How many of you tend to ride solo vs with another person/group?
I have always tended to ride alone, but got to wondering about how many others do the same.
Mrs. Busydog doesn’t really like it, especially riding in really remote areas in the mountains, but it’s just what I have always done and enjoy the most.
I have never been one to be inclined to wait for others or have them waiting on me (which has become the more likely as the years have gone by).

I’m a married man – of course I ride solo.

Going riding “solo” means I have a break from “people”

Why would I spoil that?

90% of my riding is on my own.

I don’t really tolerate people well… i like my riding to be secluded, quiet, tranquil, relaxing.

Both. Local rides – opportunities grabbed at last minute – are always solo, but weekend rides are usually in a group. I’ve no qualms about riding solo and sometimes I enjoy it much more.

other people are too fast or too slow. I am just right.

99% on my own.
Mainly because I have no friends.
Partly because I work weekends & have a family-allowing only for oddball timed rides.

50/50 here. I’m self-employed and ride during the week a lot, often solo. Now I’m used to it, I love it. Still ride whenever I want and still ride techy trails, but perhaps a bit more steadily, especially when it’s freezing cold and icy. I also still love hooking up with mates at the weekend though, and occasionally in the week if one of them has a free day. Solo and accompanied are just different – I don’t really enjoy one more than the other. Only thing I’m not into is riding in big groups of, say, more than 5 or 6 riders.

90% solo.
Only exception are night rides with a mate from up the road and the famous Pootles.

Most of my riding is solo as I usually head out the door at short notice. Ahh, the joys of parenthood 😀

married with kids, riding solo is often the only way to have the quite you don’t get at home, go where you want, stop when you want to (so long as your home on time!)

I like both equally. I do alot of solo riding as I work un-social hours.

Its great at times during the week when everyone else is at work and you have the local trails all to yourself.

I found riding solo last year really beneficial for my endurance training as I could go at my own pace and just enjoy the time / countryside on the bike.

I ride solo mostly, it’s nice to get out with others sometimes for a laugh but on my own I can go at my own pace and distance . I always let the wife know where I’m going roughly , take a phone and a whistle with me as well. Ride safe.

sometimes I enjoy it much more

Riding is a time I find I can really do some quality “deep thinking” without disctraction.

other people are too fast or too slow. I am just right.

Also gives me the latitude to pursue any trail I want and do a lot more exploring

In the summer I’ll tend to just bugger off out on my own quite a lot of an evening,. As well as riding with mates for longer runs out.

In winter darkness I tend not too though. Due to my impressive track record of ending up down ditches/upside down in trees/embedded in dry stone walls

Most of my riding is solo as I usually head out the door at short notice. Ahh, the joys of parenthood

This for me as well 😀

I hate riding with other people. Well, maybe one other maximum, but solo is deffo the way to go as far as I’m concerned.

That said I always plan my route and leave a detailed description of it with someone, and I stick to that route come hell or high water. Plus I don’t rely on my phone to get me out of scrapes.

Riding solo

I wish you hadn’t put in those terms.
😐

75% solo 25% with one other person, I like both equally, hate riding in groups though

I’m a married man – of course I ride solo.

Its just getting worse.

Plus I don’t rely on my phone to get me out of scrapes

Know what you mean—people get complacent in the thought they “can always just call someone”

Around here, most of the good trails are outside cell phone range or hit-and-miss at best.

leave a detailed description of it with someone

I try to do that, but then out on the trails, I usually manage to find something new to try and find myself deviating from said plan.

90% of the time i ride solo.
i did not used to…..but illness has made me very very slow, and i dont wanna be holding folk up.

Solo most of the time.Apart from a few mates once in a long while.Most stop to much for me.Like mountain bike clubs do.

I prefer riding with my mates for company and safety, but I’m quite happy to head off into the hills on my own. Also as mentioned, family life means opportunities to ride are often at short notice, so can’t always coincide with others (especially if they have kids too).

These days I do tend to make sure someone knows roughly where I’m going though, especially if conditions are iffy.

As a ratio, I guess 60% with company, 40% solo

Ride with a mate on a Saturday, on my own the rest , the odd night ride with a few of us 3-4 I’m the slowest and really don’t like holding people up, they are all awesome riders and fast , were I am steady and not so awesome. 😳

Yup. Solo mostly. Am recovering from CFS so need to be very measured in how much I exert myself. So veeery slow going up but still like to hammer the downs.

Less now than I used to but it’s a good thing to do IMO . And especially to get a bit more remote and be self reliant

Solo ride about 30% of the time, those rides are only to get some fresh air or keep myself in the game.

For me, riding is all about people, messing about, socialising and adventures. My riding doesn’t really switch on unless there is a good vibe with atleast a few people.

Gave up company for freedom a long time ago I have to go where I want and when I want. Riding frequently out of choice I find so much depends on the day. Sometimes I CBA and fireroad it all the way other times I’m on fire *cough*

Having said that a couple of mates tag along now and then they are quite happy to go on mystery tours at a moment’s notice I sometimes wish I could reciprocate.

does riding with my dog count as solo?

More with mates at the moment (have a wife and children). I do like solo now and again when last minute or in the summer.
We bumped into a guy on his own last Wednesday, about 8.00pm riding the downhill tracks at Triscombe on the Quantocks which was a bit of a worry!

Pretty much always solo unless I get lumbered with someone 😉

Both. Local rides – opportunities grabbed at last minute – are always solo, but weekend rides are usually in a group. I’ve no qualms about riding solo

+1

I work most weekends, but heading out with the pub team or whoever can be bothered to join us, in an hour or so. Monday night rides are always with mates and a few beers after, makes it fun to swap around.

Perversely I seem to ride faster & harder on my own and try more techy stuff for the first time too.. probably not that sensible, but what’s sensible about riding MTB’s? and at my age 🙄

Very rarely ride solo and then it’s for the sake of just getting out or trying to keep any fitness. I enjoy riding a lot more when I’m with mates.

Started riding solo basically because I did not know anybody else who rode – mates have had a go & moved away or found other distraction – when I started the kids were toddles – and I worked shift so it was all about grapping moments – so twenty odd year down the line I still ride the MTB on my own – and in the main its good.
In the last few years, I’ve started riding with a road club an love heading out in a group – so I get the best of both worlds

I tend to always ride solo. Best plan is to give Ms Busydog your route plan and ETA back and then text every hour say with where you are and if ETA back is still on track. Should help ease her worries. If it does go all wrong then at least they have a better idea where to go look for you.

I ride solo or with one other mate, when I’ve ridden with other people in the past it always really annoys how much faffing people do, adjust helmet, have a drink, have a wee, have a poo, check map, put ipod on, take ipod off, change ipod track, read facebook (I kid ye not), call/text wife etc etc. It’s endless and it all gets in the way of enjoying the ride. At least when I’m alone I only have to contend with my own faffing.

I much prefer riding with others, even if it’s big groups. The social side is probably as much the draw for me as the riding side. Might change when I get my new bike though.

Does the type of bike have and effect, I ride SS and find that when I am in a group the pace and style changes, on a hardtail SS or rigid SS it seems to be a very different pace to the geardy folks I’m with?

Either just me usually or with Mrs O.