Cosmoline

I've noticed there seem to be a lot of people who either only bike with others or mostly bike with others. And there are some who never do. I'm curious about the breakdown and why people choose to go alone or in groups.

Machka 

I usually bike alone. Cylists? What other cyclists?

However, every now and then (like maybe half a dozen times a year) I have the opportunity to cycle with other cyclists, and when I get those opportunities, I take them. For example, I rode with a group of other cyclists yesterday ... it was great!

There is a cycling club here, and I have ridden with them once, but they tend to be racer-types and ride much faster than I do, so I haven't ridden with them this year ... plus their ride schedule doesn't correspond with my schedule very well.

DataJunkie

Due to family commitments most of my rides are commutes to and from work. However, from time to time I get the chance to ride with others. Also on a weekly basis I ride with my 3 year old son.
I love riding in groups when I get the chance. However, my groups are a few riders at most. Eventually I would like to join a club and ride regularly on the weekends with them.

Allen

That exactly describes things around here. Me, some kids, and a couple of DUI guys wearing their helmets backwards. There is a group ride in the closest LBS about 30 miles away, but it's a seriously testosterone driven ride, not for me.

Jarery

Monday to friday i commute alone.

Weekends, its group rides all the way.

When i was into competitive skydiving, i chose the 4 man and 8 man events. Being part of a team doing precision work is what I enjoy, and the social camaraderie that derives from it. So now that I cycle, i find that group rides with pacelines doing 45 kmh with wheels 4 inches from each other is a similar joy.

I have lots of time to be a bitter old man alone in the park later in life, right now i enjoy life and friends

donnamb 

I'm generally a loner on my bike, but I do enjoy good company when the opportunity presents itself. I'm never alone when engaging in bike funnist activities.

becnal

I mostly ride to work and other destinations. I got a tandem to be able to do more riding with the misses.

Maelstrom 

I used to be a lone rider, I can't seem to do it anymore. No motivation to progress when I ride by myself. I commute on my own and ride every few days with a couple of buds

On the reverse, I hate riding in groups. Anymore than 3 or 4 riders and it just becomes annoying

East Hill

I've recently added a cycling partner who can meet my odd work schedule. She doesn't mind meeting me at 6.00 am for some rides. I've also been able to meet up with some folks on Sundays for fairly lengthy rides. I also ride with Mr. East Hill about once a week (other than the last few group rides which he has also joined).

Most of the time, though, I'm by myself.

East Hill

roadfix

It's almost impossible to ride alone in my area.

baj32161

I hardly ever even SEE any other cyclists around here, let alone get the chance to ride with any of them. I would like to have a partner or two once in a while.

Cheers,

Brian

wrafl

Ride alone here. Don't want to be chasing fast riders nor waiting on slow riders to catch up with me. I use ridng alone to concentrate on the ride and keep clear my mind. Hopefully time will come that I get to ride with others on organized events.

maddyfish

I stop for stop lights and stop signs, this makes riding with groups extremely difficult. Also, I seem to be at a wierd stage of ability, faster than the slow people, almost as fast as the fast people, faster than most people up hills, slower than all the faster guys on high speed flats.
So, I ride alone 95% of the time.

socalslowguy

Does getting dropped on a group ride count as riding alone?

dingster1

I ride alone. Lots of other riders out there, everybody doing their own thing

montana_cyclist

Hi, I generally ride alone at home, and at the most with 2 to 3 riders on tours. I really do not like to get in a crowd while cycling or driving. Thats why I live out in the country.

sknhgy 

I'm the weirdo in the county that rides the bicycle. I NEVER see another adult on a bike around here unless they are some roadie just passin' thru. In fact, when I was moving here, someone took me aside and said people 'round here are going to think you're strange if you ride around on that bike. I do anyway. I think some of them wish they could get rid of their beer cans and join me but they won't because they're lemmings.

Bob Loblaw

sknhgy, I'd like to know what part of the country you're from?

vpiuva

Where is the Garden of Eden?

sknhgy 

Illinois has isolated pockets of culture. I moved into one of them a few years ago. It has many good things about it but some quirks also.

Burningman

LOL

Cosmoline

I'm surprised at the results. I thought at least half rode with others more often.

Joe1946

Before I retired I commuted to work on my bikes (15 mi round trip) for over 20 straight years and never seen anyone else doing the same bike commute (my hours work were 9-5:30 M-F). They have bike to work day in my area every May and I seen in my local paper this year they had over 200 sign up but only about 50 biked to work because the weather forcast called for a 30% chance of rain but there was no rain that day. Here in Central NJ 99.9999% of people use their car to get to work.

nakedsushi

I ride alone 50% of the time and with someone else the other 50% of the time. My BF and I both commute to work and work in the same place, but he likes getting in later than I do, so I usually commute in alone. He likes leaving the same time I do, so we commute home together. We go on group rides together maybe once every two weeks and sometimes on the weekends I'll go for a ride by myself.

fuerein

Most of my riding is utility: communuting, shopping, various errands etc. As such there is really no reason for me to be riding in groups... I can see my invitations now:

Dear Friends.

Please join me a fun ride through town. We start at my place, ride several miles to the LBS so I can pickup a new tool for my bike. Then ride to my work, you wait outside (sorry you can't come in, work policy) while I pickup the papers I left at the office. Then we'll head over to the grocery store where I'll buy my groceries. Bring your panniers! I may not have room in mine for all my groceries and I'll need you to carry some!