Dear Auntie Singletrack

So, seven or eight years of bike club joy have recently turned sour. It's all getting me inordinately down and I've had enough of it. How though, do I go back to riding on my own? Now that the nights are drawing in, where am I going to get the motivation to go out and ride? Especially as a lot of my local trails are very technical? I'm kind of stuck in this mindset that I won't ride without company.

Yours,

Confused from Stirlingshire 😥

Why don't they like you any more?

You wee'd in ALL their shoes???? 😯

What got you down about the club.

I personally find that I try much harder under peer pressure rather than riding out solo. Even if you dont talk much when riding in the group.

Why's the club annoying you?

I used to ride solo all the time and have since joined clubs. I find it frustrating occasionally (faff, pace of the slowest rider, shorter rides etc.) so take occasional weekends to go off on my own.

I find that going out on my own everynow and again is good for the soul and fitness. Still ride on the night rides as otherwise I wouldn't get the motivation on my own (and I'm scared of the dark ;))

Try and balance, too much solo or too much as a group is bad so get a mix.

Just do it, go for a ride. After a while, the club thing always goes tits up.

You need to form a schism from the original bike club.

Don't go it alone, take a couple of the best people with you !

Not good news at all…do you know why it has turned sour? If you are sure you want to go riding on your own (or not with the club), then I can do Tuesday nights if it would help keep you motivated through the winter months? I find riding on my own is fine but I can easily talk myself out of riding areas but if I'm out with people then it isn't quite so easy to turn back or avoid it…I've had a fair few years now of riding on my own and it hasn't done me any good…lack of confidence and a belief that I will hurt myself has meant my skills appear to have gone backwards…the idea of the technique is there but the mind/body is unwilling…I've put that down to largely riding on my own and not having some peers to help push me along.

So, don't start riding on your own and just on your own, keep riding with people some of the time otherwise you will start doubting yourself and get into a mindset where you start from a very negative position and can't really shake it.

The reason you don't ride solo is pretty much summed up by you asking other people to take responsibility for finding you motivation. Once you start looking inwards rather than outwards for help, then the issue will resolve itself with your new found self reliance 🙂

Ian Munro is truly wise.

oooh, that's deep Ian, really deep. I'll ask my wife tonight what she thinks I should do. 😆

Thank's Richard, I'll bear your offer in mind, I miss the Tuesday nights.

As for the rest of you, yes, I wee'd in someone's shoes. I wee'd in 'The Don's' shoes. 😈

not sure you need a group but at least another person to take it in turns to badger the other to go out on in the rain aagain afetr a wet commute in a wet commute hoime a quick tea and then out to get wet with mud thrown in this time.
These people [nutters] are very hard to find. Sadly they are also super fit and hard to keep up. You know who you are 😉

Bike clubs urgh the thought gives me the shudders

They are populated by 4 kinds of people

the insanely fit and competitive who cant understand that you just dont fancy a 24 hour enduro you just want to go out and have a ride and a laugh

the frustrated politician as soon as they join they will start causing schisms and encourage infighting just so they can be club captain

The organiser as soon as they join you find yourself paying club dues buying lottery tickets and desperately trying to avoid buying a tacky nylon club jersey

The All the gear and no idea they turn up with 5 grands worth of kit are hysterically enthusiastic and bang on about the soul of mountain biking and how they made a deep journey within themselves and how they cleared the triple black diamond with skulls run at Whistler. Luckily they disappear the first time you go on a wet ride and take up another hobby.

why not just ride your bike and use the forum of all the **** chat about seat posts and tyres that clubs seem to exist for

Knowing the club you mean and the way some people treat you within that club I am suprised it has taken this long for you to decide this.

The reason I joind the club was the way you welcomed and helped me as a complete MTB noob. The reason I left was the way a certain core of the club behaved.

I believe the day that sealed it for me was a club run where we took a shortcut through church grounds and the grounds keeper came out to chase us. He was a pretty old guy and pretty red in the face, and clearly pissed off that the club route went through his churchyard. There was no reason for the route to go that way as there was other ways to go. This could have been solved by going a different way and leaving him in peace, or by stopping and chatting to him, ask where he would prefer us to go and generally making a new friend. Not by the two most "offical" and "senior" members shouting "Land Reform Act" in his face and cycling off. No need at all for that and it sums up thier attitude really.

I have no intention of rejoining this club myself.

However not all the people in this club are bad! I have made a few good friends through it (I would be honoured to call your good self and Bazz / Jo mates!) that I ride with outside the club now. I have also met a few poeple out and about where the club runs that are always happy to have people join them and ride with them. They just have similar experiences of the club that you have now had and want nothing more to do with it so wont post on thier forum.

So you dont need to ride alone, phone your mates and ride with them! Come ride with us (Pedro, Iain, Stuart, Barton on some very rare days) on a Saturday, I can pick you up on the way by with the car if I am riding that day. If you dont fancy that I ride Meikle Bin / CV normally twice a month so can meet up there anytime your free and fancy a ride at a slower pace than normal!

