20 would be a medium sized ride. But still, ride isn't over until everyone makes it home in one piece. You say it sounded like a small crash. So was the crash on the bridge, the guy picked the bike up and rode off the bridge. There was a lot more than 20 bikes on that bridge.
As for further away rides like to Hawthorne, I love those because people tend to behave better when far from home on roads they don't know. One of the reasons I do more sport touring type rides these days than local rides. I used to do the old barf sat ride pretty often. Seen more wrecks than I could count.
I'm not hating on sport riders, I'm one myself. I'm just saying stay honest. Go read the last few completed rides in the group ride section and you will see small crashes in half of the last few rides, and this is winter time, the best time to ride because most of the squids put their bikes away. In spring/summer/fall its a crash fest out there with riders dieing all the time.
How many times have you heard about a rider killing himself doing a wheelie?
How many times have you heard about a rider killing themselves because they were going too fast?
Any honest person knows there is no comparison. Speeders win the death race hands down.
But go ahead and paint things anyway you want if it makes you feel better.
