if you have an s2k and your not utilizing the horsepower, handling and small dimensions to weave in and out of traffic may I suggest that you go back to the dealer and trade your car for an odyssey

 

I'm surprised no Community Organizers have responded here, so I will.

The S2Ki Community is a little different today than when I first got invloved - different - not bad

Today, the median age is a little lower, but attendance is larger and many attenders are first time "group drivers". With this in mind and experience in seeing/hearing about people wrecking on group drives I think it is best to take things at a conservatively-speeding pace. If you're driving around a populated road, don't get crazy with a group - you're just asking for trouble (having to slam on the brakes real fast because a dog or kid is in the street or a car is backing out of a driveway). However, when the road opens up or there is little chance of danger (other than normal road conditions) open it up a little more. You cannot factor in police when driving through certain twisties - you just have to chance it.

When I lead a drive, I usually give a little speech before we head out and it goes something like this: "Today we are going to try to drive aggressive but we will drive safe - we will drive safe all day and drive aggressive when the opportunity presents itself. If the opportunity does not present itself, then we'll have to look at this drive as some fun time spent with good friends. If the person in front of you is not driving fast enough for you, hang back - then speed up till you catch up to that car's bumper again. You can pass that person too, but make damn sure the person in front of you knows you are going to pass because some folks only pay attention to what is ahead on these types of drives - we do have walkie talkies. In the event we are driving aggressively and come across a police cruiser DO NOT STOP! He can only pick one of us off at a time, so whoever he pulls up behind should pull over and take one for the team - I'm sorry but it is better he only nabs one of us than all of us, and if we all pull over we're all getting a ticket making that cop's dream come true. If we can, we can all split up - he's still going to get one of us, but the same idea applies here. To some of you this may sound crazy, but if you want to stop you can - I won't be stopping - I won't be running from the cops either, but the only way I'm pulling over is if he is on my butt. Now - let's have some fun......make sure your HID's are on while we're driving".

Sorry about the long post, but this is how we've handled things in the Mid-A and Carolinas for the past 4-5 years........that is probably over 300 some drives!

 

I haven't been on a group drive yet. I like to know what I'm getting in to. I want to be able to trust that the group leader is looking out for the good of the group, including n00bs. I don't know my own limits yet and would hate to lose my car's rear end--or my own for that matter because the drive was too aggressive for my skills. Can sometime define "aggressive"/spirited for me, please. Thanks.

 

I appreciate your input Poindexter but I'll have to point out something from real life experience on this portion of your post - especially since it happened in the "Carolinas".
And let me say this story is not the impetus for this thread either... but last month on the way to the dragonball, i was leading a group that - for reasons i'll not go into here - was pulled over for speeding. The police used at least five or six cruisers to surround us and write us all up. There was nowhere to run. I'm just saying that sometimes police radios, helecoptors, airplanes and the whole police force may not allow your solution as an option.

that said,
The real impetus for the thread is an ongoing debate within the Atlanta club as to how fast is a responsible speed to drive in a group when there are mountain two lane twistie roads full of local yokals sharing the road with a pack of 15 to 20 S cars. I've been roundly out voted in my calls for moderation and as an older guy who has more than my share of experience driving - I think I see a real weakness in the unofficial policy of "driving where you feel comfortable". This same poll on S2kAtlanta resulted in a vast majority of those polled saying 10 to 20 mph over came in a close second to 20+ over on club drives.

needless to say - i'm looking for another group to drive with and much prefer driving by myself as lining up with a bunch too imature to drive responsibly.

 

Don't get me wrong - I'm not someone who would ever consider running from the cops, but what you're talking about is an ambush - nothing you can do there but pull over.

Since you're being specific with two lane mountain twisties, we have tackled those in two different ways:

1. Dragon Meets - do a caravan through around the speed limit so folks can see what they're getting into, then let everyone just go off and have fun on his/her own. Just have a meeting time/place for food or pictures or whatever you want to do. This is the best way to do things in my opinion.

2. Split the group up into multiple levels. Group one: the most aggressive/spirited people who want to go as fast as they can. Group two: moderately paced - maybe 10 to 20 over the speed limit, but more responsibly and only hitting the higher speeds where safe to do so. Group three: "Leaf Peepers" as we call them - just cruising along for the sights. Fall Colors has been done this way in the past and the Mid-A's last Afton Mt. run was done this way......worked out very well

 

It is variable. Bascially consider spirited group driving as pushing through turns and not paying attention to speed limit signs, but moreso the group's ability to move down the road as fast and fun as possible.......but this all depends on the group you're with.

Let's just say that if you are the only one there with a stock S2000 and everyone else has a Super Charger, you're in for a hell of a ride!

 

[QUOTE=Poindexter,Sep 15 2005, 09:58 AM]Split the group up into multiple levels.