Okay here’s often the big worry of riders and the very reason why many won’t go on a group tour.
First off Leod Escapes is not a tour operator for beginning riders. Everyone is a reasonably skilled track rider and we go on specific roads because they are exhilarating to ride quickly. We are not a “bus tour on two wheels” type of operation which frankly is more mass market and sells quite well but that isn’t us. We’re the tour for the riders looking to enjoy and increase their skills.
What if I’m too slow on the street for the group?
On Leod Escapes tours everyone is a track rider but that doesn’t mean high speeds on the street. It just means that our riders as a general run are more capable. On all our tours we make an effort to accommodate faster riders. Often the faster tour guide will go with them up front while a slower tour guide will bring up the slower group. IF YOU ARE TRYING HARD TO KEEP UP DON’T. Pushing beyond your limits often leads to less experienced riders trying too hard to catch up on the straights. They then find themselves coming into the next turn too hot, they panic, target fixate and crash. So calm down, plan ahead and keep the rubber side down. Don’t worry you won’t be left behind. It’s good to grow your skills with practice and it’s good to push yourself a bit but if you find yourself franticly scaring yourself, it’s time to slow down.
Intermediate riders find themselves improving a lot on a tour like ours. We encourage those worried about their skill level to check in with our friends at Yamaha Champions Riding School. Please if you can’t go the speed limit on the freeway… don’t book one of our tours. If you have no experience with sport riding on the street don’t book one of our tours. If however you are an intermediate street rider a tour with us will be more than entertaining, you riding will improve dramatically over the course of a week. Don’t worry, nobody will be left behind and the last rider in always gets the biggest cheers.
What if I’m too fast? I ride pretty quick on the street… am I going to be bored?
First off it’s not bored, it’s frustratedly “screaming in your helmet” maddening to be stuck going slow with a group. Tour guides know this situation well and we hate it. We want to go at a fun pace to. On a Leod Escapes tour, if the lead guide can’t go fast enough to be trail breaking in the turns then it’s not fun for us either. While not everyone on the tour will be as fast as you we often separate the group and let the faster riders go ahead and the slower riders to bring up the rear. We will stop at major intersections, tops of mountain passes or other prearranged areas to regroup. There have been cases where a few riders are faster than our guides would care to go and we make some special accommodations. Also there’s been times when a large portion of the group is very very fast and we make special use of com gear and GPS units to keep everyone on the same route.
