TimothyH

Man, I love to ride alone.

There is a certain risk associated with heading out into the middle of nowhere on your own and riding with a fast group is a sublime experience but I love the solitude and quiet of climbing a mountain by myself or the last few miles coming home at the end of a 65 mile solo ride.

Silence is an interior state, more like interior stillness. I can find silence even in the face of wind and traffic noise.

Maybe it is my faith. I'm not married and don't find it lonely to be by myself because I am never really alone. Cycling might be a manifestation of that but I really love to roll by myself. Trail running too. One friend called his bike a "Two wheeled cloister."

Not sure what the point is. Just felt like saying that.


-Tim-

Rick@OCRR

I think the point is that when you're riding by yourself there is no one else to please. No one you have to ride slower than you like for, no one you have to ride faster than you like for.

You make all your own decisions on route, where to stop (or not) without having to take someone else's opinions into the equation.

Yes, I enjoy riding with friends and most often that consideration for the other person (or persons) is okay with me, i.e. part of the social fabric of being with other people.

But . . . still; cycling on your own is the ultimate freedom from having to consider other cyclists around you. I am, however, not making a value judgement or good vs. bad.

Sometimes you want that freedom, sometimes you don't. Which, oddly (or not) sounds a lot like "Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't."

Rick / OCRR

OldsCOOL

I can relate and yes it's my faith that assures me I am never truly alone.

As for riding partners, I like it when my partner rides along and we paceline our way to a Strava PR or just a good strong ride. But mostly and almost always, I ride alone.

rydabent

+1 all valid points. Alone you and ride when what where and how you want to.

canklecat

I enjoy both solo rides in the country for solitude and group rides in the city for companionship. In fact I had two solo rides this week and am leaving in a little while for a couple of back to back group rides with friends in the city.

If I had to choose one it'd probably be solo rides. Helps decompress from the stress of being a caregiver for an older family member.

But since I don't have to choose...

Ogsarg

I'm new to cycling but got here after 12 years of motorcycling....mostly on lonely back roads in remote areas. I have always preferred solo riding and would rather stick an ice pick through my skull than join up with one of those giant parade rides.

I am still working up to being able to do long rides but living in an area with a lot of rural roads, I'm looking forward to more time alone in the saddle. One thing I've already learned (the hard way) is you need to be prepared to deal with a flat at all times.

Kindaslow

I love riding alone and rarely ride with others, often hike alone. My job has me leading about 100 people, so time without emails, phone calls, nor meetings is truly wonderful time!

jon c. 

I mostly ride alone, so I don't really have a standard of comparison. My wife and I ride together at times. That's a bit slower, but always pleasant. And a few times a year, I'll ride with my brother. That's much faster and I work harder than normal. It's always fun though. But mostly I ride alone so it's just the norm for me. I never really think about it, but I probably do appreciate the solitude.

churnman

I like the comments you received here. This is despite the fact that in 25 years of cycling I had an event that could have been worse. Had a diabetic seizure that caused a black out last Summer. Had it not been for a sharp eyed Park Ranger and the fact that I was helmeted I would not be here today. Took 2 days to wake up as the fall caused my brain to bleed.


Will this change my bicycling plans. MAYBE. Could be I no longer will travel down country roads without having a quick source of glucose, weather I need it or not.


Sorry did not mean to rain on your parade. Age does have an impact on everything. Never say never.

Currmudge

Other than my daughter, I can't think of anyone I'd care to ride with.

Setting aside the time to ride solo is a great reward, fully independent and self-indulgent.

(I'll leave the 'faith' thing alone, this isn't the venue for that......SMH)

John E

I generally ride alone because I am either using the bicycle for transportation or setting out early in the morning, before most of the group rides begin. My favorite group ride was sponsored by the local YMCA, on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, but my current work schedule cuts into both. I also enjoyed riding with Velo Club Lagrange in west Los Angeles in the 1970s, when I was a grad student at UCLA, but they are one fast club. Fortunately, most of the participants back then were pretty non-judgmental, which was a good thing for me, given my lifelong lack of athletic prowess.

badger1

Yep. I always ride alone; for me, that's an invaluable part of cycling. Both my professional and family lives are intensely social, requiring constant interaction with others. My rides are pretty much the only alone time I get.