But once you free yourself of the obligation to ride with people you dont like you will enjoy the biking a lot more… I think it might be time for you to be a bit more selfish – you do a lot more for the club than it does for you!

Also there is something nice about riding alone, gives you time to think, means you can go at your pace (watch this tho as my pace gets slower and slower if I let it!), go that way to see whats there, push back up to do it again, or if your just not in the right place cut the ride short. Just make sure your good lady knows where you are and when your due back!

If you are in stirlingshire can I suggest Lanarkshire MTB club. I have been out a few runs with the guys (times and places haven't always suited me.) The club is not so much a club in the way that you pay an anual fee infact there are no costs at all. They are just a buch of like minded guys from really experienced guys that make me tired just looking at them on bikes that cost more than a car to guys on £200 efforts on their first ride. All runs are taken at a good pace and the leaders usually stop every so often to let the guys behind catch up. With all the levels of experience you can pretty much take things at your own pace. Have a look at the website and come along to a run.

http://www.lanarkshiremtbclub.co.uk/

please name and shame the club

They are populated by 4 kinds of people

not ALL club are like that. Some are formed specifically to avoid people like that – LVIS for example. If you still want to ride with others, just get a group of likeminded people together. You don't have to call it a club if you don't want to.

Just dont let it get you down mate – a lot of people have a lot of respect for you!

I tend to stick with the old adage:

I wouldn't join any club that would have me as a member

That's why the South Manchester Massive is an Anarcho-syndicist collective, equally as dedicated to the overthrow of the government (preferably by violent means) as to riding bikes.

viva la revolution!!!!

massive what?

i can't believe that people pay money to ride their bike with a group of people.

i rode with a club (more a collection of like minded people of varying skills) for a year in the alps. we had two German Alpins Society accredited guides with us who knew the area like the back of their hands. one of whom was shit hot and would stop and coach everyone who needed it down technical sections. no money ever changed hands. we'd use the local bike shop to meet up and have a pre-ride chat and beer.

it has only dawned on me of late how lucky i was. here in germany there are so many Vereins (societies) and people pay good money just to be included (a very german trait – wanting to belong).

surprised the club scene in the UK is so organised.

riding bikes.

i can't believe that people pay money to ride their bike with a group of people.

+1
I really don't get this need to join a 'club' and pay some kind of membership fee, organise committees etc. Just get a group a likeminded people together and ride.

i got the chance to have a bash at manchester velodrome last week with a cycling group, there were quite a few guys from a certain road club in Bolton. They all seemed a bit too serious for me.

Mountain biking is best done with a small group 2 to a maximum of 4 is the best in my opinion.

In my experience forming 'clubs' seems to be a peculiarly English activity

Whether intentionally or not, this inevitably seems to lead to taking an activity that's inherently spontaneous and enjoyable, then kicking and punching the fun out of it with the establishment of various rules and regulations.

I really don't get this need to join a 'club' and pay some kind of membership fee, organise committees etc. Just get a group a likeminded people together and ride.

again, not all clubs charge or even have any official positions. It's not really necessary.

And clubs are huge on the continent. They're a complete way of life!

binners – Member
In my experience forming 'clubs' seems to be a peculiarly English activity

Whether intentionally or not, this inevitably seems to lead to taking an activity that's inherently spontaneous and enjoyable, then kicking and punching the fun out of it with the establishment of various rules and regulations.

i'd agree completely with you binners if you changed the word 'English' to 'Teutonic'. seriously. there are so many clubs here in Germany. if ever you are here look out for the word 'Verein'. it's everywhere. you can't play golf or tennis without a 'platzreife' – place-ripe – certificate. and you can only get a certificate if you pay shitloads of cash upfront each year.

to 'belong' to a tennis club you pay around 6000€ or more each year. golf is around 8000€. obviously depends where but i read that it was the average.

and yes. lots of MTB groups have their own gaudy jerseys.

>I'll ask my wife tonight what she thinks I should do<

Aha, I can see where you're going wrong immediately 😉

Just get out and ride man – you want to ride with some others just phone them up and tell them where and when you are going. WTF could be simpler?

There is often a case of having your cake and eating it.
As with all of these things there needs to be balance.

Biking is a hobby that by its nature needs some planning, even just to pop out for a 2hr ride after work. Involving others requires more planning as well as compromise. Some of the benefits that riding with others brings, fun, reduced transport costs, route knowledge etc mean rules have to be created to make it practical for all.
Nobody (well maybe some) wants rules and bureaucracy for its own sake but ground rules are often needed to ensure you meet on time, have the right kit,expectations etc and the ride goes off smoothly for all concerned.
Riding alone can be a spontaneous activity but bring people together and an element of "rules" and planning is required unfortunately.

After a while, the club thing always goes tits up.

The Bog Trotters has been going for 15 years and survived for 10 being run (mostly) by me. It has never been more active.

