This Might be A Bit Weird…But Here Goes

I have spent the last couple of years slowly losing all my riding buddies (They didn’t die or anything, just life changes for them mean less flexibility or other priorities) At least I think that is what happened, maybe I am just a dick and they don’t like to ride with me.

Anyway, I am getting a bit fed up of riding alone, and, being one of those introverted people, the idea of inserting myself into an already established group fills me with dread.

Initially it didn’t bother me too much, and I can happily take myself off for a few hours alone, but it has hampered my opportunities of riding further afield, and more extreme venues. An example would be that I want to ride Dyfi, Revs, and BPW but these places are rides I want to experience with others, for reasons of enjoyment but also safety. I do crash a fair bit, and I am 50 next year so need someone to look after me and report to my wife that I have broken my hip etc.

I was joking with a mate the other week that there should be an App for sad people like me with no biking friends, he suggested Grinder based on the fact it sounded slightly bikey. But joking aside has anyone with abnormal social skills found a successful way to locate other riders outside of cliquey groups to go ride with now and again? I currently feel like I am paying the cycling equivalent of a pimp by going on group coaching sessions etc so I can get to ride new stuff 🙂

I started my own “club” to find people to ride with about 7 years ago, there’s now around 12 people who ride at various times but I don’t think we’ve all been on a ride together but there’s usually one or two different people free that come on a ride I suggest or they suggest. Originally done through FB for anyone local to the area (i just filtered anyone more that 20 miles away) but is now mostly arranged on whatsapp.

I’d pluck up the courage to try other groups near to you though as a good way to find like minded riders, what’s the worst that can happen?

Up my way there’s a couple of Facebook groups with 1000+ riders between them that have regular rides. I’ve been on a few of them and they’ve always been a friendly bunch, with rarely the same people out on a ride. There’s also a lot of MTB stuff on that ‘Meetup’ app. Or you could join your local MTB club?

Where are you based?

Always Facebook groups for areas, I’m Bristol and go out with folk from that area, also know FoD folk and do the same, maybe an idea for this place is a forum for rides to help out members integrate with other folk nearby, or do those bpw trips or the likes.

“Meet Up App” this is a new one on me, probably due to my age. I will take a look.

@Argee When you say Facebook groups do you mean specific MTB related groups or just the “Voice 4 ???” type area group?

@Duncancallum, my mum warned me about sharing my address with strangers 🙂

I was in exactly the same position about 18 years ago.

So I started a thread on STW, a few people got in touch and it went from there. Our first group ride was a night ride, in woods only one of us had been to before on Halloween night. No-one got murdered or anything so we kept going. There were maybe about 5 regulars and a dozen or so others. We were in Kent but did trips to Wales where someone got too drunk to ride, and Scotland where someone very nearly died after a crash at Glentress.

It lasted about 5 years I think before babies / jobs / moving away happened and it fizzled out.

Still my happiest riding days I think.

Now I ride alone 99% of the time, as most people up here (Perthshire) seem to want to ride enduro and I like long rides in the hills.

Hopefully this thread will find you some new buddies if you say where you are. Good luck!

Thanks @boriselbrus, sensible move from Kent to Scotland 🙂

Have you got a decent local bike shop nearby?
Many of them often have organised rides which is a good way to get to know folks.
Failing that, a cycling club.

As far as I am aware we don’t have a local bike shop that does stuff like that. They have some road ride groups locally but MTB is not massively covered until you get closer to Surrey.

without giving address, what part of the world are you in?

Hampshire but interested in riding outside of Hampshire as there isn’t much fun to be had here.

Which bit – the Hampshire Berkshire Surrey borders have a lot of riding and a very active and welcoming scene?

You would think it would be easier wouldn’t you?

Another Perthshire-ite here, really struggling to find road or gravel riding buddies, odd considering I live within spitting distance of a great shop.

Have joined a couple of FB groups (albeit Scotland wide) and WhatsApp groups (both more local to me).

My ride suggestions tend to go down like a lead balloon (I’d worry it was just me but they haven’t met me in person yet 😎) and other people’s suggestions rarely seem worth giving up precious riding time for (too short, too slow, too late start, doesn’t anyone else have kids??)

