On my own here, have facebooked a couple local rides/groups but nothing come of it. Have bumped into said groups in the forest and attempted conversation but they don't seem overly willing to communicat back.
I do enjoy it on my own as it's time I use to clear my head and just contemplate life, also gives me an opportunity to blast my ears with a bit oft scooter
Yep, typical geek profile here.
Ride on my own virtually all the time. Struggle when riding in groups. They're usually too slow and I get impatient but even when there's someone faster I catch them quickly and then struggle to converse with them while we wait for the others.
Far less comfortable to ride by myself. It's all because I'm a poor excuse for a human being.
Me but then again I enjoy exploring, watching wildlife, looking at relics. Forum Rides are ace though. 😀
All my regular rides are solo. Just generally a loner I guess.
Do the occasional special ride, holidays and the like, with others. Enjoy them because they are different, and infrequent, but gernerally prefer my own company.
/OT/ Do most of my forum use solo too, ie reading not posting, so you wont know me, but nice to see S_W back 🙂
Thanks UrbanHiker (assuming I'm the S_W you're referring to ... otherwise I'm going to feel like a bit of a twonk!)
c_g: I'm heading off on an 'relics and wildlife' ride tomorrow up about Conwy mountain. When you're better, we'll have to arrange some kind of north - south ride exchange to take in the old and scenic stuff 🙂
Me. No mates, you see.
Seriously tho mates who rode are mostly doing their own thing (prob avoiding me 🙂 ) and I'm too impatient to do other group rides with lots of stops etc.
Usually ride alone - prefer it although a group ride is a nice change of pace every so often. When you're learning they're a very good idea.
Riding with 2 or 3 can be the best if you're all good mates, similar ability. Can be hard to sustain regular rides like this though, as people move on etc.
Almost always alone on the mtb. Road rides 50/50 alone/with a mate.
I generally ride with my mates, we are of broadly similar pace overall.
To those who don't ride with people as they worry about being slow, unfit and rubbish. You will progress more riding with folk who are better than you, it is so easy to plateau.
Who cares about increasing my skills level, I ride to have fun...
Maybe people who ride in groups take themselves far too seriously..
Good for you no mates 😉 As long as you like what you do it is all good.
100% alone. Cyclists are dicks, generally.
yes i ride alone all the time (i can count on 1 hand the times i've ridden with people in the last 4-5 years) but i am a loner anyhoo.
how the **** do you know that ^^ then?loddrik - Member
[b]I have never ridden with anyone whatsoever and I never will, [u]and that's just the way I like it[/u][/b]
😕
😉 Double post, sorry!
I wouldn't want to only ever do one or the other. I'm a member of a local club but in-between club rides I'll always squeeze in solo rides.
I think one of the best things about mtbing is that it's ace when you're in a group but also just as good by yourself.
I like that.Go when I like, where I like and at the pace I like.
Shifts, lucky that local stuff is great and I hate wasting time travelling, enjoy tootling along with the odd burst of speed (all relative of course) and like many others who've posted I hate the thought of holding people up. 1-1.5 hours is what I like best and most people prefer much longer outings.
Always enjoyed any group rides I've been on though.
Mostly alone but I occasionally ride road with a friend. Did 2 months of Whistler by myself and I had a great time, never got bored. Despite being a bit antisociable I do like group rides though, usually tend to push myself harder trying to keep up with others. Couple of my mates are interested in starting riding so may have some local riding buddies soon.
I almost always ride solo. The idea of doing "bike club" rides just doesn't float my boat. Riding is me time. I can dictate my own pace and I can moan all I want to myself about anything without annoying, boring or offending anyone. I've done group rides with my dads road club and whilst I understand the social aspect, it kills the riding. Having to fight to the front for a decent run is rubbish. I tend to ride late afternoons and evenings too, as I find the hills are less busy.
I ride solo 50% of the time but only on easy routes or red runs for fitness.
If doing a long day or black runs I ride with at least 1 other generally just incase I do my self an injury.
I used to enjoy riding with Wheely Good Bikes, Uxbridge. They were a great laugh and a real interesting collection of people. Not seen or heard of a club like that since that shop closed... so I is on my own innit.
I also work antisocial hours so mainly ride on me Jack Jones.
I like riding solo and like riding in company.It just gets more difficult to schedule a ride to be a regular thing.
Dunno if i could cope with a mahoosive group though , my own faffing is bad enough.
3 or 4 is the perfect riding group size for me.
GlitterGary - Member
100% alone. Cyclists are dicks, generally.Posted 7 hours ago # Report-Post
I think this pasttime appeals to the socially inept so, some truth here I reckon.
