Originally Posted by
bigfred
But, this thread has been very educational for me. I never realized how many stick in the mud, anti-social, kill joy, cyclists there really are. And, to all of you that have declared you would rather ride alone than participate in such group rides, great. Carry on doing just that. You probably wouldn't enjoy the light hearted laughter and commaradery of our groups.
I ride with a 15 rider shop ride or anywhere from 10-30 rider club ride depending on the week. i'm plenty social and enjoy riding both rides and have never heard of anyone having a "penalty" for getting a flat. if you get a flat, people stop and help and you get going in a few minutes. no one expects you to do anything or worries about having to give anything after.
If someone was a repeat offender with poor gear then they'd probably have less and less people stopping to help until no one stopped anymore. that would be far more incentive than buying people crap.