[Closed] First lone ride today...

Great isnt it - back end of last summer I got mrdomino to drop me off in the Dales and I would ride home, at the back of my mind I knew I could call him if it all went wrong. It was a great ride, gets the adrenaline going being by yourself if your not used to it.

95% of my rides are solo, only dibbs is more unsociable than me round here...;-)

MrFC's school for "what to do when it all goes wrong on the trails"

I would be interested to know what he said in that lesson 🙂

To date 0.4% of my rides have been solo :o)

I love riding by myself- stop when you want, look at the view. Lots of thinking time, and no one to get in your way!

stop when you want, look at the view.

I do that anyway 🙂

and no one to get in your way!

but no one to egg you on 🙁

its all about the social for me, i do get out on my own for some rides when everyone else is at work but prefer the banter of riding with a few good mates.

Ride on your own is cool! I do it loads, go as fast as you want, and don't have to worry about leaving people in your dust 🙄

Although a good group ride is cool now and again!

will...don't think there'll ever be a day when I leave people
in my dust! 😯

It`s the opposite for me will..nice slow ride, stopping to take in the views etc..had a nice bumble round Ae this afternoon after cutting the grass and before making the dinner

Lovely pics 8)

Almost all my rides are solo - I have no friends 😉 That said I've just got back from a great day's riding at FOD and it was lovely to have company for a change - cheers Kim!

only dibbs is more unsociable than me round here...

S'cool riding alone - different experience all together, if that's not stating the obvious.

i ride alone 80% of the time. me and the ipod, on shuffle and hours just slip away - blissful.

I have only ever rode alone and will never, ever ride with anyone else. Part of the reason I love biking is that it allows me to get away from everyone. I couldn't think of anything worse than riding with a big group.

I tend to go on my own even if i'm riding in a group 😆

I just finding riding on my own i can get away from everything, and everybody 😉

Always ride on my own anyways, so having the company would be both a novelty and weird 😐

loddrik, you sound even more grumpy than me 😀

on road = solo.......... off road = group......mostly.

I love riding alone, the P&Q, the views, the challenge, not worrying if I'm slowing people down etc.
I like getting out with mates every now & again for the social craic, but when I'm by myself I really feel as if I'm making the most of my 'me' time.

I tend to ride on my own. At first it was through necessity I wasn't able to drive for a while and everyone I rode with was a 30mile + ride away. Now I'm happy on my own. I like riding with people as well but hardly ever seem to get the chance to anymore.

I love riding alone but then I love riding with good company too. I have a small group I ride with most weekends but the Qs stw group ride had 50+ riders and was equally great(split into three groups, three routes).

I like riding with people, showing and being shown new routes. Riding with folk a little better is really good as I push on more.

But actually, I'm a bit antisocial and get the most out of solo riding, particularly exploring. I like the thrill of self reliance. Ride a bit more conservatively of course.

I agree with a lot of the people - riding on your own is the best way to escape. I can't bear the sight of great groups of people in the countryside - cyclists, ramblers, whatever - it's visual pollution as far as I'm concerned. The great outdoors should (in my humble opinion) not be spoiled by consumption en masse. By all means get out there, but don't do it like some great coach party. I guess there's a time and a place for big groups, but it's not something I look for particularly.

Those pics, FC, look lovely - you've really captured the mood of riding on your own. Yes - you do ride within yourself, but it's the self sufficiance and long walk home that gives it even more of a buzz.

Don't get me wrong - a pair, three or even four of you is a great way to spend a day, and it's something I do a fair amount, but I do find that I probably ride on my own more than I do in company, and it's just better for the soul!

When all's said and done, any riding, on any bicycle has got to be good for you - and it's really good of you to rub it in, Foxy, when I've been at work today and you've been out on that IF again! Bah - but then I did get a quick sneaky SS in after dinner... on my own! 😕

*chuckles at gonetothehills* 8)

I just feel I've found my old self again...it's hard to explain!
I always used to ride by myself before I met MrFC, then we rode together.
Then the chicklets came along and I did no riding at all.
Then there have been family rides...and now I feel I have come full circle and have got my confidence back to ride alone.

I just noticed so much more around me today...

It's not better than riding with a partner...just different, in a good way!

I ride on me own and with a group. Enjoy both. If things go tits-up when you're riding alone,things can turn grim very quickly.

Different is good. Wouldn't do to all be the same would it? The hills would be totally clogged up if we were all out riding on our own!

Best thing about this evening's little jolly was I got home before it started to rain. Rain? What's that?! 🙂

Solo is for de-stressing and feeling at one with the trails. For me it's a school holiday thing like these two weeks!!!

