Who else rides (nearly) always on their own ?

Just curious. I hardly ever ride with anyone else, and I don’t just mean locally. Usually go to Morzine / Chamonix with wife and dogs, but they stay in the chalet when I go out for a ride.

I think a big group would drive me nuts – what’s the largest group folk ride in ? What’s it like ?

200+ in the Notts/Derby cx league!!

Ah, that’s racing.

160 at the MK bowl during a duathlon was entertaing, especially as there was supposed to be no drafting.

But during racing you’re really riding on your own…

Me, sad friendless loser, get offers from groups but family and thus time of year work don’t allow! I’d only make them look bad anyhoo!!

mostly on my own. Location and distance of riding buddies mostly, but in many ways i prefer being out riding alone as others then can’t see my riding incompetence.

What’s it like ?

Competitive if all blokes, slower and less so if a mixed group.

I like riding on my own.

Always on my own since my mate gave it up over a year ago , I enjoy riding solo but it would be good to have someone to ride with again.

I mostly ride on my own, but enjoyed a Dales Mountain Bikes weekend when I went with my brother.

The peace when riding alone is nice, but the social side to gorup riding is good as well. Am thinking of looking out people to ride with next year so I can have a mix.

probably 4 in every 5 rides is solo 🙁

I rarely ride on my own, but don’t mind when I do.

Me, but then I’m a miserably bugger 😆

I do most of my riding alone or with one or two others, riding with larger groups can be great if you are all on the same wavelength with banter and of simalar ability fitness and technical ability, but it has it,s downsides like differing abilities and bigger risk of waiting around for people to fix punctures or other mechanicals, generaly the people i ride with look after their bikes and all run tubeless with sealant so less risk of hold ups on that front.
The large group i go out with occasionally can be annoying in that the fitness and tech ability can be wide ranging and you can be waiting a while at junctions and turns in the trail, it just spoils the flow of the ride, or maybe i’m just selfish.

About 75% of day rides and 50% night rides are on my own.

Other than racing or events, yep. A combination of irregular shifts and being a lot fitter than most of my none club mates doesn’t make me the most sociable.

For me sharing a ride is what it’s about. I’m happy to ride solo but my best rides are always with others. It’s an individual sport best enjoyed as a team.

I should add that there’s also the safety side. I’m much more conservative on my own as if it all goes wrong there’s no one to get you home / hospital…

Normally 2 of us that are a constant, occassionally I’ll head out myself, biggest group i’ve riden in is 4, don’t know if I’d like or dislike a bigger group tbh.

I ride on my own a lot (most days) but do enjoy grouprides too (big or small). you’ve gotta remember grouprides aren’t always (just) about the riding. 😉

I like riding with a small group of like minded idiots, can’t be doing with all the alpha male bollards that tends to appear with big groups and cycle clubs.

Love riding on my own as well as i don’t have to wait or slow down for folks and some days it’s nice to push so hard you want to puke 😆

I do. I think that is one of the many reasons why I mainly ride DH these days, as it’s usually more social and I nearly always meet someone to spend the day either riding with or just to chat with between runs.

yep, billy no mates!

But really enjoyed the Peaks Pootle a couple of months back that had about 30+ riders.

baznav73 – Member

The large group i go out with occasionally can be annoying in that the fitness and tech ability can be wide ranging and you can be waiting a while at junctions and turns in the trail, it just spoils the flow of the ride, or maybe i’m just selfish.Sounds like you should suggest spliting the group in to 2. Maybe larger group does 2 laps to the slowers 1, that way you’ll meet up again mid ride atleast.

I work shifts and only get 2 weekends off in 5 so most of my riding is done on my Todd during the week. Used to it now but it is a bit limiting sometimes as I tend not to take chances when I’m out on my own that I perhaps would in a group. I prefer to ride with a group of 4 or 5 but anything more and I find a lit of stopping and starting gets involved.

Usually on my own, but then I do have lots of free time when most other folk are working. Riding in company is just a different vibe. I don’t have a competitive streak, so I never get sucked into “racing”.

Epic mountain routes are a great opportunity for some “me” time too.

99% of mine are on my own…

Always struggle to keep up as I’m not that quick.

Don’t like holding others up as every ride is precious as is time away from work/ family etc..

Kinda ties in with that “lost mojo” thread I guess..

Most of my riding is solo. When exploring new and remote country I do get a bit spooked sometimes and have turned back alot of times. I did this today after riding 2 hours without seeing another soul heading into a dense fog in the Brecon Beacons on a completely new route.

All of my riding is solo apart from once or twice my brother has been over from Chamonix.

I don’t mind dropping in with a group of similar paced riders at a trail centre but I find groups tend to stop and chat where as I’d rather keep on riding.

I’ve turned back a couple of times in the Alps, and got well lost in the days before GPS or phones.

But hooning into Les Linderets at 8pm with not a soul about is transcendental…

hugor – Member
Most of my riding is solo. When exploring new and remote country I do get a bit spooked sometimes and have turned back alot of times. I did this today after riding 2 hours without seeing another soul heading into a dense fog in the Brecon Beacons on a completely new route.

😯

M

T

F

U

!!!

haha thanks! If only I had access to here when I was out there for you to tell me that!

Me mostly, due to shift work and family stuff.
Don’t really mind it but great to go out with others when I get the chance. I do think it limits my tolerance of other peoples pace though, too used to riding at my own speed.

hugor – Member
haha thanks! If only I had access to here when I was out there for you to tell me that!

I’ll write it out for you and you can tape it to your bars 🙂

I do but I am incredibly antisocial 😉

Almost always on my own.

Too much hassle waiting for unskilled slow riders otherwise.

(For the other rider 🙂 )

Do a fair amount of solo riding probably about 90%. I like the peace and quiet, although I do enjoy the company of others sometimes.

I do admit that faffing and not wanting to follow my route annoys me when out riding with others

I have mostly ridden solo for the past 18 years–an occasional ride with someone I might happen to meet up with. My riding time is time I use to think, clear my head–sort of meditation of sorts for me.

Me tomorrow :/

Riding buddies aint texted back!

Anyone in Manchester fancy showing a soft southerner about? 😀

Almost always on my own – bar races. Got no friends here in Norway.

Me mostly. lack of riding buddies in the local area is the main reason.. I’m pretty crap/unfit aswell so am not confident enough to join a club.
I’d like to find an equally crap/unfit person to do the odd sunday morning with though…

I mostly ride on my own but realy enjoy it when me and the wife go out riding. Only been on a group ride once and enjoyed it wish I could go out with others more often.

Currently 90pc of my rides are solo as i’m coming back from injury.

Before my injury, 90pc of my rides were in groups.

Groups are good, but i found that i’m a stronger climber than the others in the mtb group and i get really impatient.

In the road group, it’s again very social, but we have small times where we race each other and push as hard as we can, so it’s still a good training ride.