I prefer riding in a group, and since I broke my leg over summer when riding alone I'm not going out alone again. I think people should think strongly about going alone unless you know there are plenty of people around/phone signal…

Ah I met Lowey this weekend what a great advertisement we were for the biking community eh 😉

Bit of both really I like group rides on the MTB but less keen on them on road bike as pace is more of an issue. Dont mind largish groups if you are all reasonably/similarly paced.
Tend to ride in group of 4 ish locally and more on trips further a field.
It can be a pain if you are massively mixed abilities or fitness levels.
I don’t require others to motivate me as commuting in all weathers makes you MTFU anyway.
Oddly I have ridden once locally with Lowey despite riding away from home loads of time with him [chain permitting 😳 ]…odd that.

lowey – Member

Sorry, not my words. Met someone on Darwen Tower on Saturday who uttered those lines. We'd only just met, so you must have made a great impact.

What bike were you on ? :p

Why? Was it you? Thought you were buddies with sfb?

I reckon the great thing about mtbing is that you don't have to depend on other people to get out. I tried to get involved in a club once, but they were arse-up, head-down XC racers whose idea of fun was 4 hours on a Wednesday at maximum pace. I knew it wasn't going to work when they shot past drop-offs and downhills and stopped to repeatedly try to clean technical uphills – the wrong way round, people!
I like going solo, and getting to stop to check out a view and pootle if I want. I agree that my riding probably hasn't evolved as quickly as a club rider's might, but the sense of freedom you get riding solo on big epics up here in the Highlands can't be beat – it's addictive.
I guess it depends why you ride, but for me rides are pure selfish everything-else-in-the-world-can-****-off time.
Maybe I just haven't met the right bunch of people to go riding with, though!

Thought you were buddies with sfb?

we have met a couple of times but I always make fun of him (and everyone else) and he's so jealous of my devastating charisma he invented a car breakdown to avoid meeting again 🙁

And anyway, I cannot blame whoever it was as the description is entirely accurate* 🙂

* except for the 'overgrown' part.

and his camera is no where near as good as yours either.

Prefer solo by and large, definitely for practical reasons. You need to mix it up now and again though, too much riding on your own and you get a bit stagnant. Helps to get new perspectives riding with others – different routes / fitness / skill levels etc. Particularly with respect to new trails, you can be riding the same area for years and think you know it like the back of your hand. Go out with a group and odds are someone can show you a new stretch of trail.

hard riding on your own = masterbation ❓

I only ride alone, and although I feel I'm missing out a bit on some things, mostly I prefer it. I want to do my own thing, without thinking about anyone else. Part of the fun of biking is getting away from it all imo.

It does reflect my personality away from biking though, I'm perfectly happy in my own company.

hard riding on your own = masterbation

I think that would upset the ramblers.

hard riding on your own = masterbation

Hard riding in a group = ? 😯

Hard riding in a group = ?

= orgy :o)

Since moving to a new park of England (yorkshire) and away from all my usual ridding buddies, ive been out on my own a fair bit and starting to get used to it. I miss the whole "riding with my mates" side of things as i find MTB a very social activity and i'm not that competitive that changing routes or waiting for someone to fix a puncture bothers me in the slightest.

I feel like a bit of a "billy no mates" riding solo, but needs must and all that. Thanks to all you other lonely solo riders on here for making me feel less of a W@nker 🙂

I only like riding with my mate Samuri.

**** off.

I only like riding with my mate Samuri.
**** off.

giggles :o) Some of us are so wonderful we don't need mates 🙂

And as for joining a club? Why would I want to be told what to do by some overgrown egomaniacal control freak?

With an attitude like that I suspect you wouldn't be welcome at many clubs. Certainly not ours.

70% on own 30% with others, bar the big groups as there's too much faffing involved.

I've just come back from a (cold) solo ride and I was definitely going slower on the downs than I would be when I am with a group.
The thought of a bad accident and breaking my leg like Swalsey puts the fear into me, especially when it started to get dark.
I think I was going faster the rest of the time than i do with a group and much less stopping.
I think solo rides are better for fitness but its nice to out with mates having a laugh, even if you do have to wait for other peoples mechanicals and they have to wait for me on some of the ups.

