Ride Poaching
By Jennifer von Geldern
Poaching, pirating, going undocumented – these are a few terms for the act of riding an organized ride that has an entry fee without paying that entry fee. It’s been happening for years and continues to happen to this day, though it’s rarely spoken about outside ride organizers’ meetings. Few who poach rides admit so to anyone but perhaps their closest friends, and even then, they’ll rationalize it with reasons or excuses such as “I can’t be paying that much for these rides,” “the roads are open to everyone,” and “it’s not hurting anyone.”
The public bike ride business is challenging these days, with many rides disappearing and that trend may increase if more cyclists ride without paying. Poachers themselves lose out on medical and liability coverage that registered riders are entitled to, but they rarely realize this or how they jeopardize a ride for others. Read more here.
