uncle uncle

I was wondering whether you usually ride with a group of riders (where very few are on C&V bicycles), or in a group (with a majority of riders riding C&V bikes) or basically on your own?

I have a buddy who has many bicycles, and some very nice C&V bikes. I asked him whether he would interested in setting up a C&V group ride. He wasn't receptive. His justification was that it is hard enough getting people organized to ride as a group and in our area and most people an interest in C&V bikes. He didn't recall many people riding "old bikes" the last time he did an event with the local bicycling club and he thought I should prepare myself for "un-approving eyes and comments" if I choose to ride with them. Apparently, my buddy rides his C&V stuff only when he goes out by himself.

Except for an occasional outing with my neighbor friend, I'm usually "lone wolfing" it on the bike paths around here.

scozim 

I typically have the oldest bike when I am with the local group ride. The younger riders tend to make it a hammer fest and I keep up with the leaders but mentally I'm past those games. Most of my rides are in the mid-afternoon as a lunch break and are on my own. I much more enjoy rides with C&V'ers here (Northbend, Abarth, Drillium Dude, Roger M, AndyCapp, Alex Moll, etc.) because our bikes are the common theme. Running a three man pace line last night on the trail with bikes all having non-aero brake levers was a blast.

I organize my own social group rides with local friends here at a "talking pace" where no one is dropped, unlike the shop rides. Those are a time for me to re-connect with friends I haven't seen in at least a week.

RobbieTunes

Your buddy's been there, but you never know. Most cyclists are nice people. I'm often the only one riding steel, but it's never mentioned and never an issue. I don't ride with the large group that buys the best/latest/fastest, but on the few occasions I have, it's not been a problem, either. There's no enthusiasm for it, but no rejection of me or my bikes. Mostly ambivalence.

I ride solo a lot, but have two main partners I ride with the most, when I do ride with others. It's usually me and one of them, rarely both, due to scheduling. I prefer a partner on longer rides; it's just easier to think positive.

lasauge 

Usually I prefer to ride solo in any case but I've shown up to group rides on an 80's Bianchi updated with STI levers, easily the oldest bicycle in the bunch, but I'm fast and keep up with the front of the pack and take my turns pulling the paceline, so there is no disapproval expressed. If I showed up on a bike with downtube shifters when everyone else was using brifters there might be an issue (since my shifting pattern might be disruptive or unpredictable). When riding with one or two other people, the bike I'm on doesn't matter in the slightest as long as it's appropriate to the kind of riding we're doing and I'm keeping up.

WNG

Being interested in C&V bikes, there aren't many around who share my choice of ride. Also bike riders and group rides are spread thin across the valley. Trying to meet up and join rides isn't easy.
I find myself riding alone almost exclusively. The few group rides or partnered rides, have been at a social pace. ~18mph. When riding among modern equipment, the comments have been positive.

I'm not interested in pacelines full of alpha types. I'm too old for such pissing contests. I spoke to some folks my age who started riding and gave up because of such group rides...risky, not fun, and some were basically rude.

-holiday76

i'm generally very uninspired and get bored easily when I ride alone. Not that I don't do it because I do, but I generally prefer the social aspect. I've contemplated touring alone before when the usual suspects were unavailable to go, but I knew I'd end up getting diverted in some way and probably not even riding. Same thing with hiking only thats probably even worse alone.

That said, i've been separated while on long self supported tours before. One time I had to ride from Montreal to the US border at Rouses Point NY alone before I could meet my riding partner. I recall getting lost and trying to get some directions from a farmer whom either couldn't or refused to speak english.

Other times I've been separated and ended up sleeping in a field or some strange campground alone. It's ok for a day but much more than that I'd and be going up to strangers and talking about whatever just to have some interaction.

Then again I've ridden with some folks who talked too damn much. Luckily in most cases I could ride faster than those people, which helped.

Lascauxcaveman 

I've got a couple roadie friends who talk a pretty good paceline, but just looking at the kind shape they're in, I'm guessing I could probably keep up with them The few times I've tried riding close in a pack though, I found it made me real nervous; as in gripping the handlebars too tight, sweating too much, tense shoulders, getting-a-headache type of nervous. Did not enjoy it, and was thinking, "These other guys seem to be comfortable, but I personally wouldn't want to be in a line with someone as inexperienced as me."

I'll ride with anyone I can keep up with, but more often I'm the one slacking off and waiting for the other guy to catch up. Also, I don't know anyone locally who likes climbing as much as I.

So, "lone wolf" most of the time.

Bruce Enns

I usually go out after the sun sets, doing a loop from 10th street and Bethany to Granada Park, following the canal out to Castles & Coasters and back to 12th street and the south to home. I've had a couple of odd run in's with homeless/drunk people as they seem to come out at night.

Morning group rides are plentiful from Granada Park on weekend mornings ........... I've found those groups to be rude and I'm not fond of "Rude". A few weeks ago I was heading south under the Dunlap underpass as their group was heading north. The leader was on my side of the path and we were both moving at a good clip (17 to 20). I yelled for him to move to his side ....... he didn't budge. I managed to barely squeak by on the right and "called him out" as I came to an almost uncontrolled stop. He/they kept on going, probably best for both of us. It was a very close call and many riders could have been injured.