Planned session at Haldon on Friday, Group ride either Sunday or Monday. May get a short ride in tomorrow as well 😀

Where were those pics taken?

They look pretty familiar spots, was the first Ickenthwaite by any chance?

The second one looks like it could be somewhere near Tilberthwaite, but Im nto sure

david..they are both around Tilberthwaite.
The second is the slate climb not far past the ford, and the first is the left turn climb back over to Tilberthwaite farm.

If you were a real woman (man) you'd do a solo night-ride.
During a thunderstorm.
At 3am.
After watching The Blair Witch Project...

I've done a few solo night-rides.
And I wasn't in the slightest bit scared. 😉

Well done FoxyChick!

Up until a couple of years ago, 99% of my riding was solo. But then I'm really into scenery and wildlife so the silence is good for animal spotting! It's also a challenge for map-reading and self-sufficiency plus lots of thinking time. Am happy to ride in all different parts of the country on my own - in fact I relish it!

Mind you, sometimes I inflict myself on others, ie the Southern Shandy Drinkers, and rock up to rides like the recent Quantocks one.

Solo rides are definately good - went out on my own for a few hours yesterday, and loved it. Think I go slower downhill and faster up hill when I'm alone...

FC
Welcome to my world 🙂

mr.FC sounds like my dad 😆

I love riding in the less frequented places (on my tod) because there will be less people there. I rode Whites- The Wall today (Monday). Didn't see a soul on the trail. I might go to Cwm Doethie or Cwm Rhaedyr tommorrow. Alone.

Riding alone is brill, self-reliance and all that. As a pair id pdg too. Three is OK. 4 is acceptable. Beyond that and it gets too messy.

alway ride on my own 🙂 like it that way 🙂 just me and my bike , get away from everything and clear my head of all the weeks sh*t 🙂

Riding solo is a selfish indulgence for all of the reasons stated here. And I love it. 80% of my riding is solo and all of my night rides are solo. Love the sense of isolation.
Granted its also nice to ride in a group but on average this is no more than two others.
Well done FC on finding yourself again.

Since I am back in France I am riding solo as no one rides a SS

well i've got no friends here in Norway to go riding with and my border terrier makes a useless trail hound so i almost always ride solo. the missus will ride with me if we pootle around a lake or sommat.

and speaking of riding its time to kit up and brave the north sea weather for a ride around some of the local trails

It's the Joblesstrack Way. Tunes on low and please yourself, admiring the views. I find I stop less on my own.

[i]"I just feel I've found my old self again"[/i]

Deep, but I totally agree. You lose yourself in other people's lives: bosses, spouses, kids, parents, friends. 3 hours a week of personal time doesn't seem too much to ask to stay sane, so it's not at all selfish.

Spending £1.5K on an additional and arguably unnecessary bike instead of taking your spouse on holiday - that's more questionable! 😳

Now I'm really laughing.
It's MrFC's turn to go out today, but he's in a bit of a slump and can't be bothered.
So I said I would go out instead!
Well, I've never seen him move so fast to get his kit together!! 8)

So it's my turn to assist with the giant Airfix helicopter being constructed on the dining-table by my 8yr old...oh and make chocolate and shredded wheat Easter nests with Cadbury's mini-eggs!!! 😀

You lose yourself in other people's lives

er, NO! Although I'm very antisocial I love sharing the riding experience in a group 🙂

Interesting reflections from people.
I do all my riding on my own. I'm in a small village, no bikers in it and after driving every day to and from work, just want a day away from the car, so ride from home.
Sometimes it's an effort to get out, but *always* something makes it worthwhile..... that buzzard, deer pinging round, foxes, a beautiful view.... that shaft of sun highlighting a hill...which reminds me that it always is worth the effort. Also, blows away the cobwebs of stressy work things and general life detritus, ...... I find my mood much better after a little bit of private space.
Just need to do it more often!
hey ho.
Q

99.9% of my riding is solo, its the way I prefer it...

[i]"giant Airfix helicopter"[/i]

Sounds interesting, got a piccy?

Can I come with you next time you go solo riding?

OK,OK, buzz...maybe "giant" was a bit of an exaggeration...but it's hundreds of bits of grey plastic, glue, stanley knives, boxes, instructions, clothes pegs(??), spray cans, scissors all over the gaff and we can't sit down to eat!! 8)

And yes of course Driller you can accompany me on my next solo ride...oh... but then it's not... 😯

😉

just back from another solo round Ae. Spotted 2 deer and loads of pheasants toady. Sometimes tend to stop more & longer when I`m on my own. Find a nice quiet view point and just chill. Have a few strategically placed logs and stanes around various forests now.