^this^
Since when I get to work I am usually hungry for breakfast number 3.

I agree with all the comments here. I may pass someone every now and again and say hi. Rarely do I get a response back. These people are regular commuters and not trying to beat Contador to work. I enjoy being with my thoughts, however when I run races I like to have a pace group and I guess the same is true with cycling. I kind of like to have someone to pace with if we talk that's a whole different thing.

A few days ago I was on my way home and a commuter passed me. As he came in front of my wheel I noticed a loud tick in his drive train. I looked at this rear d and promptly informed him that his chain was about 3 links to short and was pulling his rear d about 5 degrees forward. He said thanks and opined that that could be why he was having problems with his drive train.

The above probably has nothing to do with the topic, but I guess its just an example of what a pace group can do.

My commute is my workout, so I tend to go hard and want to be alone, but I need to do this more often.

Listening to music may help starve off your loneliness. Well, as long as this number doesn't come up. :p

Don't really crave company since my commute is so short. I say "Good Morning" to some sleepy folks as they make their way to their cars and I ride by. If I do talk to anyone, it will be the lady at the donut shop if I stop for croissants and the guard dogs at the used car lot, who whine like puppies as I throw pieces of croissants to them.
Ernest

Move closer to Boston!
The closer you are from the city core, the more drivers are used to seeing cyclists around.

I live in the middle of Boston and Boston drivers in M-F inner city commutes are awesome... :thumb:

Only when the WEEKEND suburb people come to town, and my GOSH they travel with so much excess speed and anger! :eek:

I pass several bikes a day when I ride down the SF peninsula. Oddly, I rarely see the same ones! I try to ride every day, I think that sadly it's a rarity. However, I always make a point of nodding or waving and smiling, even if it's not cool or competitive. Sometimes people talk at a stop light, but it's rare. A good deal more social than driving, though.

More than other cycling commuters on my route, there are several “regulars” on foot or in cars I frequently see, and I have given them nicknames. For example there is the “Fleet Goddess,” a regular runner; and the “Stalker,” a driver in a windowless van that I see in the oncoming direction who gives me a friendly beep. I've also met under various circumstances three regulars and learned their real names: Mary Jane, Louis; and Ed and his dog,the Chief. :D

I find the title to this thread a little strange; maybe the OP has his/her vocabulary mixed up? I ride ALONE, but I don't consider it a LONELY ride. 4 miles of suburban streets with lots to see.

Sometimes you have to break away from the media-driven imagery that only people in groups can be happy and content with life.

At 5:30 in the morning, I'm usually the only one on the road. I only see maybe 3 or 4 cars, and occasionally someone walking their dog. I usually think about my bills and trying to budget my spending for the week. When I commute back home(2PM) I'm too focused on my ride to think about stuff.

Call me old fashioned, or an old soul because I really enjoy my commute to my office, I'm 23. It gives me an opportunity to leave the phone off in my bag, no music to listen to and just really enjoy the ride and scenery. I ride a bike path/walking path most of the way and its almost a 12 mile commute and its really enjoyable.

In the mornings I sometimes see a guy on a mountain bike who rides the opposite direction. He looks a lot like Vincent D'onofrio circa Full Metal Jacket and thus (in my head at least) his nickname is "Private Pyle."