There's a difference in being alone and in being lonely. Do I sometimes wish for a companion? Of course! But most cyclists are roadies or otherwise interested only in doing Warp Nine while steering course 360. I want to see things, to discover the things I mightn't have seen, or even known about, had I driven to run that errand. So I poke along on my commuter bike with my trunk and my panniers every single ride, because you never know what you'll find and want to bring home. And sometimes even the deliberate errands (like the farmers' market run every couple or so of Sundays) are begun early just to give me that roaming-around time. Slow down. Sit upright. Smell the flowers.