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Riding alone?

79 posts & 64 voices | Started 2 years ago by Olly | Latest reply from swamp_boy

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Olly - Member

Who here rides alone?
how do you do it? how do you keep at it?
im fine in a group, but on my own end up just wandering pointlessly and sacking it in and going home

plan a route before hand perhaps? i dont really know the (newish) area, so need to explore mainly.

im prepared for the barrage of "just ride it you pussy" so fill your boots.

has there been a poll on the front page? or can we organise one?

on the majority of rides, how many people do you ride with?

1. Alone
2. Pair.
3. Up to 5
4. Up to 10
5. Over 10

Posted 2 years ago #
thisisnotaspoon - Member

I prefer riding alone/small groups, as it's esier to keep a constant pace.

As for motivation, never realy struggled with that, usualy I'm trying to convince myself to turn back before my legs give up!

Posted 2 years ago #
Kramer - Member

I prefer to ride with a friend(s), but I'm quite happy on my own. If I'm going somewhere that I don't know very well to ride on my own, then I prefer trail centres for convenience.

Posted 2 years ago #
duff - Member

Normally I'll ride with someone but I don't mind either way.

I quite like riding alone, that way I can go at my own pace. Stop when I want to, not have to wait etc, plus I don't have to organise anything in advance, if I'm bored I can just jump in the car and head off for a ride. I often ride places I know already but I've been away to the lakes on my own before, riding was fine but bloody boring in the evenings when you're camping.

Posted 2 years ago #
Gary_M - Member

I prefer to ride alone as generally I don't like people. On the rare occasions I ride with someone else I generally don't enjoy it as I can't stand faffing, going slow and having to watch where I blow my snot rockets.

It's easy I just love riding my bike and I'm great company.

Posted 2 years ago #
Candodavid - Member

Do both...depends how sociable i'm feeling at the time

Posted 2 years ago #
chvck - Member

I like to ride XC in groups of about 4 or 5 but like riding DH and jumping with larger groups, makes it a bit more of a laugh

Posted 2 years ago #
coffeeking - Member

I like riding in groups and alone. Mixes it up a bit. If I rode alone all the time I'd not push myself.

Posted 2 years ago #
theflatboy - Member

i like both - probably prefer riding with someone else but often find it hard to drum up people to go with, particularly as it normally involves travel from this london to get anywhere.

Posted 2 years ago #
Olly - Member

chvck is of my persuasion, cant think why though.
must be our up-bringing?
gonna buy an OS map with my house on over the weekend, and take a highlighter to the bridleways.
(and then having done a bit of an explore, a top secret uv pen to the cheeky bits)

Posted 2 years ago #
pennine - Member

60% of my rides are alone and non organised beforehand. Usually just set off from home for local stuff or drive to the Yorkshire Dales. Also do lots of cheeky FP stuff into the back of beyond. One man on his bike doesn't get much in the way of walker grumbles.

Posted 2 years ago #
Offroading - Member

90% of my rides are on my own, no having to slow down or wait for someone to catch up.

Posted 2 years ago #
chakaping - Member

Same as pennine.

Working from home for myself means I can just get out for local rides whenever I have the time/inclination - and usually when nobody else can make it.

Rode Brechfa, Afan and CyB by myself last week and enjoyed them just as much as if I'd been with friends - could session the bits I wanted at Brechfa and go at my own (steady but not stopping much) pace.

Posted 2 years ago #
Bunnyhop - Member

Riding in a group is my preference. However I do get spare time during the week, so end up riding the odd hour on my own. Luckily I know our local area really well and all the short cuts, if anything were to happen.
Don't like night riding on my own though, far too scary.

Posted 2 years ago #
corroded - Member

I bike alone 90 percent of the time. One of the reasons I ride is to get away from people for a couple of hours. I enjoy riding with a 2-3 friends but these usually involve more stopping/starting, piss-taking and pubs. Larger groups of strangers and acquaintances - no thanks. I also find I go flat out on my own and totally knacker myself and I'll try harder sections several times. Perhaps you prefer the camaraderie to the actual biking?

Posted 2 years ago #
Olly - Member

i defintaly descend better under a bit of pressure, be it someone a bit quicker up ones chuff, or keeping up with someone quicker.

feeding doood, feeeeeding.

Posted 2 years ago #
wheelz - Member

Don't really have many friends who are into mountain biking, so mostly I end up riding on my own. Rode the Brecon Beast last weekend, and will be riding the Ruthin Merida Marathon this weekend (I was on a business trip to the mainland so bookended it with two MTB events) and it was a nice change to be out with other people.

Doesn't bother me that much though, I quite like riding on my own.

But then I am a bit sad!

Posted 2 years ago #
coffeeking - Member

I find riding in groups kills me. Takes me hours to get round a course I can do in an hour and a half on my own, and I'm twice as tired in a group!

Posted 2 years ago #
Dimmadan - Member

99% of my riding is on my todd, but I do get an occasional ride with a mate. I find it easier and less hassle waiting for another party.

Posted 2 years ago #
chvck - Member

Perhaps you prefer the camaraderie to the actual biking?

