pbass

Hear, hear. I like your style.

Bob Ross

I've certainly experienced it, but I honestly don't think age has anything to do with it (at least not in my case). It's not like all my old riding buddies are dying or incapacitated/infirm due to old age; I think they just got tired of the drama surrounding group rides, and/or sick of being around an ******* like me.

Skullo

This sounds like a great time. I lived most of my life in Illinois due east of you in quad city area.
I have done six RAGBRAI rides. So I am very familiar with Iowa .
I miss the rolling hills and the greenery.
I don’t have any riding partners , never did. Only time I ride with others is with organized tours and events.
I used to be above average but now just about every one is faster.
This year I have been trying harder and have actually gained some speed. Went down from 165 to 155 now and it feels great on the bike again.

Dudelsack

Honestly, the only riding partners I liked were my sons-in-law, because they were too polite to smoke my ass. Even then I had to tell them what a half-wheeler was every now and then.

Inusuit

I'm 76 and do a lot of riding on remote gravel roads and two tracks. I give my wife a sketch map of my route, then text her as I pass intersections or landmarks so she will know where to start looking if I don't make it home. Cell phone coverage is sketchy in some areas.

My regular riding partner prefers pavement and I have not found anyone who wants to do 30-40 miles on dirt.

rumrunn6

I ride solo & tell Wifey where I am riding. sometimes during a ride I'll post up a photo w/ my exact location on Instagram. I only carry a cell phone. but I suppose some combination of factors could lead to my body not being found for a long time, perhaps never. eek

Bald Paul

I used to ride solo, but then I was struck by a car and found myself laying in the middle of the road, bleeding. Luckily, the one other vehicle on that road that morning stopped to check on me and called the ambulance. Otherwise, I don't know how long I would have been there (the driver that hit me kept going, but was caught.)
Now I will only ride on the roads if someone is there with me. Safety in numbers kind of thing, I guess. The only rides I can stay with are the local club "beginner" rides, designed for those new to road/group riding, and at a pretty slow pace (12-13 MPH average.) I hardly consider myself a beginning cyclist, having raced when I was young, but 40 mile rides at 15+ MPH average (the club "C" rides) just aren't in the cards anymore. I usually end up riding sweep and helping out the beginners who need help with changing gears, or just ride alongside the slowest rider in the group, because (IMHO) a "no drop" ride does not equate to a "we'll drop you like a hot rock, and then wait and rest at the next turn while you struggle to catch up" ride.
I rode a lot with a neighbor when he was out of work due to Covid and had time during the day to do so. We averaged around 25 miles at 13.5-14.5 MPH (depending on the number of hills on route.) When he returned to work, I started posting rides on the club website. Called them SORE rides, for Shorter, Older, Relaxed, Easy. Quite a few members responded that it was the type of ride they were looking for, yet it's rare that anyone actually shows up to ride. I've even posted rides on a local rail trail. It's smooth, wide, 27 miles out and back, and absolutely the flattest terrain in the area, with the steepest 'climb' a whopping 2%. Most times I show up, wait until I'm sure no one else is coming, then ride the trail solo. No cars to worry about, except at intersections.
Thank goodness for Zwift.

locolobo13 

I ride solo. Had a few minor accidents off the pavement. I'm doing more hike-a-bike on the trails. Beats smacking into rocks/cacti at 15mph.

You just have to ask yourself, "Is it easier to hike-a-bike 50%, ride the other 50%, or just hike it." Or whatever the percentage is. I think the bike still saves you energy in a lot of cases. Nothing wrong with hiking a trail first to check it out before riding it.

Lambkin55

Have the same story…

I suppose my first riding partner loss was my wife. As we started having kids she had less and less interest in riding. By the time my oldest was 6 she had lost her seat on the tandem.

It started, in earnest, in my late 40’s when it was hard to keep up with the club rides. At that time, I would ride to the ride starting point solo and stick with the pack as long as possible and then ride home solo. That way I got to visit with my riding buddies for a while. On one of those solo rides I fell on a wet bridge deck and bunged up my wrist. I managed to ride 12 miles home one handed. That incident put an end to that solo ride to the club ride program. (I was about 51-53 at that time.)

A few other guys and gals in our 50’s would meet to ride once a week. However health issues, retirement and reduction in bike interest caused that group to melt away over a 10 year period.

In my 60’s I started doing more of the club “social rides” also. However the social rides made me a little grumpy because of the slow speed, frequent stops the low rider skills and the tendency to follow the same routes week after week.

I have always done more solo riding than most of my riding friends. I am lucky to live in farm country and no matter which way I go from my driveway it is a good ride. So at age 68 I tend to ride long slow solo rides tough farm country about 90% of the time. . I am OK with that too. (This summer I took the train to Denver and then rode 200 miles around Colorado to my 50th high school reunion, solo.) Sadly, some of my best riding buddies just can’t do it anymore. I guess I should count my blessings.

rsbob 

Road biked with a good friend for 10 years, back in the 80s and rode with a club for another 10. Got away from cycling due to a few love interests that were not into it. Got into sports cars and mountain biking. The way I did it, was go ride for an hour or two and call it a day. Always rode with my dog/s but otherwise alone. Did some black diamonds but preferred the flowy blue squares. Then my best mtn biking buddy (Eddy the dog) died and it just wasn’t the same. No longer felt comfortable 2-3 miles out in the woods by myself - even with cell coverage, especially with numerous cougar sightings. So….

back to my first love, rode biking. Due to COVID and having an immuno-compromised spouse I ride alone.

MinnMan

The group I was riding with most frequently 10 years ago is smaller, slower, and less interesting. I ride with younger folk now - many 20-30 years younger. So I've found new riding partners. They are easier to talk to also, though I am sometimes aware that they are in a very different phase of their lives - some are getting married, starting families, and so on.

Don't know what it will feel like when my skills start that steep decline and I can only do the "B" rides with old people. But I expect I'll find out.