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I'm getting ready to do the IDBDR later this week. One guy I've ridden with before and one I haven't. They guy I haven't ridden with before has ridden with other guys I have ridden with and he seems like a great guy so I'm not sweating it. But this got me thinking how important rider selection can be, especially for a big trip like this. Think about it, you invest lots of money in new gear, farkles, etc..., not to mention time off work and away from family/loved ones. The last thing you need is someone messing up your ride. I have ridden with a LOT of people in the last four years. I'd say just about every one of them is a very good person. But let's face it, what we do is REALLY demanding! Think about the fatigue, hunger, dehydration, stress, injury, etc... that you get put under during an adventure ride. That's an environment that reveals peoples' character very quickly. Let's face it, there are probably a few people you can think of whom you'd never ride with again, am I wrong? But wait a second... what if you are someone people don't want to ride with again?!!! "What if I'm THAT GUY!" I think it's important to look in the mirror and ask yourself "how can I be a better group rider?" Are you ready to go at the time agreed upon for "kickstands up?" Is your bike packed with all the right tools and gear? Is your bike in good working order? Do you have GPS and know how to use it or do you just hope to follow someone who does? Do you know how to change a tire or perform routine trailside maintenance? Do you ride too fast? (guilty) Do you ride too slow? Do you ride recklessly? Do you bring riders on trails way above their ability? Do you show up for rides you know are way above your ability? Do you stop to help a fellow rider lift his/her bike? Do you thank someone who helped you lift your bike? Do you space out? Do you get hangry? (guilty) Do you not post up at turns? Do you pass unsafely? Do you roost others? Do you ride too close behind others? What other important riding etiquette do you think is important to mention? Tell us here or drop in our Beyond Starbucks section where you can find a safe place newer riders can learn about these things and more experienced riders share their wisdom and experience.

Posting up a few pictures from our ride on Sunday. Dusty and I did a 350 mile loop. We met at a Starbucks in La Canada around 6 am for coffee and were on the road before 7 am. We rode up CA HWY 2 to Angeles Forest HWY took the 14 North and got off at Jawbone Cyn. From there we rode County Roads, Forestry Roads, and with the absence of adult supervision to police us children we also rode a good amount of single tracks. Some basic ST Dusty about to cross the small ravine Couple of White Rhinos Some not so basic ST Time for a quick stop good looking giant It was a challenging and fun ride. We did't see a single other soul all day once we got up in the forest. I did't take pictures of the more gnarlier sections, but we rode on some off camber and steep tracks not much wider than the width of our tires.