Almost all of my rides are alone because I have no mates where I currently live and few of my long term mates back home are into it. It also takes some organising and it;s good just to get up and go.
I like group rides though.
solo except on trips abroad. Groups for me tend to be too slow and I want to ride when I want to ride.
Most of mine is solo, my riding buddy moved away over a year ago and been on a handful of rides with other people since but that's it. Can go at my own pace. Quite like riding in social rides though and meeting new people
Ride solo quite a lot just to fit it in when I'm free in a busy life. An off road ride with mates is good though.
On road riding solo is convenient but as I'm attempting a bit of a comeback joining a local group on a Sunday with riders in much better shape than I am at the moment pushes me more than I would on my own and gives me the incentive to work harder in the week to get my fitness back and show them what's what in the future.
I never start off alone
I always end alone
The sound of laughter can be cruel
Nigel
Mostly on my own - it's called being selfish and means I can ride whatever route I want, whenever. Stop where I want, change the route, not have to wait for anyone. 😉
Riding in small groups (<4) on the road is fine though.
To be fair I've had some fantastic group rides, met some great people off here and I wouldn't change that for anything but group riding just requires a different mindset.
Right, off for a nice 60 miles on the CX in the Peaks. On my own.
In the Summer it's 50/50
The rest of the year at least 80% of my riding is solo. Despite spending £££'s on fancy Exposure lights etc my riding buddies never seem to go out after dark so only get a weekend ride in.
i ride solo 99% of the time.
used to ride with mates when i started mtbing 20yrs ago (as that was part of teh fun when your a kid) but we've all moved to different areas, have families, kids,work comitments so any organised ride has to be done 6 months in advance - and inevitably never happen.
I do ride with some mates now and again, but they are newer to the sport and go sooooooo slow, my usual 25-30min lap of ashton court turns into a 45min+ ride of stopping and waiting for them. So TBH i quite enjoy riding on my own, as others have said, you can go at your own pace.
Currently entirely on my own, everyone else has put their bikes away in the expectation it's going to snow, and night riding doesn't seem to be the done thing here.
Anyone in Chamonix fancy some night riding? It does feel slightly, umm, committing going out solo night riding on empty trails in the Alps!
My club experience was good but i disliked the race mentality of the riders there, i prefer the exploration theme to cycling. When living in uk, it took about 3yrs to find likeminded people and that's what i miss the most of the uk. I seldom ride on my own
99.9% of the time I ride solo.There are'nt too many people willing to do 4hour 80k climb fests and put up with ss style onespeed up/down tempo.
"Anyone in Chamonix fancy some night riding? It does feel slightly, umm, committing going out solo night riding on empty trails in the Alps!"
Would love to, just small problem of being 750 miles away.
Didn't get my Chamonix fix this year due to house renovations, say hello to the rooty climb out of Argentiere alongside the railway for me !
99.9 % Solo just ask anyone who rides with and they will tell you why ! 🙄
Mostly ride solo, and enjoy it cos I can ride at me own pace and go where I want, but I do enjoy small group rides now and then. Large groups off road just tend to get held up all the time, too bunched up on tricky bits of trail, and really quite slow. Can still be fun though.
Mostly on my own but do a group ride with 4-5 mates every couple of months too much stopping and faffing about on these group rides for my liking though as theres 1 of the group who will walk up everything that isn't flat or going down,so selfishly i prefer out on my own !!
50/50.. work every other weekend and getting days off in the week instead makes me Billy no mates a lot 😕
Khani; get in touch and you could have a weekday riding buddy and not feel so lonely. 🙂
Plus, I wants yer wood....
X
Nice one elf 😀
You gots email addy? I will now remove from public view...
No, I'm crap an slow...sorry 🙁 mines in my profile tho....
Usually always ride alone. I do a long commute so I'm used to riding on my own. It's always nice to meet people on a ride and have a chat for a bit but I enjoy my own space.
I've met various riders who are in clubs and have asked if I'd like to join but I don't really fancy it.
A printer I deal with at work, who I've never met, rides and knows I ride, he mentioned in an email that he goes out with friends for a Saturday morning ride and we should meet up. Sometimes I like the idea but most of the time I don't.
What if I meet up with them and their really slow?
always ride on my own as I have no riding friends and the wife is quite slow 🙂
Mainly alone - cycling friends mainly roadies. Shame as whenever I ride with others, I am pushed to ride harder and faster and to attack tech sections more aggressively. Makes me a better rider.
Ideal group 2-3, beyond that committee culture sets in, too little riding, too much discussions/consensus building. Same with skiing.
Ideal scenario - always ride with 2 others who are better riders than me.
