I rode solo exclusively for about a year on my Cro-Moly Specialized HardRock with knobbys. Rode the roads and not the trails. I was a bit hesitant to ride with a group until I got my legs in shape. Recently, I happened upon a group on my return trip, and they invited me to ride in with them. I had a great time. This group consists of men and women, road bikes, mountain bikes, and recumbents. Age range is from 20's to late 60's. There are a few speed demons in the crowd, but they stop after a while and let the group catch up. This group rides some fairly narrow roads that I would not ride alone, no shoulders, but with a bunch of bikes, there is visibility. Riding with the group has allowed me to look at what people are riding, and learn what they like about their bikes and what they don't like. I've enjoyed the group thing thus far.