Maybe too many niches have fragmented riding groups too much. MTB is now gravel, XC, bikepacking, Enduro and e-biking…

Maybe too many niches have fragmented riding groups too much. MTB is now gravel, XC, bikepacking, Enduro and e-biking…

Not to mention All Mountaining and Down Countrying!

As mentioned above, meet up and Meta can be good. Or put a thread on here. Tuesday Night Pub ride might work..

I live just too far from either border to create any regular riding bonds or to have any decent riding on my doorstep. My closest option is the SDW which is fine for long rides but not exactly exciting. And then I have QECP about 40 mins away, then Rogate heading further afield.

I quite often drive up to FoD as I feel in my comfort zone when on my own there but I want to give the Welsh trail centres a go before my 49yr old body (and mind) tells me to stop it.

Next time you come to FoD give me a shout and I’ll show you some of the off-piste. You’ll have to associate with an ebiker though…

Just do morning jumps and drops session at BPW and you will have people to ride with for the afternoon. Last time I did it there were another two lone riders in their 40’s that tagged along with my group for the afto.

For local you may have to try a bit harder and actually share where / when you want to ride and see if there are any other bored people on stw that would like to ride with you.

If anyone is a slightly shit unfit roadie that fancies dodging machete wielding pirates for a ride round Richmond Park hit me up. Trying to break into road as I age 😂

I have done a few bits of off piste stuff there with Katy Curd. Good fun but always hard to find on your own.

I have no issue with riding with an ebiker apart from the fact I would slow you down 🙂 Thanks for the invite, I would be up there every weekend if I could

Facebook groups with 1000+ riders between them that have regular rides

I’m a bit uneasy about these groups, never know who’s in them and keeping an eye out for “opportunities”. There was a guy on here a while back had his bike stolen during a stop on a group ride, the thief turned out to be a member of a local group.

I live just too far from either border to create any regular riding bonds or to have any decent riding on my doorstep.

LOL people don’t want your postcode and house number, they’re just trying to help.

Maybe you don’t have any riding mates because you make things more complicated than they need to be?

Me, i’m in West Berks…. see, that was easy 🙂

Me, i’m in West Berks…. see, that was easy 🙂

But where in West Berks 🙂

I wasn’t being awkward I just didn’t see the location of me as an issue (I did say Hampshire) as I was looking for riders to go to places like Dyfi and Revs which are miles away from Hampshire so didn’t want to narrow the pot of potential riders by people thinking I need a local riding buddy.

This app appeared a while ago JOIN , I think with the intention of being a method of meeting up for a ride.
Seems to have changed it’s focus, but the meet up bit still seems to be there.

I’m also in West Berks. Newbury to be exact. There’s some decent riding round here and if I can be arsed to stick my bike in the van loads more around. Always up foe a ride.

There is a Facebook group called MTB Fanatics that is dedicated to helping riders meet and ride with others through the creation of group rides as Facebook events. Events can be created by anyone and everyone within the group as a way of meeting up with other riders. Since I joined a couple of years ago I’ve met lots of people and now ride almost exclusively with people I’ve met through attending events.

Hey OP, I’m in Winchester and also a bit low on riding buddies for more exciting stuff these days. Normally I try for semi-local trips to Surrey Hills, Wind Hill and obviously QECP, but I also miss Wales, FOD and so on – happy to be involved in some kind of STW local effort to Get Social! 😀

So far managed to get a buddy for a trip to Dalby over a christmas week visit, and it looks like there are a few people in the same position as me who would be up for coming together for a ride at the big person bike parks.

Now need to figure out how to make it happen. Anyone local to Dalby wants to join us we will be there on the 22nd Dec

Maybe too many niches have fragmented riding groups too much. MTB is now gravel, XC, bikepacking, Enduro and e-biking…

Something in this. I have a suitably Venn diagram of riding pals because I like anything from Gravel, bike packing to gnar-fest of Tweed Valley. My indecisiveness doesn’t help, I won’t make plans for one ride because I *might* want to do something else when it comes to it, so end up riding on my own a lot (also see kids, finding time). Best thing is the rarity of someone telling me where and when we’re riding and I have the time free so no decision needed.

Bump for the summer crowd.