Would you ever bandit ride?

No... you were wasting everyone's time posting six times to whinge about what you think is some guy's whinging... and hopefully impress a few people, including yourself, of how unbelievably smart you are. How about a modicum of respect for complete strangers instead of abusing them after reading one post.

 

Uh, last I checked, these are public roads. So long as you are not utilizing any of the resources (food, sag, etc.) of a ride I have no real problem with it, personally. The argument of "causing another rider to wait for an ambulance" is total bunk. If I were riding by myself, having nothing to do with an organized ride that was going on at the same time, there would be no difference.

The same debate has come up in the Hilly Hundred in IN. The leader lashed out at bandits last year. But once again, so long as you are not technically taking part in any of the festivities or using any of the resources, I have no issue with it. Quite frankly, if the ride organizers did a better job of listening to the feedback and concerns of riders there would be far fewer bandits. It is rarely really an issue of money in my experience.

I would also recommend reporting the crude commenter to the administrator. That kind of unproductive commentary has no business on a site like this.

 

Unfortunately the administrator seems to be on a permanent holiday as he never answers questions anymore. Anyway, Alienator does add an element of entertainment to what otherwise might be a boring forum.

 

Wow, somebody bring the popcorn. Seriously everyonce in a while Alien just goes alpha bipolar but after that he gets his meds and plays nice

 

It was an extreme scenario with a small chance of happening.

Rationalize a lack of backbone and any moral integrity by blaming your actions on someone else. Nice. If the organizers aren't doing the job correctly or make questionable decisions, then that should be addressed with the club, not be stealing a spot in a charity ride.

Unproductive? Unproductive and internet forum are synonymous.

 

I agree it's okay to ride the public roads anywhere, any time. The reason the leader in Indiana lashed out at the bandits is most likely because the bandits were being bandits. I mean its a demonstration/protest on par with troublemaking.Why not just pay up or not participate. Who wants to get in to a conflict over a bike ride. Maybe over priced rides should be reorganized by the bandits

 

You're right that no one should start a conflict over a bike ride, but not riding won't be a visible statement. I've talked to several ride organizers around my area, and it sounds like the participation has dropped off across the boards. Some of them attribute it to gas prices and others to a lack of interest in the ride or a scheduling conflict with another ride. If you want to make it a "protest" the organizers need to see it! Otherwise it's hard to tell whether a lower turn out was a result higher ride prices or was it the higher gas prices.

If you have something to say, you should never be afraid to say it. If the ride director won't listen to the opinion of the club and ride participants, make him listen to his pocket book. Make yourself heard but be respectful of others, or you'll lose any support you might have gained with your statement. The angry voice is often too irrational to be taken seriously, as a result most angry arguments are disregarded out of hand (Alien is a perfect case in point).

 

Yeah! Huzzah, huzzah! Screw the charity. After all, the ride is all about the club riders' needs. Besides, the protest will put a nice shine on the charity's cred.

 

Nice attempt at being positive.

You apparently didn't see the last post by the OP.

If that's accurate, then the charity won't see the benefit of the $10 increase... it can only see a loss. Increasing the cost certainly won't increase rider participation.

I say, send the organizing group a check for the amount of the original registration and explain you're objection. Better yet send it directly to the charity so they'll get more of the money than they would have before. If you bandit ride though don't take advantage of any of the SAG. Then you're not costing the organization anything and no one will feel it except the greedy director... that sounds like the point.

Of course, some are unwilling to be constructive or to understand you're trying to make a point. They're certain to say "Your steeling!" regardless of what you or anyone else say. You'll never convince these close minded trolls... I mean people of anything, so don't waste your time trying.

I still say, if you have a point to make, MAKE IT!

 

Most entertaining thread I've read in awhile...............

 

Those that are saying that because you don't eat the ride's food and drink you are not taking anything from the ride are wrong. Tthe chief services that an organized ride provides is the opportunity to ride with lots of other people. If you ride with all the people that paid then you are ripping off the ride. Banditing is a chickenshit thing to do.

That said, I have done it on occasion. The last time was a charity ride that a friend of mine who was just getting back into cycling wanted to ride. He could only ride the first day, and I had already done a large charity ride that year. Basically the idea of riding a hundred miles at a very slow pace while babying someone through the ride was not worth paying a $45 registration fee plus a $200 donation to me.

My closest situation with the OP is the time I bandited a ride because I was pissed off about the previous year's version. They used Powerade mixed at one third or one fourth strength, maybe even less. It was like colored water. For their crappy lunch, they did not even have weak Powerade; they had water from a hose. When the time rolled around for me to cough up the dough for following year, I decided that I would do the ride but not pay. Rides where I pay forty or fifty bucks and the organizers are not willing to spend five of that per rider on food piss me off. In that situation they are the ones ripping me off.

When I was younger and poorer, I bandited some rides because of the money. I would not eat their food, but it was chickenshit then too.

 

I would not and have never done such a thing. Come on guys, it is stealing... if you are ticked off about the service and/or price of ride, simply do not participate. Download the ride sheet and ride it the day before or the day after the ride.

It is that simple...

 

Bandit riding sounds ghey. I'd never have anything to do with arse bandits.