shelleyspins

So is it just me or does anyone else have an insanely difficult time find reliable riding buddies with similar work schedules who ride a similar pace/distance? I don't go remarkably far or fast, really it's the scheduling thing I think. I have some mid week morning and afternoon free time and I use it riding. Usually 1) alone because I planned on being alone or 2) alone and bent because I planned on being with someone else but that didn't happen.

I don't mind riding alone sometimes but the route I take (a popular ride route around here) has some stretches with poor road conditions and/or construction and out in the country. I just feel safer with someone else around. Plus the wind has been sucking lately and it's nice to hunker down behind a buddy every now and then.

I had an errand today (after another solo-not-by-choice ride) and while driving up the highway spotted a group of 4 guys riding up the access road. They were coming in from doing the same loop that I do! So I took the exit that the cycling route uses, parked and waited for them (on a stretch of flat just before a big downhill - not a horrid place to be stopped.) After a few minutes of waiting, there they were. I flagged them down, assessed them as harmless, made a quick plea for some company on my daytime rides and gave several of them my email address in the hopes that one of them would think to ping me next week.

Really? Is it that hard to find someone to ride with that I have resorted to stopping random strangers and giving them my contact info? What should I do to find riding buddies with the same schedule?

rooftest

recon455

Can't say I know about cycling in Dallas, but give your local shops a call. Ask about group rides they know of(not necessarily their own).
Do you see other groups when you ride alone? Ask if you can join them or if they ride regularly.

caloso

Hand out cash.

Beaker

How about the Texas forum? Don't know anything about that sub forum, but the Nor Cal sub forum has been a rich source of folks to ride with round these parts.

Ygduf

QFT. Try your regional forum, or just keep asking strangers.

coasting 

i did something similar when i started cycling and was still full of naive optimism (not that I'm assuming the OP is like this still) and didn't realise that riding solo was actually what I would prefer. I was such a noob that i didn't yet wear lycra. I saw these guys at a coffee shop and I talked to them and they were really friendly and asked me to join them next week and we exchanged numbers.

next week came and one of them called me to remind me, so I thought that was nice; they didn't just ask me to join out of politeness. Little did I know back then that they were a band of serious road nazis as I had bo idea what the signs were to watch out for. I showed up and they proceeded to rip off both my legs, reach down my throat and pull out my lungs. they had me join them for their recovery ride and i still occasionally do so. their recovery ride is my bust a gut ride. nice.



moral of the story is your wish may come true!

crazyed27

Are you a member of Facebook? I found a tuesday night ride there in the city I live in...about 20 miles each time. Try that. Or google your tail off.

patentcad

Pcad rides alone.

Gluteus

There must be some cycling clubs in Dallas.

Just curious...how did you "assess them as harmless"?

I would find it a bit odd to be flagged by a stranger during my ride, to ask me for my info. But, that's just me.

FreddyV

Somehow the road cyclists seem like ******* for the past week. I've been able to keep up with them and sometimes even ride faster than them on my comfort bike (yes, the Pointer in my sig). No clue wtf is up with them.

Though, I've put up an ad over three months ago, trying to find some others to ride with. No luck yet.

Grumpy McTrumpy

well, I'm not married, so you are welcome to give me your number...

but seriously, there must be some clubs near your area who do group rides. not a bad place to meet other riders.

subnoob

By way of an ocular inspection of course,
-Mac

datlas 

+1 for local club rides. You will be able to meet some local riders, and you can probably find some folks who ride at your ability and have a similar schedule to ride with. That strategy has worked very well for me.

Also, can you go ride with your spouse??

aggro_jo

the only constant in your failed relationships is you

big john

We have a 500 member club in this area and there are enough riders to find someone of similar ability and schedule. Try to find a club, at least go to some of their rides and you may make some friends.
The shop ride is another source.

umd

Clubs and group rides are a great way to meet "riding buddies"

rumrunn6

OP ~ women or men?

JoelS

I tend to ride alone too, same trouble as the OP. It's tough to find folks to ride with sometimes.

MegaTom

You know those hooligans in their funny looking spandex shorts and funky shoes..... ya never know what they're capable of... can't trust the whole lot of 'em!

Val23708

join a club

jfmckenna

I just want to say that The Poky Little Puppy was one of my favourite of all time ever books when I was a kid thanks for the memory through your avatar.

Beaker

I dunno, that sounds like a strong group of riders reaching out to a newer rider - unless there was some sort of hostility involved? One of the benefits of riding with others is the opportunity to push yourself in ways that you just can't when you ride by yourself. Of course, you do have to have a chance of being in the mix at some point even if you're dropped early, but in general I am not put off riding with folks stronger than me.

shelleyspins

There are a ton of club rides around here but they're almost always on the weekend or in the evening. On the weekends I do mostly family activities and work in a rally or race once or twice a month; Sundays I'm a ride lead for a club. Evenings are right out for me though. I mean sure, the 6 year old makes a mean pb&j and reads so he could get the 4-yr old fed and put to bed but at some point the neighbors are going to call CPS.

My weekday riding time runs from 7am to 3pm and sometimes I just don't want to ride alone. My husband sometimes joins me but the project he's working on is ramping up for their final push so his time is very limited and he winds up stuck in meetings. My other friends who ride all have jobs (the nerve!) and can't ride during the day. The other mommies I know don't ride. I put a post up on the Texas board, hopefully someone else in Dallas has ride time during the day. When I do see other people out there midweek they tend to be alone - I assume this is usually by choice - but it's rare that I see anyone during the week. I could care less whether I'm riding with men or women but I am not very patient with slower riders (I save all that patience for Sundays) and I'm not looking for a 'here's your lung now eat it' hammerfest.

shelleyspins

Exactly. Something about a group of 4 middle aged men on the verge of fitness wearing tight bike shorts and WAY too loose windbreakers just wasn't threatening. I'm sure I scared the crap outta them though.