Not sure why but I can't stand riding with no one else to talk to? If I turned up for my weekly ride and no one else showed up I wouldn't even bother to go for a solo ride even though I was kitted up for it. I just find it boring and every climb seems to drag on, while every downhill leaves you with no one to verbally high five.
Riding for me, is all about the banter with your mates and sharing the experience.
Am I just very social or a little bit strange?
Why not just go to the pub if you like talking
It all gets easier if you ride more than once a week.
You need more friends.
I like company off road, not fussed on road.
Used to be like that, but as mates got older, fatter and had kids I ended up on my own more and more. Don't mind it now. Don't particularly like night rides on my own in areas I don't know well though
Ride at whatever pace you want, go wherever you want, nobody wanting a "high five", fewer mechanicals, no waiting around for someone to puff up the climb or mince down the descent even slower than me, more time to reflect without inane chatter... love riding alone.
Different strokes for different folk I guess, the general public consider us all a little bit odd to start with for continuing to ride bikes at our age.
I'm at the polar opposite end of the spectrum from yourself, I intensely dislike riding wi others.
Much prefer riding on my own. For me it's always been about the ride not the social aspect.
Riding with others always means a compromise of some sort, route, time etc. Also love the aspect of pushing myself on my own. Still like to occasionally ride with others but not all the time. I guess it's my introvert side coming out where I don't really care about what others do and am just into the experience.
Ride at whatever pace you want, go wherever you want, nobody wanting a "high five", fewer mechanicals, no waiting around for [s]someone [/s] [b]me [/b] to puff up the climb or mince down the descent even slower than me, more time to reflect without inane chatter... love riding alone.
+1
In fact I prefer it on my own.
Mechanicals are much better with mates.
You get to stand around and take the p#%s while they faff about getting muddy.
I do understand that some people just like to get their heads down and beat themselves up about their Strava times.
It didn't used to bother me going out on my own, but maybe I now I find mountain biking more of a social thing than a sole means to keep fit?
Either solo or small group ( 5 or less) for me.
[quote=choppersquad said]
You get to stand around and take the p#%s while they faff about getting muddy.
You could help them of course 🙂
I prefer to play with myself.
Help them!
Where's the fun in that? 🙂
Most of my riding is done alone as I never find mates I want to ride with .The young ones are way to fast and I cant keep up and the couple my age are slow on and off road I dont enjoy it with either group
Riding with any more than 1 other person slighty annoys me, the amount of faf increases with every other person.
Hang on a min I just have to
.change my music.
.put my jacket/jumper/trousers on/off
.have a wee/poo/fag
.check my mech/tyre/brakes/wheels/lights
.phone my wife/kids/landlord/archbishop
Argghhhh Lets Ride!!
If i do a lone MTB ride I tend to go to a trail centre, at least there you're likely to meet some people and usually have a few minute chat with. On the road I'm not really bothered, I like to ride at my own pace and zone out so an not good company anyway.
I like both solo and group rides tbh.
Group as you say is more social but solo rides I can tow on, and ride at my own pace. Find it great for clearing my head by myself too.
On my own- I love to stop and take in the beauty, think, drift. Best place for riding solo was the Alps, I'd take my I.D/insurance details and just wander over to Switzerland etc on the bike using the lifts. You tend to relax more when alone- ergo ride BETTER IMO.
Not sure why but I can't stand riding with no one else to talk to?
With you all the way. Same with Skiing, both are individual sports that I find difficult to do on my own. I love to ride but the social side makes it so much more, so much so that the idea of going alone is not particularly attractive. Ultimately wouldn't stop me if push came to shove and no one was around but...
Last orders on a cold night ride wouldn't be the same without good company.
I like riding on my own...at least no one can tell me how slow i am!
Ride at whatever pace you want, go wherever you want, nobody wanting a "high five", fewer mechanicals, no waiting around for [s]someone[/s] me to puff up the climb or while I mince down the descent, more time to reflect without inane chatter, no one to dispute the 100ft drop-off and general gnar shredding, freedom to bimble and no one needs to know about me getting lost in a trail centre... love riding alone.
