On Dartmoor it is easy to go on a solo ride and not see anyone until you head back to the road…! I did a loop around Belever last December and saw to walkers at my lunch break and a couple of farmers in a 3 or 4 hour ride! was lovely!!

I enjoy riding on my own. I find it much more relaxing than group rides. The only downer is that there’s no-one to laugh at your crashes or enthuse about the great bits of the ride.

A few weeks back I did a ride in Clocaenog Forest and never saw a soul, once I’d left Llyn Brenig. Lovely.

I used to ride in NZ a lot and sometimes never saw a soul, even at bikeparks.

I find it much more relaxing than group rides.

an interesting criterion, but then I’m so ‘relaxed’ I can go to sleep at will at any time. For me a bike ride is the opposite of relaxing – exciting and exhausting.

For me a bike ride is the opposite of relaxing – exciting and exhausting.

I like group rides too, but possibly prefer the freedom of going solo.
A ride can be exciting and exhausting, but still relax you mentally – leaving hassles and distractions behind and just enjoying the outdoors.

Perhaps I’m just an anti-social git. 😉

Seeing as i live in the middle of a town (sorry, city). Never.

However, one of the most enjoyable things about most of my rides is the feeling of leaving all the fuss behind – after about an hour I’m well away from the crowds and noise on my own with just some hills and the occasional bit of wildlife 🙂

but still relax you mentally – leaving hassles and distractions behind and just enjoying the outdoors

I’m not even sure what this means. Actually, I think the only time I relax mentally (other than sleeping) is when I’m reading a story or watching a film. When I’m riding I’m composing a ride report, looking for photo ops, trying not to fall off and taking the piss out of the other riders. Relaxing it ent.

I find I can completely forget all the things that tend to clutter up my mind and stress me out day to day. (Usually work or at the moment – or more the massive drop in work!)
If I just chill at home, those thoughts are always there – at least in the back of my mind.
Mtbing on my own seems to cleanse them away for a while and give me a more positive state of mind that lasts a few days.

I’m happy to acknowledge that this may not be the case for everyone! 😀

but still relax you mentally – leaving hassles and distractions behind and just enjoying the outdoors

I sort of know what he means with that…

You ride for the sake of riding, no reason, no point, sometimes no real destination. All you hear is your bike and your breathing, all you see is the sky and the floor. There are no distractions, nobody to talk to, nobody and nothing to worry about. No agenda. It’s at it’s best if you know or don’t care where you’re going, so there’s no navigation with all it’s complications. Then I find, slowly but surely, my mind empties. All thoughts fall to the floor behind and all I think of is the ride in front. It’s a rare thing, a fleeting moment that can’t be recorded by any physical medium or shared by another. My riding becomes smooth and unhurried, obsticles are dismissed with aplomb. I feel calm, realxed, relieved.
Sharing with others is great, but once in a while I need to ride to be me, to give in get the ride out of me and let it purge my system. It’s as simple and stripped back as it gets. No meeting point, no laffs and banter, no input to act on, no output to act out.
Flowery rubbish? Hippy twaddle? Yeah, maybe, but why not? It’s mine and I like it like that.
🙂

PeterPoddy yep that’s the great thing about a long soul-ride the ability to just slip into the groove and flow.

I was up on the Downs at the weekend and after 10a.m. whilst the peopleway that is the SDW was heavily populated all the trails either side were virtually empty 🙂

I did a big off road tour in Oregon last year. At one stage I rode 90 miles without seeing either a person or even a house.

A day later I came across a couple of Brokeback Mountain/Deliverance types hunting on horses with crossbows. I was glad to reach Oakridge by dark.

Then I find, slowly but surely, my mind empties

isn’t that like being dead ?

sorry folks
my typing is pish
my english is pants
and my grammar is terrible

think folks get the picture though
i love a group ride up to tweed valley and have a laugh and catch up with folks but now and again i love getting out in the hills on my own with no bleeper ,no mobile and no emails 😆 😆 😆
its all good riding i just enjoy both and what they bring in different ways

p.s is there a spell check for numptys like me ??

Quite common to not see anyone around here, and most of riding is alone. Funny thing is on bank hols I see more people and that’s when I hear all the “grrr pesky bikes” type mutterings from the grocks who have driven three hours to get irritated by me me riding in my backyard.

solo night rides are the best, just you, the wherewolves and your imagination.

and the zombie costume soemoen strung up accros the path which very nearly ended in a brown chami!