Playing with yourself

Jonesinamilion

Just wondering, how many of you ride alone and how many go out in pairs / groups?

I'm obvs not talking about organised rides of commutes, just you average leisure ride.

Pros & cons to both I assume, I don't mind my own company & quite like to be able to go at my own pace; that said its also enjoyable and more practical to go out in a small group.

Briggo

Today I went out with a group, tomorrow I'll go on my lonesome.

I like riding on my own as I go at my own pace and its nice to just get away from it all. I like riding in a group because I can go that little bit quicker on a downhill in the knowledge someone will be about to call 999 and the social aspect of it too.

kickaxe

Such a clickbait title...

Well, I do both. I ride alone when I just spontaniously decide to go riding, which allows me to go my own pace without feeling judged or judging others. If it's more of a downhill day, I like to ride with friends, mainly because it's less of a competition going down than up. Having someone there to take care of you if you decide to hug a tree is a big benefit as well obviously. In a nutshell, I do both, but when going on a gnarly trail I definitely like to take someone along.

Jonesinamilion

Always love riding alone but the main niggle in the back of my mind is security...

1 - somone attempting to steal my hardware.
2 - as mentioned above, if something goes tits up with either an injury or mechanical fault, an extra pair of hands is often essential.

When I was very unhealthy (I'm only unhealthy now!) I liked riding with others who were fitter than me as I really had to push myself to save embarrassment.

schmako

Either or, any time out in the bike is decent.

My observations:

Solo - MP3 player is always good when tired, no one to hold you up or to try to keep up with, less eat/bike adjust/chat breaks

Group - entertaining chasing someone up/downhill, four or more hands make for easy fixing of mechanicals, can push a bit harder as you know if you have a nasty off someone is going to be there

FishFish

Prefer being on my own. Have been with others who just want me to pace them to get fit. I got fit last century and cba to go slowly with 'learners'. No dis for them but I think reciprocally that they are better off without me too. I live by Thetford Forest and go out an hour or so each day and never plan a route. I also take risks with private land which people can be inhibited about. Went to Tenerife in Dec. Guide all the time for navigation and safety.

Angus Young

Almost always alone apart from the very occasional ride with a particular friend who lives a few hundred miles away, so that only happens when we can hook up.

Like riding alone. No-one to keep up with, no-one to slow me down. Go wherever the mood takes me and change my plans as I go. Ride as far and as long as I like (which usually be further than anyone else), take as many or as few stops as I want. Plus, I'm pretty anti-social so I really don't do the 'joining in' thing very well. Always feel uncomfortable around other people.

WindyG

Sometimes it's nice to just ride on my own, my route, my pace. Other times either out with the club which is often just fun with the general social chat and messing about on bikes. I guess 50% of the time I am with my riding buddy which means flat out from start to finish and often on tougher routes. It is sometimes nice to know if you are in a group if it all goes tits up there is help at hand.

rockmonkeysc

Sometimes I like to ride alone. Usually long xc rides in remote places. I stick to a route plan and make sure someone else knows it.
Sometimes I like to ride with mates. Good to have company sometimes and it's nice to be able to do stupid things a know there's someone to call an ambulance.
Races are great for really pushing my abilities. I've used the on site medics more times than I should have.

Jonesinamilion

Angus Young wrote:

Almost always alone apart from the very occasional ride with a particular friend who lives a few hundred miles away, so that only happens when we can hook up.

Like riding alone. No-one to keep up with, no-one to slow me down. Go wherever the mood takes me and change my plans as I go. Ride as far and as long as I like (which usually be further than anyone else), take as many or as few stops as I want. Plus, I'm pretty anti-social so I really don't do the 'joining in' thing very well. Always feel uncomfortable around other people.

I usually ride as far as I like... And then realise I've somehow got to ride back :

I'm a miserable fucker too so quite like my own company; people are a pain in the arse more often than not

Rigga

Mtb with mates, road bike mainly on mi Todd.

Crazyjenkins01

Both. Depends on when, where, mood and if anyone else is available!

kenyanscott

im always by myself.

three reasons

1) I dont like to hold people back, because im not that fit at the moment
2) I dont have that many people that want to come with me
3) I have a small child, so my weekend outings are limited to early Sundays so I can spend time with my wife and Kid after working all week.

