None of my friends are interested in throwing down $300-400 to start mountain biking, and I'm considering riding alone on open trails. HOpefully I'll find someone or befriend a few riders along the way, but it might be a lonely start.

Have you checked around at your LBS to see if maybe you can join a group?

I live right next to some trails and often will just hop on the bike for a quick spin through the singletrack in back of my house. So I would have to say that yes, I do in fact do a lot of alone riding. Sometimes I'll meet someone in the woods however. Other times, I simply like being alone for my rides.

I ride alone all the time..not to say I don't have lots of riding friends. I see that many or most of my friends are not into this as I am. I just have 2 or 3 hardcore riding (real) friends. What if you ask your unskilled (real) friend out for some MTB and they break their arm or some other thing? Just ride.... and you will find people to ride with. They may not be your best friends, but you have a common interest in cycling and getting out there to have fun and throw down some trails. I say just get out and ride!

I like riding alone... don't have to wait for anyone to catch up/check if they fell.

However, it is nice to leave the bear with something to eat.

This.

I dont like riding with people for this reason. If were going DJ'ing or street sessioning it's different, but even sometimes I love to DJ alone.

I prefer to go it alone, I don't like waiting, or worrying about anyone but myself. If i do take a beginner I don't mind , but I just like to GO and not have to stop

Ill be going solo due to a very rough schedule, go when I can go there is no real way to plan it.

Maybe if a local group goes out to the trails very close to me at a convienent time I can hook up with them and get some experience. More than likley I will just have to run into sombody friendly out on the trail and see if they dont mind me following behind them ^^

I might not be in the same shape I used to be but I have a tendancy to do just as good as the person infront of me no matter if im in good enough shape or at that skill level or not. So I will definitly benifit from riding with sombody if posible.

But atleast I wont overdo it and can learn my bike if I have to "fly solo"

Its way more fun to ride with someone, especially on the tough technical sections so you can laugh at your buddy when he falls down.

But the difference between the fitness and skill between two riders is more definable in mtn biking then road riding, so it can be hard for two people to ride together.

I usually ride alone, once a week I ride with someone else. When alone, I can go on my own schedule. Start the ride and end the ride when I want, ride as hard or easy as I want. I put on my MP3 player, and hit the hills. The music distracts me from feeling tired/burnt/gasping for air, and I can push myself a little harder.

I agree that it is a lot of fun to ride with others. I find I challenge myself technically a lot more when riding with others.

I ride alone otherwise I wouldn't be able to ride much. I ride in rough isolated places (Moab, South East mountains) and often on week days where there's no one else on the trails. I carry the appropriate gear in case I get hurt. Plus eventually my wife will miss me (I hope) and send help.

I have the same mentality mentioned above about going and not liking to stop. With my wife I keep in touch with cell phones if possible. I would prefer to ride with somebody, but it's not practical. If i am riding with someone less skilled or fit, I wait for them periodically, preferring to run at my speed. If someone is more fit, I tell them to go at their speed and I'll catch them when they take a snack break.

Al

I do both. I'm lucky to have a friend who shares the same interest, and we're both at the same skill level. Riding alone can benifit me sometimes if i just want to ride by my own schedule, and i definatley dont stop as much riding alone. But riding with someone else makes it a bit for fun sometimes, and i find its safer aswell to have someone with me incase i stack and need help.

i ride alone alot, but i only do stunts when friends are close incase i crash

I ride mostly with friends, nothing like having a group of friends with all the necessary equipment (camelbak, tools, patches, etc) and who encourage you to try harder stuff. Seriously, if I was riding alone I would have never attempted that 2mt drop back then the other day or went down that incredibly steep ?chute? (or whatever its called in english), so yeah riding with buds has its advantages.

I ride alone about 75% of the time. I used to try to do mostly group rides (even small ones) but it just became too big of a hassle. Everyone has different schedules these days with work and family so it just makes it too hard to get organized. I just go out and ride, if I see someone I know great, if not on big deal.

Let someone know where, when & how long you'll be riding alone, and maybe take a cell phone with you. Accidents happen, and it's better to have somebody realize that you haven't come back!

I ride mostly alone for 2 reasons. 1) I can go my own pace 2) I know very few people who bike on trails

I ride alone also, in isolated areas. I posted a couple of months ago about a serious accident that happened to me, about 40 minutes bike time from my car, in the National Forest. I could have really not come out of there if I would have hit an artery. It woke me up to the possibilities, but it was a freak accident to say the least, and I carry a first aid kit, and try to tell someone the area I will be riding in. I take sections of the forest map and actually show where I park and the trails I will be taking, just to be safe. Cell phone connection is not available in these areas and I have only seen one other biker this Spring, and he was on an access road. I try and ride at least 4 to 5 times throughout the week, and I have to fit it in when I can.


Bottomline, riding alone is really not smart, but heck I'm not going to let it stop me from enjoying the sport. I'm planning on joining up with the Mtn Bike Club later on this summer, and maybe then I can venture out with some other riders.

Often I like to be alone . I'll bike , surf , ski (DH/XC/Tele) , hike , fish/go boating , live , and hopefully will die alone . I do all these things with others as well , but if nobody can join me , I'm not going to let it stop me . About the only thing I won't do alone is rock climbing .

I don't mind riding alone, but find myself getting into competetive mode when I ride with friends. It depends on my goal or my want for THAT ride. I used to ride exclusively alone, but this year I am sitting around 50%.

Doing some big mountain riding alone and trying to push your abilities is dangerous...so I tend not to go out alone if I know I am hitting a trail off the peak of any of the mountains around here

Agreed. If you're going to ride alone, be mindful of your abilities, the riding conditions and have a good familiarity with the trail. Don't attempt something too stupid and be sure you notify someone of where you'll be.

I ride alone a lot, but usually meet up with people I know. I don't like riding with a huge group of people through town, they never want to slow down or stop to try a new line. When I do street riding I never go with more than 2 other people.

I agree I would never ride with people that don't allow for some playing. Luckily most here love to session technical areas. The best way to learn is to stop and look.

Try SoCalTrailRiders.org and Geoladders.org. I'm sure you will find what you are looking for.

>>>but it might be a lonely start

It's like this. Way back when they cut the umbilical cord, we were given the gift of solitude. In a world groaning under the weight of Too Damn Many People, being alone for a few moments is a rare gift. Solo rocks!

well if you neighbourhood has a group of cyclist you can join em like me, my group rides are on sunday morning ^^ and next month I will be going to a 45km Felloship Ride ^^ anyway besides sunday, since Im living in a hilly area, I practically practice my stamina around my neighbourhood and sometimes I go into the trail, im improving though, heavy bike rocks for training ^^ my hardtail weights 15kg+ and the bicycle manufacturer is saying that bike is a XC bike, maybe a XC bike but NOT a XC racing bike, haha