Group riding takes a good amount of discipline unknown to many, as is common courtesy. I'll ride alone or with my family, thank you, LOL.

Gravity Aided

Lone Wolf- The pack does not like to stop and take pictures of Interesting Stuff, and prairie landscape. I do.

Zinger

Lately I'm alone a lot after an 11 year hiatus at 62 years old. If I can tag onto a CF paceline going by I don't have to worry about pulling because I won't last long enough to take a turn, lol.

Popeyecahn

Basically on my own most of the time. I do have a social group that makes an occasional outing, but I'm the fastest in that lot and my main interest in riding with them is to get the others out and have some social time during and after the ride, I get some exercise but it's not the focus.

I'm feel I'm too slow to ride with a proper pace line and would not feel comfortable holding a line that close with others for long distances. Cycling for me is a freewheeling expression that allows me some time away from social, work and family constraints/obligations, so I usually do not wish to add other elements to that paradigm. I can go as fast or as slow as I want and make my own decisions as to routes and distances and not feel any pressure in doing so, other than knowing I have obligations waiting at home and a time frame I must with.

toytech

I ride with my wife.

cb400bill

I ride a couple times a week with our local bike club. On Mondays I mix my riding of my C&V bike with my modern bike. Whatever I feel like riding that night. On Wednesday it is always my modern bike as it is geared better for the hillier terrain. There are a couple of other riders in the club who occasionally show up Mondays on a vintage bike, too.

WNG

I don't want to be taken wrong, there are good folks out there in group rides and solo-ing. If you're lucky, you discover them. Not everyone treats their rides as a competitive outlet.

Giacomo 1 

I'm a loner, a real time trial rider.

Not that I haven't tried to find a wheel or two to stick to, but nobody seems to be around. Got up last Sunday at 6AM, did a 20 miler and didn't find one single solitary rider out. It was a beautiful morning to. I live in the borough of Queens in NYC, home to about 2 million people and the place that gave George Hincapie his cycling start, and not one single rider of any type was out. Go figure! Good grief, I'll have to go to Brooklyn and find some hipsters to ride with if this keeps up!

For now though, it's just me, my pain and my thoughts as I become the greatest time trial rider Queens has ever seen!

KerryP

Between my low output and my flat land gearing (in a land of hills) I'm alone, puffing and slow.

Shp4man

Even if I had a modern bike, I would prefer a solo ride. It doesn't matter what kind of bike it is. Most riders don't notice the bike that much, anyway. Well, on rare occasion, like "Peugeot?, those were from back in the day, right?. That's a hell of a headwind today, isn't it?"
I confess to the geekiness of playing online games like Rift and World of Warcraft. I'm solo there most of the time, too.

OldsCOOL

When I ride alone, I prefer to be by myself.

OldsCOOL

I have road-doubles on my main two rides and sometimes these hills are huffers, but I manage to squeeze in some top-ten Strava's.

ursle

Prefer to ride alone, start and stop when it suits, prefer to be going uphill out of the saddle, prefer to torque on hills and coast down, prefer not to be involved in another's incorrect assessment of the immediate situation and cause go to ground situations, love riding into the wind, it's almost a hill

wahoonc

Lone rider, very few C&V bikes around here, very few bikes period. I see occasional mini-pace lines of 2-3 riders and that is it. I don't ride for speed any more, gave that up close to 30 years ago. I ride for the pure enjoyment and to see things. I have done some largish C&V rides with ABCE Tour in Minneapolis, but they only happen once a year and the 3,000 mile round trip make it a challenge to attend more than once every few years. I know the local LBS has a variety of rides, but none are social rides or sub 12mph which is where I typically cruise at. My wife rides on occasion and when she does we are rolling C&V, usually our Raleigh Twentys or possibly a Raleigh Superbe and a Raleigh Colt. We do have a tandem (non C&V) that we take out on occasion.

Aaron

KerryP

I blame my gearing. My wife says it's the engine.

jimmuller 

When I'm riding a solo bike I'm almost always alone. I don't like closely packed groups because I'm afraid I or someone else will do the wrong thing and because I have to pay so much attention to someone's rear wheel that I miss the ride. When we are on the tandem we're usually alone though we've had some nice rides with other BF members. It doesn't matter whether the bike is C&V or not (though it always is).

WNG

You got me to recall my days living in Queens as a teen till my early 20s. I also don't remember encountering many cyclists either. Unless it was a small group crossing the Queensboro Bridge. IMHO, it's because how Queens is spread out. Flushing Meadows is a failure as a borough park by Robert Moses. Unlike Prospect in Brooklyn, and Central in Manhattan. These can attract people and riders to use them.
Flushing Meadows for the longest time, wasn't safe. Maybe it's different now.

I could only think of Kissena Velodrome, and perhaps Astoria Park under the Tri-boro Bridge, as the only spots where cyclists would congregate.

My friends and I, would ride into Manhattan every weekend morning, to ride in Central Park. There, you'd find a lot of road cyclists and the atmosphere was motivating. In my day, there were no speed bumps yet, and you can ride as fast as you can in the north portion of the park. You were safe as long as you stayed out of Harlem after 12pm.

Velognome 

I usually ride alone, very rarely in organized groups because of my work schedule. I tend to pick up a ride partner every season just by virtue of being in the same place at the same time.