Well, we did it.  My husband bought me my first bike today - a 2000 Savage.  3000 miles, like Granny only took it out on Sundays.  Excellent shape, not been dropped, and Green...I'm thrilled.  All I need is a license now, and once through the MSF course the end of April, I'll be riding.

Glad you folks are taking the riders course.  I would recommend you practice riding before you take the class, the class will go rather fast, and you will have to keep up.

Also, group riding takes skill, you need to know some rules about group riding, and have riding skills to keep good spacing and stay in your lanes.

Nothing wrong with riding alone, or with one partner for company and safety, remember we have the rest of our lives to master riding, so don't ride beyond your skill level, you don't have to impress anybody or feel embarrasd.