The Lonely Commuter
 

Some of us commute in the wee hours of the morning, others commute during morning rush hour. Yet rarely on the road do I see pairs of commuters going in the same direction talking, or exchanging pleasantries.

Since September 2010 I have commuted alone on my 10 mile trek to work. I would love to have some one to talk to just to make the commute faster. However, it appears that I am alone out there even during the nicest days.

So I commute with my thoughts. Mostly I think about my family and try to make weekend plans, shopping lists, ways to improve my family's life, why that car did what it did, the usual stuff.

What keeps you company on those lonely miles?

It's funny because there are at least a couple of people I could ride in with if I chose to, but I like the solitude right before and after work. There's any number of things that my mind might be occupied with.

It's not unusual for me to see somebody I think I might know up ahead which starts an internal debate. Should I catch up to them, be friendly and chat? Maybe they want to be alone... Maybe I want to be alone...

I've also had people ride up to me from behind and start a conversation. I don't really mind generally, but I'm quite content to make the journey by myself.

Thinking about work. Sometimes I think about cadence, often I think about my squeeky saddle. I get interrupted from time to time when I need to change my interface with traffic...(bike lanes disappear before roundabouts so I need to enter the lane). Lately though I find that I think only of one thing: Wind. How is it possible that I have a magical route that gives me a headwind both going to work and coming home?

I've been bike commuting now for four years, and I rarely ever see other cyclists on my route. On the rare occasions I see another cyclist, we usually just say hi as we're either going in opposite directions or riding at different paces. That's OK with me because I just want to get where I'm going and don't like distractions when riding in traffic. I talk to a woman cyclist every now and then who is a coworker of a friend, but she doesn't ride very often and her pace is quite a bit slower than me.

Word. I am always *****ing to my wife about the exact same thing.

When I started my longer, 17 mile each way commute, a friend of mine that lives along the way showed me the route he took and we rode together for a while (I would meet him at his house, then ride about 2/3 of the way together until our routes split). I found it too much of a pain to sync up with his schedule though, and frankly he's a lot stronger rider compared to me. That said, while I enjoy the company when we do cross paths, or when I meet someone else on the route, I don't need it. I enjoy solo riding more than group riding most of the time.

I use my commute time to think and relax, I would not enjoy someone talking to me while riding. Same goes for working out at the gym or running it is consider "my time" and me and myself don't like any one getting in between ;) lol.

How many cars do you see with more than one commuter?

I'm the same way. I prefer the solitude on my commutes. I get enough attention at work and at home that I enjoy the time to myself that biking provides.

on a nice summery day, i'll see hundreds, if not thousands, of other bike commuters along my route, but it's the big city; we're all doing our own thing and don't have time for other people. striking up a random conversation with another rider along my route would just be "odd" and uncomfortable for both parties. the anonymity of being one in a cast of thousands means you're on your own, which i greatly relish.

generally speaking, i don't enjoy riding with other people, even when i'm out on recreational weekend rides. other people just seem to get in the way.

Schizophrenia.


Just kidding. I think that endorphin-charged rhythmic meditative but focused state has a distinct posiive impact on my mental health.



And so do I.

I love to listen to podcasts & audiobooks. I do that when driving as well, but I'm a big reader, but find that I never have enough time to read all that I want to. Audiobooks, especially fiction, make great companions on the road.

I am never bored while cycling. Even when preparing for a really long race & doing 8hr or longer rides. I'm also going fairly hard most days, so I'm concentrating on that. But even on easy days I'm enjoying it way to much to need more stimulation. On group rides, I enjoy it more when everyone is going too hard to do much in the way of talking.

"If you want a friend, then you should get a dog."
 

- Harry S. Truman

I usually worry about the condition of my route (they've been doing construction for about a month). Then I worry about cars.

I agree with the whole talking thing. I guess it would be nice just to have someone one meter to the right of your front tire.

Maybe I am bored with my route. Problem is there really isn't a better route for me to take. My route is by far the safest, most direct, car less route. However it is anything but bucolic.

Like other posters, I like the time alone with my thoughts.

Audiobooks. I have a TON of time alone with my thoughts. If I didn't play audiobooks, I'd be listening to myself think probably 90% of the time I was awake. And my commuting route has almost NO sensible alternatives, so I ride exactly the same road every day, 250 or so days a year.

There's almost no cycling around here except for recreational, which is almost all on the weekend. And I almost never ride on the weekend, so I rarely see another cyclist. I can easily go a week or two in the summer, and all winter, without seeing another cyclist. Heck, if I leave early in the morning, I probably won't even see a car for the first 5 miles or so.

I see very few other riders and my thoughts are all over the place, but never stray too long from traffic (in the afternoons) or road debris (in the morning darkness).

My commuting time is definitely "me time". I talk all day at work, get talked to death by my young daughter when I get home from work, and talk with my wife throughout the evening.

A man only has so many words that he can comfortably speak in one day.

Tis cone season, so I wonder what portion of the bike lane will be shut down next. Other than that I think about the same things I would if I were driving.

Yeah, riding alongside and talking to companion is for weekends on the MUP.

I never jaw with other commuters, whether they be car, foot, or bike.

I ride six days a week in the morning for fitness I rode with my front door neighbor for about two months then we decided to go alone because it became kind of a pain having to wait for each other I was ready he was not or vice versa. SO now I ride every morning by myself and listening to pandora radio.:D

lol Pandora is my friend when commuting as well ;) lol

I get to deal with M******* drivers, insane geese, crazy squirrels and others, never boring or lonely.