guide of 6max runners means there's not a lot of slack for my rides. None the less I offer when places are available (and in addition I often duplicate post these on the tvtr site - which mainly has active trf members, but not all active on this site).

As for ride reports I try and post them whenever I can - so probably 4/5 of my rides have reports on here. I get good feedback from my reports and pictures and the site members/officers encourage me to keep producing them.

I am going out this Saturday, and without even asking I seem to have 9 already so wondering how to vet this !!

Things we have to do for the fun of all !!

TTR · Powermonger!!

What about the old fashioned idea of separation of duties?

Someone leads, another takes pics and does a run report (which the other riders can add to), and another does the run record and sends it to John Leah.

It can be quite a time consuming job to organise riders, create a route plus do run reports and run records and therefore these tasks may be best shared?

My worry is that if the run leader is very busy then the run record may fall off his/her "to do" list.....

As Xtrip says we have had the debate before about advertising runs and posting run reports and we agreed to disagree....

TTR

Pete · Devon's Best

Other area groups run a diary system to ensure fair distribution of rides among members.A run co-ordinator keeps a list of those who want to ride and allocates places on forthcoming runs accordingly as names reach the top of the list.Sounds fair but I wouldn't like to try to keep track of such a large group as we have in Devon.
As Wheely points out there are other forums in Devon too where runs may be posted.
Checking these sites TVTR (Tamar Valley Trail Riders)
SDTR (South Devon Trail Riders)
DTRF (Devon TRF)
Stealth-E Trail Riders
and of course the newsletter,(which not so long ago was the only way to publicise runs)
provides alternative options.
Hopefully the May monthly meeting mapping workshop will encourage the emergence of new run leaders as more people embrace the new gps technology which I am told makes leading so much easier.
For those unable to afford the gadgets the art of paper map reading is not yet lost and is easily learnt with practice and allows a much more flexible approach.
At the end of the day though there will always be people local to each other who for geographical reasons tend to end up riding together.
The TRF is what you make of it and waiting to be invited on a run probably won't bear friut so more would be followers should be using the forums to ask for rides.
Be creative,set a date for a ride and allocate the people who sign up to fill the available slots.Someone to lead,someone to tec,someone to do the run record,a photographer,and share the load.Swap roles next time.
Organising the co-ordination of getting everyone together to the start time is much harder than the actual riding,we are probably needing run co-ordinators much more than run leaders.