A Real Mystery Ride

By F. Gruen

Tired of the same routine of the Ride Captain planning the route and leading the ride, I decided it was time for a change.  This ride was going to be different for everyone; including the Ride Captain.  This was going to be a real Mystery Ride.

Nine bikes showed up on the beautiful Saturday Morning in July.  The sun was rising and the interest of the riders was piqued.  The questions on everybody’s mind were; where are we going and how are we getting there.  My responses brought smiles and bewilderment as I replied……. I’m not telling and I don’t know.  My wife Carla and I were the only people who knew the final destination but even we didn’t know what route we would take to get there. 

The plan was to program the GPS with the destination and let each rider help pick which way to go.  Carla maintained the list and would ask the next bike in line what their choice was for the next intersection.  Three possible choices existed; left, right, or straight.  (No U-turns)  After their choice was made and the maneuver executed, Carla and I would announce if the choice was cold, warm, or hot.  Cold meant we were traveling away from the destination, warm meant we were parallel with no chance of success, and hot meant we were headed in the right direction.  The warm designation was primarily used as we neared the final stop.

Safety is always a concern.  We rode as a well formed group to keep everyone together.  The tail gunner was in constant communication.  I limited the choices at the intersection if road conditions were undesirable such as gravel, dirt, or construction.  To keep the ride interesting, I also made it clear we would not take the expressway.

The destination was a 19 mile ride if the most proficient route was chosen.  The group managed to arrive using 41 miles of roadway.  Not bad considering they had no idea where we were going and 8 people were giving directions.  Talk about fun!

This was the first time our group did a ride like this.  The group has expressed interest in doing it again.  Suggestions were having two groups to see who gets there first and choose a destination that requires riding on more rural roads.  Maybe the next ride won’t have a destination at all and we’ll just see where we end up.  I’ll never tell…….. (insert sinister laughter)