They are populated by 4 kinds of people

the insanely fit and competitive who cant understand that you just dont fancy a 24 hour enduro you just want to go out and have a ride and a laugh

the frustrated politician as soon as they join they will start causing schisms and encourage infighting just so they can be club captain

The organiser as soon as they join you find yourself paying club dues buying lottery tickets and desperately trying to avoid buying a tacky nylon club jersey

The All the gear and no idea they turn up with 5 grands worth of kit are hysterically enthusiastic and bang on about the soul of mountain biking and how they made a deep journey within themselves and how they cleared the triple black diamond with skulls run at Whistler. Luckily they disappear the first time you go on a wet ride and take up another hobby.

I cannot identify any of these – perhaps they are the symptoms of a dysfunctional club ? And as for schisms, I do my best to prevent their appearance and make sure everyone is included.

I often ride alone, as I infrequently get a pass enabling me to join up on weekends etc for organised stuff, but I have bumped into a bunch who post up on another local forum who I sometimes ride with. Nothing serious, but I have found my skills increase riding with others – too easy to get off and push over/down difficult stuff just incase….

What's wrong with Riding with the club on the day they ride during the week and going out on your own on the other days?! That's what I do:

Tuesday: Hard club ride good general banter etc
Thursday: Fun ride with some old uni mates and bike shop owner talk about more personal things
Saturday: Loner ride (usually for a number of hours) think about the meaning of life… or what I should buy for my bike next… or I wonder if my wife will still be in bed when I get back 😉

No rules with us other than "no miserable gits" and "if racing you try to go fast but don't stress if you don't or can't". Seems to work

Simon – we also prevent schisms appearing before they get a grip, as it can upset the coherence of the collective.

We do this by employing fierce gladiatorial combat outside the pub after rides. We all stand round, baying like jackels and throwing beer around, while forcing the two unfortunate warring factions to set about each other mercilessly with parts of their own bikes, which we handily dismantle for them in advance.

Seems to work

For my part I doubt I'd bother riding at all without company (the more the better), but I'm not exactly parasitic as I lead 70+ rides a year as well as haphazardly handling club business. People have different needs and wants, and the the club is for those who like to ride together, simple as that. The membership covers 3rd party insurance which also indemnifies the club leaders against liability claims, and pays for the website.

No rules with us other than "no miserable gits"

that would have had me expelled Sunday before last as we squelched through endless mud and soft grass round Burnmoor Tarn 🙁

while forcing the two unfortunate warring factions to set about each other mercilessly with parts of their own bikes

I find ridicule works as well :o)

>For my part I doubt I'd bother riding at all without company (the more the better), <

Complete opposite for me – I like to go out in a group but anything larger than 1/2 doz I find really tedious. Ramblers seem to have this need for 'being organised' / going out in large groups – it's what distinguishes them from mere Hillwalkers.

I find the herd / lemming mentality very offputting and I hate coming across large groups in the hills

The club that I'm on about is actually great, the majority of folk in it are really sound and I've made some close friends out of it. Riding in a club environment has for me, opened up a vast number of new local trails through shared knowledge and, as a non driver, given me the opportunity to ride in some wonderful locations.

Further, going out on a club ride in the middle of a dark wintry night gives me a safety net. As someone mentioned above, riding solo, is only going to lead to my skill levels going down the pan as I'm more and more likely to get off and walk the scary bits. Without having the 'club ride' scene, I'm also going to struggle to motivate myself to get out, and away from munching custard creams in front of the telly. 😳

It's that crucial motivation that I lack and need to find from somewhere. For the better part of a decade it's come from knowing that there'll be folk waiting at the meet point ready for a good laugh, and that gets me out the door, even though it's a 10 mile road bash away. However, the attitude of a couple of key members in the group has really changed in the last couple of years from being friendly and open to everyone, as was the case with me when I started riding with them, to being much more self centred. Which has led to a culture of 'if you can't keep up, you're dropped'. I can fully understand why their attitude has changed, and I sympathise with it, but I don't like it.

I don't want to play that game, it's cack and it's rude.

So I just need to try and find some motivation, somewhere. Oh and a large lashing of bravery. Did I tell you about last year's solo run where I nearly had a heart attack trying to pull away from the thing that was following me in the darkness? A branch, it was a flipping branch, hooked up in my rear mech. It nearly killed me.

Join a local forum as opposed to a club.

The mtbscotland.net lot tend to do night rides up your way, Dumyat, North Third, Ben Cleugh etc. Pace is gentlemanly for the most part unless otherwise specified (a rarity) and the emphasis is on just riding and banter.

Was it Stirling MTB club by any chance, given your location?

and I hate coming across large groups in the hills

tough luck when the Boggies are about :o) I'm not usually sociable except when I'm riding…

Which has led to a culture of 'if you can't keep up, you're dropped'.

if someone said that to me (as well they might) I'd say "No, you're dropped!" :o) As far as I'm concerned, club rides are about having as much fun as possible, and the excessively fit are only allowed along if they behave!