Dave Cutter

I almost always ride alone. I am retired... so I tend to enjoy my cycling while others work.

About the risk. My phone can always be located... if I was laying in a ditch somewhere... that help minimize risk. And I carry a photo copy ID and healthcare card. I don't feel any particular risk, other than being amongst traffic on a bicycle.

grayEZrider

Same case here, but after making it out of RVN and being a risk taker all my like (not a gambler- there is a difference) I really don't feel riding alone anywhere feels risky. I guess it is a relative thing to one's own experience.

Jim from Boston

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimothyH

Man, I love to ride alone…

Silence is an interior state, more like interior stillness. I can find silence even in the face of wind and traffic noise…

I too ride nearly always alone and enjoy it, and it’s particularly isolated in the Winter.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

…My early morning dark commute is from about November til March, and other than the cold weather, I enjoy the dark commute. The auto traffic is markedly diminished, particularly in my reverse commute direction from downtown to a suburb. I hunker down in my mind in a state I call "cocooning," and become oblivious to everything but the Road and my thoughts. Also because it's dark, I can't tell how gloomy the sky might be, unlike in the dawn's early light.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rowan

…I have done a lot of night riding over the years. Often, the roads and paths are very quiet, and on country roads, I find myself in a cocoon or tunnel of light…

BTW, @Rowan’s reply was to a post by the OP of this current thread, @TimothyH, to his previous one, "Riding at Night by Choice..." started 3/9/16. Earlier this week I had posted,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

So if may pose this question, What is the value or utility to you of looking up old posts/threads? …[]

NABodie

I enjoy the solitude of a solo ride where I set my own pace not having to worry about a straggler or keeping up with a stronger rider. My early morning rides are usually a good time for prayer and for listening.

I also enjoy my rides with a small group of friends. We will run the local greenway or head out to the local mountain bike trails for an exhausting ride in the woods.

Mostly any pedal time is time well spent.

OldTryGuy

Getting ready to head out right now.......not into the middle of nowhere, no climbing involved, music will be playing, roads should be vacant and wind down, only faith in myself not a higher power, hopefully 50 miles before I'm back home to change bikes and head back out for a combo LBS group ride then lonesome me for 105 miles today.

BTW- time is approaching 2:30AM, 66F and stars are bright but they are calling for some fog

Rowan

Unlike most in this thread, I ride with my wife just about all the time. It gives us shared enjoyment, shared targets, shared achievements, shared travel to places neither of us might have been, and shared enthusiasm. I have done a lot of solo riding before we married, but right now, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Jim from Boston

My girlfriend, now-wife was in on our cycling lifestyle from nearly day one when I picked up the bug.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

My wife and I toured together for years, including a cross-country honeymoon. As our son passed the toddler stage (too big for a trailer) she stopped cycling and I am mostly a [solo] commuter. Fortunately we both enjoy ballroom dancing, every Saturday night, something we picked up while still mutual cycle-tourists...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

Who do you like to ride with?...My most intimate cycling companion has been my wife…in our touring days, we rode amiably together, and can you think of a better cross-country ride companion than a new bride (on a cycling honeymoon)?…

Cyclist0084

I know the feeling!!

jack pot 

>>> i have been riding bikes and motos all my life ... i just returned from riding my Z1000 from Tx to Ariz > i rode old US 90 in Tx & the US Mex border in NM... i love the feeling of being in the middle of nowhere or being in new places ALL BY MY SELF ... a forest ride on a bike in east tx or a moto ride thru no country for old men is nirvana ... lone traveling isn't for everyone but it is an addictive experience

curly666

I love riding alone, also a diabetic so I always check my glucose before I ride and carry something with me to jack up the sugar if needed. I love the fact that I don't have to worry about keeping up with anyone (I ride slow and enjoy the ride) and can stop whenever I like to check things out or just stop and enjoy the scenery and wildlife.

dunelt_1954

Thanks for your service. After a war, one has a higher standard of a bad day.

jack pot 

>>> as you age everything feels risky > riskier ... it's the Tao of life ... i know that most of the time i have to lie to myself to still do the things i used to do honestly ... USMC > semper why

indyfabz

Try touring alone. I have spent up to seven weeks out on the road by myself. Love it. Not that I don't also do day rides with others.