I go out and do night time road cycling on my bike, mainly to keep fit, I've never used an MP3 player, but im starting to think that might be a decent idea to do that to keep the momentum going, as long as I dont turn up the volume too much!

Crazyjenkins01

I'd never use an MP3 on the roads.ESPECIALLY at night!

Angus Young

I'd never use an MP3 player on a bike, full stop. Half the point of being on the bike is to get away from all of that.

cooldad

This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Plus many many potatoes.

JGTR

Good to see cycling alone is quite common, thought I was just an antisocial git!!

I always road bike alone, MP3 and ride at my own pace, I hate all the pointing stuff out, taking turns, just makes ride unenjoyable as I worry about doing something wrong.

MTB I enjoy solo and with others, MTB is more start/stop and more about challenging trails rather than speed/distance so can go at own pace and just wait for others to catch up and vice versa, although long XC rides are suited to solo riding for me

JGTR

Angus Young wrote:

I'd never use an MP3 player on a bike, full stop. Half the point of being on the bike is to get away from all of that.

Always road bike with MP3, find it too boring otherwise, never had any problems.

I can't MTB with a MP3, just doesn't work for me, I can't concentrate.

schmako

You old gits, mp3ing while mtbing is great, tired on an uphill and a good album comes on, you soon forget about being tired. Great when going downhill too, listening to music I enjoy I'm usually faster.

rockmonkeysc

Angus Young wrote:

I'd never use an MP3 player on a bike, full stop. Half the point of being on the bike is to get away from all of that.

I rarely agree with you but this is absolutely spot on.
I love music and finding new music to enjoy. My car has an absolutely epic sound system.
On my bike I just want peace or the maybe conversation with a few mates.

supersonic

Mainly alone, sometimes with my best mate. I am not one for music either, I like to hear what is going on around me - and hear other trail users. I find the music is too much of a distraction.

Angus Young

supersonic wrote:

I like to hear what is going on around me

Yes, I like the sound of the forrest, the sound of the bike, the tires scrabbling through the dirt. All that stuff is part of the experience. I can have music any time, that stuff I can only get when I'm on my bike.

Jonesinamilion

Love music but never whilst riding, like to hear what's going on around me; you'll often hear things before or instead of seeing them.

Glad I'm not alone in playing with myself!

Angus Young

Jonesinamilion wrote:

Love music but never whilst riding...

Yes, I'm huge on music, but there's a time and a place.

M9DBO

Angus Young wrote:

supersonic wrote:

I like to hear what is going on around me

Yes, I like the sound of the forrest, the sound of the bike, the tires scrabbling through the dirt. All that stuff is part of the experience. I can have music any time, that stuff I can only get when I'm on my bike.

Couldn't agree more. The true soundtrack of the 'ride'. I ride on my own and with my 12 year old Daughter. The natural sound is often broken by me shouting back..."you okay"? or "Rocks", Drop-off", and then me hearing the odd "whoop whoop" every now and again.

My god I love being out there...

stoveman

Pretty much always ride on my own as I work shifts,would actually quite like to go out with someone else on a ride just to help with the motivation.
Not too bothered about the club side as would feel a bit intimidated I suppose as still class myself as a novice.
Entered my first two sportives this year so see how they go,....might prefer riding alone after that

StinkinHippy

Best of both worlds.. I do local fitness routes alone with an MP3 player (I do take my earbuds out on any road section). This is great for going my own pace, which is a couple mph above my usual riding buddies.

I do enjoy going out for hours on end with friends though, it just means I cover miles at about half the rate.. Too many food/joint breaks to keep up a decent pace. Not a bad thing, just different, and variety is the spice of life after all!

roger_merriman

Most of the time I'm on my own, I have ridden with folks but it tends to be more social.

I tend to ride bigger longer stuff on my own. And in many ways it's me time.

toys19

Now I am in my 40's I like to go for a spin by myself, when I was younger I hated it..

Jonesinamilion

Been playing with myself a few times a week lately.

Think it's the warm weather; it's just all to tempting to get it out of an evening for a quick thrash.