I just like sharing the experience with other people and I find being able to have a chat on a long climb takes my mind off it and makes it seem easier/less boring

edit: I also seem to be the opposite of most people who have posted...quite often I'll decline a group ride because I'm worried about holding the others up not the other way round. I know that a fair few of the people I ride with are fitter and faster than me

Posted 2 years ago #
peachos - Member

i always ond up knee deep in some bog or another when i ride alone. i find it quite amusing though when the fp i think looks interesting leads me there.

Posted 2 years ago #
Jamie - Member

wheelz

Don't really have many friends who are into mountain biking, so mostly I end up riding on my own.

Doesn't bother me that much though, I quite like riding on my own.

Exactly what i was about to write.

Posted 2 years ago #
simonk - Member

I often ride alone, i am a fat sod and way to slow right now, but i am getting thinner and faster

Posted 2 years ago #
davidtaylforth - Member

DH and BMX with friends.

XC on my own 90% of the time.

Posted 2 years ago #
buzz-lightyear - Member

I like both

Solo has some benefits - no need to plan, it doesn't matter if it's not fantastic, I can go where I fancy without discussion. But mainly, I can go to that special "mindless" place.

Posted 2 years ago #
wheelz - Member

Damn - double post.

Stupid Internet!

Posted 2 years ago #
joolsburger - Member

I often go alone or take the dog. I work from home so I'm not tied to the office hours of my mates, which is nice.

Like riding in a group of 4 max otherwise it gets too organised.

Posted 2 years ago #
simonfbarnes - Member

so far my score is about: in company 1500 / alone 6

Like riding in a group of 4 max otherwise it gets too organised.

in the Bog Trotters it's always disorganised :o)
And in my experience, the more people you have the more chaotic it becomes!

Posted 2 years ago #
cheers_drive - Member

Alone is easier to plan but harder to motivate and generally I potter a bit to much if I ride off road alone.
On road it makes little difference although some country lanes alone at night are scarier than the woods!
Any group larger than 5 slows it down too much with ther being so much more chance of a mechanical etc. Having said that a big slow group ride can be nice too.

Posted 2 years ago #
PJ266 - Member

Group riding is soooo much better than riding alone! When we go out its basically one big piss-take. Im happy to go out alone and I do, but I often find myself planning the route to take in friends houses for tea/food stops

Posted 2 years ago #
John_Rowlands - Member

[quote] "going slow and having to watch where I blow my snot rockets."

He he, I do this whilst running and run with a club. I fired one at a girl behind me once who I didnt know was there!

Posted 2 years ago #
curtisthecat - Member

As mentioned before, I don't have a lot of mates into mountain biking and the few I do end of being a bit of a chore to organize. I am also really slow, so I am always worried about holding people up. Most of the time I really enjoy my own company, especially if it is a trail that I know well. Really the only time that I really missed riding with others was in Morzine this summer as most of the people I met were in groups. I found myself stopping way too much to check my map!

Posted 2 years ago #
DaveGr - Member

Solo. Groups slow me down. OK, sometimes I slow them down. Apart from this week when the mojo is low I have no problem motivating myself.

Posted 2 years ago #
thepurist - Member

I do most of my riding alone. Being self (un)employed I can just nip out for a ride during the day when the opportunity arises, so easy to do that on my own. I can go at my own pace, work as hard as I like without either waiting for people or feeling like I'm holding others up, repeat things a few times if I fancy, go exploring, or just go and sit by a lake for a change. Plus I'm no riding demon so when I'm on my own I can (if I want to) at least feel like I'm shredding the ragged edge of the gnar without seeing someone else leave me for dead without even trying. As for motivation it's easy - will I feel better when I get back from a ride than I do right now? That's always a yes, even if it's just a ride down to the shops for some chocolate.

However when I ride with a group I find that I tend to try more stuff that's just at the edge of my comfort zone - not sure if that's peer pressure or just being sure that there's someone to scrape me off the ground/tree/rocks when I cock it up. I fall off a lot more when I'm riding with other people.

Posted 2 years ago #
JxL - Member

I find its hard to get motivated to actually get out of the house, but never a problem riding on my own in terms of getting bored/etc.

Posted 2 years ago #
geoffj - Member

Billy no mates here

Posted 2 years ago #
Swalsey - Member

My motivation to go out alone relies upon setting a goal, like average speed. Saying that... after struggling to organise off-road group rides to new places I started going out alone in summer... and had a MAJOR accident in the 2nd last week. I'm lucky to be alive - I couldn't get mobile signal and had to ride with a badly broken leg for almost an hour before I found help. I won't be going out on my own again unless its a familiar trail...

Posted 2 years ago #
jonb - Member

I mix it up, I used to ride on my own 99% of the time but now I've moved it's nearer 50/50 because the local club/riders are good.

Plan routes, targets, things you want to explore or just go out and ride till you don't want to anymore.

I still really enjoy riding on my own. Gives you a chance to "session" a section you find hard. Push yourself, or not, on the hills. Go on long rides at your own pace so no need to stop and wait just riding continuously. Or just sit in a field, on a hill, by the sea and take it in.

Riding with mates is very different but equally as fun.

Posted 2 years ago #
simonfbarnes - Member

I am also really slow, so I am always worried about holding people up

this must be the #1 anxiety of most bikers. You have to get over yourself :o)

Posted 2 years ago #
nickc - Member

Mostly ride with 1 or 2 people who are both equally matched, so we don't hold each other up, but I'm happy to go alone, seem to do most of my road riding on me todd

Posted 2 years ago #