A side note
Just a quick side note, to tell you the negative Ride Galloway review that is all the rage in DMs and elsewhere made its way to Trip Advisor, too:
[Source: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Profile/ladyb387?fid=875abdbb-0423-48ff-8d36-1039053e1f13 - posted June 28, 2026]
That is still just one (!) negative review, but the woman is definitely angry and determined to spread it around. Unlike the relatively obscure Google Maps, this is taking the discontent to another, more visible, Internet reviews tier. However, realistically speaking, it will be easy for the masses to take it like a personal glitch, unless more will come out.
And yes, Madam Mao dropping the bike in the middle of the ride seems to confirm my - perhaps mean - prior speculation that she probably inflated her own riding abilities, in order to be included.
I am also told there is a second review on Google, that being said, where Madam Mao is portrayed as her usual haughty and entitled self. Never a surprise.
Thank you for sharing this. It’s a really interesting review, and I honestly feel bad for that rider. She clearly made the effort to be there, probably traveled quite a distance, and ended up leaving with such a disappointing experience.
A few things stood out to me from what she wrote.
First, leaving people standing in the sun while he gets photographed in the shade is not a great look. It’s not just poor organization, it comes across as dismissive, especially when people made the effort to attend, and when many of them were not exactly young riders looking to stand around in the heat for hours. That’s not how you treat people who showed up to support your event.
In general, the whole thing sounds less like a regional event meant to promote Galloway, the distillery, or the actual riding experience, and more like a PR video for Sam and co.
And that seems to match the content that came out of it. Sam with people. Sam talking. Sam riding. Sam posing for fan photos behind a rope, like some kind of museum exhibit. It felt more like a Sam fan meet than a family or community event.
Imagine for a second that this was a distillery owned by someone completely unknown. Would the owner still be the main product being promoted all weekend? Would most of the footage still revolve around him, his face, his ride, his interactions, his image? Probably not.
And that’s exactly the point that comes through in the rider’s review too. From what she describes, the focus seemed to be on him far more than on the actual product, whether that product was supposed to be the distillery, the ride, or Galloway itself.
Honestly, I’m still not sure I understand what the event was actually meant to be.
The other thing that really stood out to me was the motorcycle issue. If Steph genuinely couldn’t handle the bike, whether because she exaggerated her abilities or not, then to me that proves two things before anything else.
First, Sam has clearly never actually ridden with her to know what her abilities are.
And second, he doesn’t seem particularly concerned about her safety.
Because he absolutely could have arranged for her own motorcycle to be brought from Cork. Or even better, if this were truly a couple situation, he could have made sure he had a bike with a double seat so she could ride with him.
Reblogging my previous post for the ongoing conversation with @lallybroch-pr-watch and because the points she raised are very interesting.
Many people will still try to either focus on the situationship, or showmance, or - what the hell -🎪, or find various excuses for S's behavior. Which is fine by me, as long as this is an open and assumed choice, not to be followed by the usual wailing in DMs and my inbox, every single time things go awry.
Rose-tinted glasses are fine, until they prove useless to explain or excuse everything. And I believe using our critical thinking abilities does not equate with gratuitous hatred, as long as we keep a constructive POV. If this is not your cup of tea, that is absolutely ok with me, and you will surely find your daily dose of cuteness in all the blogs that heavily rely on AI-generated 📸 or superficial content. This corner's collective ability to generate thoughtful and superbly written opinions and to bring interesting things to the table made all the difference. It is also the reason why many of us are passionately detested by people focusing on social media gossip details, but offering very simplistic explanations like 'if he did not like her, he wouldn't date her' to what is a complex tomfoolery, and not the first one.
Circling back to @lallybroch-pr-watch's excellent comment, I will simply add that there seems to be no excuse for what is clearly poor organization of an event that seems to be a whimsical endeavor, rather than part and parcel of a well-thought marketing strategy. I explained why I thought, with evidence, that Madam Mao's bike was evidently not paid for, but comped by the local dealership on a barter basis. Which emphasizes the inexplicable absence of her own bike for what was - one final time - a difficult ride for a beginner, in unfamiliar territory.
And before you blame the foreign fan, just think for a moment: if that was your time and your money, how would you feel, if your experience was frustrating?
I know I would never push things that far as that fan did -the Landcon, then the Macbeth Mommies' debacle were eye-opening experiences, for me. But that is a moot point, here. Time will tell if this is just an accident, or the sign of an ambitious project left to incompetent hands.
As always, thank you, @lallybroch-pr-watch.
