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Re: RAT Pack



From: jay levine <levine98@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>Does anyone have any notion why the RAT thing is so lame?  Is it lack of
>brand identification, poorly administered, lack of dealer involvement, or
>too early in the product/brand lifecycle to have a significant following?


I don't know what area you are in, Jay, but we seem to have some degree of
apathy about the R.A.T. here in the New England area also. The dealer I
bought my bike from has done zero, I haven't heard boo from him. A more
local dealer has at least mentioned events to me, but I don't even know what
"Pack" I'm supposed to in!

I'm not going to be critical because I've yet to ride with any of the area
members. (Eat yes, ride, no.) I've asked if anyone on this list is attending
the New England B&B Run on Sept. 7-10, got one response, and he cannot
attend. The Inn told me when I registered (8/18) that there were only 8
other R.A.T. guests registered. Poor response? I don't know.

In this case, it may be that fair-weather riders are holding out to see what
kind of weather is expected. So far, weather looks good, BTW.

I led (or should I say, "emceed") the 3rd annual Vermont ride with the Sport
Riders of New England (www.sportriders.com) on Memorial Day, and it was
similar. Not until the morning of the first ride did we know for sure how
much interest there really was. 44 riders showed up, and I was hoping for 20
or so! Should I hope for the same kind of surprise at this week's event?
Doubt it.

Perhaps one issue with R.A.T. is the variety of riding styles, owing to the
variety of bike models. I often find I have little in common with "cruiser"
riders, at least in terms of ride pace. R.A.T. members include those,
touring types, sport-touring, and sport riders. Sprinkle in a few hooligans
and  squids, and wow, what a mix. How can one organization make everyone
feel at home? Eat & drink together is about it. Me, I just want to RIDE.

Anyone coming up to VT this week is welcome to join me for some "spirited,
yet sane" riding on some of the nicest roads the northeast has to offer. I
have FULL DAY rides planned for Friday and Saturday, and I'll ride them
alone if I have to. (Really don't want to.)

I'll be watching this space to see if anyone else has stronger R.A.T. packs
out there. This area is still a big ???

Ken M.


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