Am i a saddo who rides on their own?

reignx1dhnut

ive been a lone ride now for about three years riding trail centres and downhill tracks i dont think its sad it shows dedictaion but you do have to be a different type of rider to go out ever weekend and take the risks and progresion is slow its always recomended to ride with someone. if your going to ride alone be calculated if you don't feel right or cofident about dong that 20ft table top or step down or what ever it is don't it will end badly. When you go riding try talking to the people you meet there you might be lucky and find some group from your area who would not mind you tagging along with them were ever they go riding every week like i have the other week.

pantera06

i always ride on my own now cos all my mates have gone on to motor bikes but i totally prefer mtb by miles

darth chilly

I ride alone for two reasons:

1 - I am too slow and that would invariably annoy people if they had to wait for me to huff and puff my way up a hill
2 - None of my mates have got bikes

pantera06

i am quick enough its just none of my mates ride any more i have always been quick thew best peice of advice i can give is talk to random mountain bikers at trails

badhand

Darth Chilly - You MUST be quicker than your mates then!!??

Northwest Trailrider

I'm glad I came across this forum because this is a subject that keeps crossing my mind. I always ride alone, mainly by choice. I rode with a friend a few years ago and I was getting more seriously into MTB and pushing myself further on longer, more difficult / technical rides but he didn't seem to have the same interest level and was happy riding the canal tow path. He did his cruciate ligament and never really got motivated after that nor did I try to inspire him so hence riding alone.

Every time I go out I pass riders usually in groups of 2 or more which makes me feel llike Billy-no-mates and every time I keep thinkng I'll have to find a riding buddy or join a club because people must think I'm weird, this is particularly apparent when I'm socialising. So what do you do in your spare time - MTB, oh right so are you in a club then - no I go on my own - right - hmmm.

I'm happy as I am going where I want, when I want etc as most single riders have mentioned on here and as has been stated the chance of your buddy/club wanting to go where you want to go, at your pace etc just won't happen but I keep thinking this is not normal.

As for the offs, I have had a couple, once up Rivington / Winter Hill which is my local trail. Went over the bars and fractured my collar bone a few years ago. I didn't know what I had done at the time I just knew it was sore and tried to ride home. After a mile, I rang the Brother in law who came to my rescue - awe.

The last time was only a couple of weeks ago up on Cross Fell in the North Pennines on the downhill to Gregs Hut (5 miles from anywhere, almost as remote as it gets) and the back end slipped round after a drop off, twisted my knee ligaments and hurt my side. I was shook up and in pain but felt OK to continue. After a couple of hundred yards my derallieur hanger snapped off, this was from a rock and not from the crash impact. I guess it was not my lucky day, but could have been worse. I have a Camelbak HOSS where I carry everything bar the kitchen sink and hanger so I shortened my chain and made my way back to my car where I had a 100 mile drive home with a knackered left knee, not good but I made it - hero or lunatic? The next day, I could hardly walk and was in agony inhaling so went to the hospital, they confirmed I had torn my knee ligaments and pulled a muscle behind my rib cage so should stay off the bike for a while....... I left it for over a week (that's a while to me) and still far from OK jumped back on the bike and have been to the Peaks and Lakes 'on my own' the last cuple of weeks. I am still not sleeping properly because of the pain in my knee so I guess I'm silly but that's my call.

If the worst came to the worst 999 will still work even without a phone signal and as a tip I'm not sure where I read this, I have my wifes mobile number programmed into my mobile as ICE (In case of Emergency) because if somebody finds you unconscious or unable to communicate they will have no idea who to contact from all the names in your address book.

I guess MTB is like a drug and getting out quickly is more important than getting 100% fit before riding again. Believe it or not, I am quite a sensible person in life but MTB is my passion and all rational goes out of the window, although I have been taking it a little easier.

So that is my tale of woe and the moral of the story is to expect the unexpected and be prepared, Surprise surprise I now carry a spare derallieur hanger but still go into the mountains alone.

scotttomo

Nowt wrong with riding on your own mate, I've done it for years. Just let someone know where your goin and what time you goin to be back, just incase you have a bad off.
Riding on your own can be ace. No worries bout holding any other riding mates up, if your unfit like me , you can go where you like on local trails with out someone sayin "i don't wanna go that way" and best of all it's just a nice experience to be out doin somethin you enjoy whether out with mates or on your own.
Try finding someone close by to where you live in this section and start a topic. Im sure someone who lives near you would happily go for a blast round a local trail give it a try.
Happy riding dude
Scott

mingmong

I like being on my own.

You tend to say 'hello' more and strike up conversations and 'mini tours' with other friendlies on the trail :-)