The Art of the Ride Report

[Fencejumper09]

I am currently experimenting with this Dango Designs Gripper Mount. You can clip it to something, i.e. helmet chin bar, boot, or handlebar, or you can hold it free hand. I like the results I got for my video of the Nowhere to be Ride!




A photographer on ADVrider gave the advice to try to find new perspectives when taking pictures. Everyone who visits the Grand Canyon takes a picture from eye level from the over looks. Try taking one while laying down on the ground, or climb up a rock, or step back into the woods a bit to add some foliage to the foreground. I really enjoy photography and it is a great hobby if you don't mind endless research and very opinionated professionals. The biggest thing is taking the picture! have fun and experiment with settings and perspective!

[DonJuan]

I don't know if any of you know or have followed Guy Boutin who writes the Bamarider moto journals. Hell, one of y'all might be Guy. If you have never read his work, he's great. Sometimes lacking in photos, but great nonetheless.  You can check him out here,
http://www.bamarider.com

It is very inspiring to read everyone's ride reports.  I hope to contribute soon.



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[klaviator]

I don't know if any of you know or have followed Guy Boutin who writes the Bamarider moto journals. Hell, one of y'all might be Guy. If you have never read his work, he's great. Sometimes lacking in photos, but great nonetheless.  You can check him out here,
http://www.bamarider.com

It is very inspiring to read everyone's ride reports.  I hope to contribute soon.



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Thanks for the link.  He's got some interesting stuff and has put a lot of work into his website. 

That brings up my next topic.  Why I think a forum is a far superior place for a ride report compared to other types of media.

Banarider for example has ride reports on his site.  I think they could be much better if posted on a forum. 

Why do I believe this?

A ride report on a blog, in a magazine, or even in a movie is pretty much a one way dialog while a forum is two way.  It's like the difference between listening to a lecture vs sitting around and listening to a friend tell you about his trip.  While he is telling his story you can ask questions and make comments.  Or maybe there are a few of you there and it's a conversation between friends.

At least that's what a ride report can be.  They don't always turn out that way.  Sometimes you do a ride report and don't get any response :(

So what can you do about that?  Well, if you post a really short ride report that isn't that exciting you may not get any response.  You can at least look at the views and you will see that you did some views.  Probably people enjoyed reading your report and maybe they used the like button but maybe they just didn't have anything meaningful to say. If nothing else you documented your ride and it's there for you to look back and remember.

Longer ride reports will generally get more response but there are things you can do to help.  First, don't try to post too much at once.  If you post too much then the reader may think about a comment or question but by the time he or she gets to the end of all the stuff you posted they forget about it. 

Another option for maximum response is to do your report as you go.  This only works on multi day trips and is a lot of work and can take away from your trip.  It does get the readers more involved since they are along along for the ride and have no idea how the story will turn out. 

If you do get response from your reader then take the time to respond to their response if appropriate.  Certainly respond to all questions.  If you get a really long and well thought out response, at least than the person who made it.  I try to thank everyone or at least "like" their response.

If you are a reader then consider responding to a ride report you like.  While you don't want to hijack their thread, a thoughtful response can really add to the report and gives feedback to the writer. 

All this stuff is not that easy.  I think BrianA does a pretty good job with this so when you read one of his reports, pay attention to the two way conversations that always occur in his reports. 

If done right a ride report becomes a story you tell to and discuss with friends.  It can be hard work to make this happen but IMO it's worth the effort.

[jrobinson]

I agree Win.

I just finished posting the first ride report I did 9 years ago. It is very choppy and doesn't describe the trip very well. I did try to spice it up a little, but really wanted to keep it like I wrote it then and I don't remember as many details today. This is a great reason to do a ride report and do it while it's still fresh in your mind. As Win said, it's great to go back and read your own reports.

[klaviator]

I agree Win.

I just finished posting the first ride report I did 9 years ago. It is very choppy and doesn't describe the trip very well. I did try to spice it up a little, but really wanted to keep it like I wrote it then and I don't remember as many details today. This is a great reason to do a ride report and do it while it's still fresh in your mind. As Win said, it's great to go back and read your own reports.

I just finished reading your report.  No it's not the best ride report I have ever read but it was still entertaining.  The combination of your writing and the pictures gives us a pretty good idea of the trip.  I'm sure it brings back a lot of memories for you.  One thing that you did a really good job of and something I'm not very good at is that you took pictures of the memorable people you met on the trip.  Maybe those pictures don't mean that much to most of the readers but I'm sure they do to you.  I've been working on trying to do that myself when I go on rides.