Many mornings when I ride south I pass 3 to 5 guys about my age riding together from the Pinery, north along the trail to McDonalds, which is also right on the trail. They ride about 10-12 mph and talk and just totally enjoy themselves. At McD's, they have some coffee and shoot the bull for about 1/2 hour, then head on back.

I have overtaken them several times, They all ride road bikes, some with platforms, some with cages, some with clipins.

They ride from a sort of hilly area - which means they go up some pretty good hills at the last part of the trail on their return. The ride is about 10+ miles each way, so they get a 20+ mile ride in most days all season long.

Totally relaxed, no bravado, no chutzpah, no competition - just a group of friends out for some exercise and camaraderie.

I think that is great.

You should ride to the Pinery and ask to join them one day.

Can these be REAL cyclists...? Oh, the humanity!

Actually, that sounds pretty good to me as well.

Maybe!

Sounds nice to me.
I've been trying for several years to find someone to ride with but it seems that everyone around my part of town who is retired is too out of shape to try or simply not interested. So I ride alone all the time.

That sounds like a fun thing to do.... perhaps not for all rides, but some of it would be nice: to ride socially and not for "training".