Solo or group, I rarely ride "hard". I like to "beat" some hills, or nail some downhills, or sometimes stay out until I've nothing left. But generally I "just pootle around looking at clouds and rocks and trees".

Solo, buddies or forum rides are different experiences but all good.

With an attitude like that I suspect you wouldn't be welcome at many clubs

not ours! Most of the Boggies appear to think I am subcriminally insane (but useful) :o)

I like a mix, have no preference and enjoy riding within and not with a group it's good to have a balance of both. It's also good to ride with different groups with different abilities you can learn alot that way.

I don't particularly like riding on my own. For me riding is most fun when you're leading or following someone of a similar ability. But I hate big rides, 3-5 is the ideal size IMO. Occasionally I'll ride alone, but I'm not very good at reigning myself in. Once in a while you will have a stupid accident and I'd like someone there if I properly hurt myself.

Thought you were buddies with sfb

I worship the ground he rides on.

I rode with a club once many may years ago. What I thought was funny was that they always beat me to the top of the hills as I was so unfit but I always beat them to the bottom – even though I was a beginner, on a "beginners" hardtail. Only went out with them once as we were clearly not compatible.

I like riding on my own but with a group of SIMILAR MINDED, its ace, but it really p155es me off when their bikes break down due to silly lack of preparation.

Solo night riding is where its really at though. Now that IS exciting.

Always prefer to go solo. Nobody holding you up and no pressure to go faster, plus it adds to the adventure of the whole thing.

The same goes for sex 😆

I used to ride on my own all the time but now I can only ride in a group just because of the competition. With out them I have very little will to ride

usually out with various groups on night rides or weekend epics, occasionally on my own but worry about "offs".

However I do train with one other ex fell runner who bullies me to go further and faster till I puke

I honestly could not regularly inflict my rubbish riding skills and rubbish personality on people 😳

Bit confused by silverpigeon's reference to sex on the trails, thought you needed two people for that, no?

, thought you needed two people for that, no?

he was implying self-loving :o)

Well … he didn't say that. I guess the trails are as good as anywhere for picking up people, you're sweaty anyway so what's a bit more? Sex on the singletrack, whatever next 😉

?
All I ever see are badgers, rabbits and .. well.. that's about it on a night ride in the Watford area.
It's too bloomin' cold at night to be hanging about and not riding.
Hanky-pany out on the trails?
Why does it always happen to other people?
Now I feel all left out. 🙁

G' damn it.
I view one more thread before bed and what do I get?
"My £12 waterproof bottoms from Decath were outstanding, as was the bird in the red Astra doing a bit of dogging in Bredbury"

Feeling very unloved. 😥

Daytime riding Ti29er?

(My Ti doesn't like the dark!)

Sweet dreams Ti29er 😉

Both. Day and night rides.
My Ti is a tough bit o' kit and doesn't mind being bashed about.
Were we to meet C.G., we'd end up with a Ti96 or a Ti69 I guess.
Keep it Ti!

don't mind us, guys :o)

I like both really. Though for more challenging stuff it's nice to have someone on hand to help you find your teeth.

50-50.

On my own I can session something that otherwise I would bumble thru and then not want to hold others up so wouldn't necessarily get any better at; if I feel like a death march of uphill, no-one is getting pissed off or holding me back; etc

Riding with others means seeing different ways of riding the same thing; a laugh and a joke; someone to have a beer/coffee/tea and cake with at the end; motivation to keep going; etc

Both have their place; but I'd rather ride alone than not ride cos someone else isn't around…

Mostly ride on my own or sometimes with Junkyard as I'm pretty slow. (junkyard isnt slow, he just doesnt mind waiting)

But the couple of STW northern rides I did with Lowey, Junkyard, SfB, DeeJay, Donk, Fatgit, Brian and about 20 others was propbably some of the most enjoyable riding Ive ever done.

When I started riding it was only in groups. Now most of my riding is on my own. But making the effort to ride with others more now. I am anti-social so think it is good for me to ride with others. I enjoy it most in a small group.

Now most of my riding is on my own

Because no on can keep up with you

out on my own most of the time, though miss the big Mid Shropshire Wheeler group rides/races of the early 90's – those were the best rides ever