+ 1.
Yes we can....'YOU'RE TOO SLOW'
I enjoy my own company every so often, as get very little time to myself between work and home with 2 young children 😉
Mountain bikes always with mates. Half of the fun for me. Bragging rights on climbs and descents. Much more fun to share the experience. Cross Bike tends to be just me but only because I've failed to convince MTB mates they need to buy one.
I'm with the OP, riding alone doesn't do it for me.
Another kids related enjoyer of riding on my own. Mind you I would also like to have the chance to ride with other people too, particularly on the road.
I keep thinking of setting up a dads (and mums so parents really, I guess) ride at 8pm or something so that the we can get the kids off to bed and then get out for ride during the week without dumping everything on the other half.
So much better going out in a small group of mates than solo.
Depends on the ride. If it's a training ride, then it's better solo, focusing on what you're doing etc. Anything else, then it's more sociable.
No, not just you, I never ride off road on my own, I'm not really one for chatting and high fives but I just don't enjoy it. Can't really put my finger on it because I actually love road in my own.
Maybe I'm a big mincer?
Agree with Onza and rickt,Group off road, either/or way on road.
Reason: group MTB outings provide multiple comedy moments. There is nothing quite so amusing as the witnessing of man meets muddy rut, followed by a rapid dismount….no wait, the front wheel ½ endo, slow mo, gonands meet headtube has to be up there….happy days ?
Onzadog - Member
I like company off road, not fussed on road.
+1
I have no one to ride with ( would just slow them down if I did) but I enjoy the time alone and quiet.
In contrast to the majority of miserable, anti-social, Victor Meldrew types above, I much prefer to ride socially in small groups when I've got the time. Other people notice different things about their surroundings and often help you push a little harder than you might otherwise. I especially like it when others organise rides (my group had a roster) that way the rides is a nice surprise.
On the flip side, I much prefer to commute alone...others don't seem to share my 30min-heart-rate-must-not-drop-below-160 approach to commuting. If I don't arrive at work unable to speak due to exertion, it's been a bad ride.
At the weekend I'm more relaxed. 🙂
I'm a lone rider as well, mainly because I can't plan my riding up front so organising things is difficult but also because I'm a grumpy sod and like my own company.
Same as OP - I prefer riding in a group, either a small group of riders who are similarly matched so we can all maintain the usual "more than 2 men on bikes = a race" rule, or a bigger, purely social ride.
Can't be doing with pure solo riding, I get bored too easily and don't like that solitary feeling.
Interesting to think about all the different riders I know - seems the XC/marathon/SS types prefer solo riding and "clearing their head" solitary time, while more gravity focused riders prefer groups as it's a bit easier to get hyped up.
Most of mine is Solo, but I quite like it. Whilst I like riding with others, the opportunity doesn't always arise, so I end up usually not.
Maybe I'm just getting a bit too sensible in my old age, but I'm not keen to do remote/big mountain hike-a-bike tech stuff alone.
I appreciate having someone along who a.)can give a grid reference reliably, and b.)would be capable/willing to stick his knee in your groin if you "did a Cedric".
I think this could be the reason I've not really considered road riding. I guess its a lot harder to chat to your mates when you're trying to avoid potholes and irate drivers?
choppersquad, it's also a lot harder to talk to your mates on the road if you're blowing out of your backside going up a hill.
I appreciate having someone along who a.)can give a grid reference reliably, and b.)would be capable/willing to stick his knee in your groin if you "did a Cedric".
^^This.
somafunk - MemberI'm at the polar opposite end of the spectrum from yourself, I intensely dislike riding wi others.
That's the last time i drive all the way up to Scotland to ride with you again then. 😉
I like riding with others and i also like riding on my own.
Not keen on riding in massive groups though.
choppersquad - Member
I think this could be the reason I've not really considered road riding. I guess its a lot harder to chat to your mates when you're trying to avoid potholes and irate drivers?
