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Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

Coping with solo rides

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Old 04-05-11 | 10:19 PM
  #76  
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I think being alone is one of the only reasons I ride. Biking is my escape from all society and everything around me. I enjoy taking the scenic wrought around farms and lakes.
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Old 04-05-11 | 10:32 PM
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I mainly ride alone, usually between 40kms and 120kms, and find that time goes really quickly on the bike. I'm usually concentrating on technique, and being a competitive kind of person I usually push myself to the point where i couldn't hold a conversation anyway. It's never boring, it's 'my time', I enjoy the freedom and the only person I'm answerable to is myself. If I ride well it's my fault, if I struggle and ride badly it's my fault too. I can stop when I want, go where I want and enjoy the experience without distraction.
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Old 04-05-11 | 11:24 PM
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i like solo rides. there are always hot girls jogging or hipster cuties on single speeds milling about. just sayin.....
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Old 04-05-11 | 11:33 PM
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setting alarm right now for 5:00 a.m. tomorrow for solo ride.
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Old 04-06-11 | 12:29 AM
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Originally Posted by pdxtex
i like solo rides. there are always hot girls jogging or hipster cuties on single speeds milling about. just sayin.....
I always slow down when I pass any.
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Old 04-06-11 | 12:37 AM
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Originally Posted by Nachoman
setting alarm right now for 5:00 a.m. tomorrow for solo ride.
5:00 a.m.? Why so early? I never start any rides earlier than 8:00. Gonna be a nice day in SoCal tomorrow!
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Old 04-06-11 | 12:48 AM
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Originally Posted by Wesley36
Do you cross the causeway for that? I just can't imagine where one would get 5-6 hours of quiet solo riding in Singapore.
You don't know how slow I am

There are a couple of 100km loops I ride, when I get bored of them I do cross borders. I don't like the causeway with the roadbike but a ferry to Desaru, Bintan, Batam works.
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Old 04-06-11 | 02:40 AM
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I prefer solo rides, but I can't imagine riding 20 to 30 miles or more on an mup. Mapping a route will help, stopping somewhere and taking a break might also help.


Originally Posted by Velo Vol
My mind provides its own entertainment.
It's quite amusing to me as well.
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Old 04-06-11 | 03:06 AM
  #84  
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Originally Posted by fishymamba
But when I go on solo rides I usually can't do more than 20-30 miles because it get too boring.

... since I ride on MUPs with few riders.
Do you really limit your rides to MUPs?
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Old 04-06-11 | 04:34 AM
  #85  
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Why on earth would you want to ride with someone else?

<<<<<<<<<<<
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Old 04-06-11 | 10:00 AM
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Originally Posted by Machka
Do you really limit your rides to MUPs?
Nope. When I started riding we only used the MUPs but now we usually ride on roads or we go mountain biking.
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Old 04-06-11 | 10:28 AM
  #87  
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Originally Posted by thump55
For some reason, I often find myself doing math problems in my head while I ride, like:

- How many pedal strokes will I take on this ride?
- That water stop just took 4-1/2 minutes...how fast to I need to ride to make that time up?
- If I need to be home at 3, and I am riding into this headwind at x mph, how far can I go and still make it home in time?
- How much further will the outer end of one of my spokes travel on this ride than the inner end?

I don't recommend thinking about these things on purpose...it's just where my mind goes.
Both ends are traveling at the same speed. Distance=(Rate)(Time). Same speed and same time gets you the same distance. You can cross this one off the list.
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Old 04-06-11 | 10:37 AM
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Ride next to one of these. Works for me.

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Old 04-06-11 | 10:37 AM
  #89  
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Originally Posted by walshconor
Both ends are traveling at the same speed. Distance=(Rate)(Time). Same speed and same time gets you the same distance. You can cross this one off the list.
No. He's talking about their circular path, rotating around the hub.
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Old 04-06-11 | 10:42 AM
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Originally Posted by WhyFi
No. He's talking about their circular path, rotating around the hub.
Ahh got it. My fault.
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Old 04-06-11 | 12:03 PM
  #91  
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Originally Posted by robbyrocks12345
I think being alone is one of the only reasons I ride. Biking is my escape from all society and everything around me. I enjoy taking the scenic wrought around farms and lakes.
what he said except I prefer the scenic route
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Old 04-06-11 | 12:13 PM
  #92  
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Originally Posted by walshconor
Both ends are traveling at the same speed. Distance=(Rate)(Time). Same speed and same time gets you the same distance. You can cross this one off the list.
NM somebody beat me to it.

Last edited by noise boy; 04-06-11 at 12:17 PM.
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Old 04-06-11 | 01:25 PM
  #93  
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Just came back from my solo ride. About 10 miles in I got bored and was about to turn back, but then I realized I had downloaded the FredCast Cycling podcast into my iPod. I started listening to it and it really made my ride enjoyable. I did another 20 miles and then I came back home because I had some work to do. Downloading some more podcasts right now for tomorrows ride or maybe later today. Thanks everyone!
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Old 04-06-11 | 03:40 PM
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That Plumb Hammer would make me turn back to get it asap. I've had mine (a 22 ouncer) since the late 70's. What a well balanced tool, can't find new ones like it. Great score........
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Old 04-06-11 | 03:54 PM
  #95  
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I love riding by myself. It's rare to find time where you can really just disconnect from it all.
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Old 04-06-11 | 03:59 PM
  #96  
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Originally Posted by Velo Gator
It's rare to find time where you can really just disconnect from it all.
And that's a big reason why I ride. I spend all day working at a computer, and then sitting at my computer in the evening. Getting on my bicycle means getting away from all that and doing something completely different. And that's probably part of the reason why I don't use a Garmin, I don't carry a cellphone, I don't use an ipod, etc. etc. ... I like getting away from all that sort of technology for a while.
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Old 04-06-11 | 04:39 PM
  #97  
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I just about always ride solo. I have a friend that rides with me occasionally and when he does I enjoy it, but it's rare. Regardless, I always have my iPhone equipped with music and podcasts (motivation/energy boosters). I ride because 1) I do it for my body and 2) I love to ride for numerous other reasons. So, with that said, I never get bored, no matter how far I go.
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Old 04-06-11 | 05:43 PM
  #98  
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Solo riding for me is meditation. I think about anything and everything. Last year I didn't like solo riding, but I like it a lot better when you stop riding for a month or two and forget how much fun a group ride is. Now, group rides are strictly for hard riding and long distances.
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Old 04-06-11 | 10:18 PM
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I sing when I get bored, bark when I get frustrated. Otherwise my mind is inside my leg sacks.

Also found two spendy golfing clubs once, possibly useful for the most extreme repairs to bike or body.
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