I find road rides more sociable than mtbing tbh though I expect it depends on where you ride. Road riding is on quiet roads so you can ride two abreast and happily chat. mtbing round here is singletrack so tends to allow chatting only at the ends of sections.
I ride to clear my mind of day to day life and stress so the thought of riding with others does nothing for me.
I like riding with others but cannot abide riding in big groups, 6 is about the maximum. That said I like riding on my own, most of my rides are actually solo, going out in a bit to deliver a last Christmas card.
Wouldn't,t want to only ever do one or the other. Usually ride on my own but sometimes go out with my local club. The problem with my local club is that the fast guys are too fast for me and the slower groups are just a bit too slow for my liking so I just go out with the slower rides for the social thing. Even if I pushed my fitness up a level I think my descending and total lack of maintenance skills would show me up sooner or later with tHe faster rides.
I have a mate from work who is almost exactly the same fitness level s me and it was always ace fun going out with him but he got knocked off his bike by a van and now his wife won,t let him go riding anymore 🙁
I like both to be honest, although a lot of my riding is on my own due to losing touch with riding buddies due to moving and others have family commitments so can't just drop everything at short notice to ride. Riding with one or two others is great but I'm not a fan of huge groups due to the faffage!
I tend to ride road on my own and quite like it that way because I can settle into my own pace etc, and I quite enjoy the me time to zone out and forget about work etc (a bit like running in the winter).
Enjoy meeting other cyclists on a ride, but can't stand company so if paths cross thats great but if they converge I don't like that and I either stop of change my route. Really enjoy riding with the GF but wouldn't ride with anyone else even though a lot of my friends ride.
I think I'm missing a camaraderie gene.
Some days I love solo missions and explorations. But it's truly great to have riding pals to lark about with.
Ha-Ha Stu..... 😀
I wouldn't want to be without either solo or group rides. Solo rides give me a more flexibility for exploring all those little tracks off to the side.
Like my own company, and it's one of the few times you get to escape and get some proper you time, to think and mull things over. Go where you like, how fast you lilke. Get more than enough company when I go racing. Training I want to hit the targets I have set, and if I feel like just bimbling with an OS map I can.
Can do either, albeit CBA to go out on my own in the dark.
However, it usually depends on where my general enthusiasm is at - if I'm well into my riding, I'll go out on one group ride and 1 or 2 solo rides a week. If I'm just getting back into it, or not overly enthusiastic, it will be one group ride a week.
I prefer riding alone
Going at my own pace and where I want
Getting away from everything
Not hanging around for the faffers
I love both riding in a group and solo. What I like about solo rides is having the time to "session" a section. Quite times on solo rides I've ridden something that I've previously chickened out of on group rides.
It really boils down to my mood.
I love sneaking a trip to Glentress in on a day off in an unplanned fashion with my bike still covered in the mud from a local trail ride.
But, equally riding somewhere fresh, of familiar with a few pals is always fun.
I like the fact that you push each other a bit, do stupid stuff, plus you have local knowledge from a few angles to piece together a route.
All good.
Prefer road riding on my own.
Offroad is probably better with other people but I'm fine if not.
Road riding for me, is about skinning it. That pain you feel on the climbs, that's road riding. It's a solitary thing.
I hate riding mtb on my own, as I love pushing my mate ooooer and my mate pushing me! Road riding I prefer on my own as my mate who does that just absolutely kills me! Simples!
Nope, OP it's not just you. I love riding with other people. Got a fairly exclusive group and they are all brilliant people to cycle with in different ways.
Don't mind both.
After doing loads of group rides in Bristol, I've moved cities and don't ride as much as I'm on my own.
Joining new club!
I've only ever ridden on my own and only ever will. I couldn't think of anything worse than riding with other people.
My riding time is my 'me' time.
I love riding alone and most of my rides are by myself, especially on the road. I sometimes ride with a mate on a road ride just to check my speed alongside someone else! I do like dh rides with a group though. Cant beat a long xc ride in the middle on nowhere by yourself!