[Fish_n_Chips]

Anyone enjoy riding on their own?

Personally just moved and in a dead area.
Cycling on my own to explore over the weekend.
Miss my local CC after many years on my own.

Topic

[NickK123]

Another vote for both. Enjoy
Another vote for both. Enjoy my own company and satisfaction of riding on my own but balanced with club runs. Stating the obvious, there are some good clubs and not-so-good clubs – it is well worth getting some recommendations up front to measure against what you are looking for in a club. On solo rides I do miss the post-ride coffee /cake / chat on the shared experience and future plans / leg pulls etc.

[andyp]

if training, on my own. Why
if training, on my own. Why would/should I expect anyone else to do what I want/need to do?
if just out for a ride, usually with others.

[Cooks]

Single dad, I don’t even ride
Single dad, I don’t even ride my bike anymore.

[Quince]

I go to club roller sessions
I go to club roller sessions on Wednesdays and either the longer club ride on Saturday or the lung-busting cat-and-mouse ride on Sunday. Having those two events organised externally makes them easier to plan for (especially the weather-proof roller session).

Generally, anything else I do is on my own, but having those rides dependably penciled in sets a decent enough ‘base’ for the weekend, and means I can generally enjoy my solo rides freely, rather than feeling like I’m somehow ‘obliged’ to be out there on my own.

But it’s obviously very personal. I used to do a lot more solo riding, and I’ve also been in the position of doing so much club stuff that I felt kind of stifled by it.

Balance and all that…

[72vintage]

Like most it seems, kids and
Like most it seems, kids and family life mean early starts and solo commuting so generally on my own unless I rope in 1 or 2 dads from the local village. I like it though. Lucky to have country roads on the doorstep and flat to the south and hills to the north so plenty of choice. Also, I have to say the groups I usually encounter are a snooty, unsmiling bunch so kind of puts me off a club.

[backflipbedlem]

Lone Wolf!
I’ve got 4 kids,
Lone Wolf!
I’ve got 4 kids, so tend to go out about 5am on the weekends, so that I still get to spend the whole weekend with them!
So much better at that time of the morning, no traffic, empty roads, lots of wildlife (seen so many deers running wild). Not many clubs go out at that time, and to echo what most people said on here, it’s nice to be in control of where I go and at what pace etc. B-)

[backflipbedlem]

Lone Wolf!
I’ve got 4 kids,
Lone Wolf!
I’ve got 4 kids, so tend to go out about 5am on the weekends, so that I still get to spend the whole weekend with them!
So much better at that time of the morning, no traffic, empty roads, lots of wildlife (seen so many deers running wild). Not many clubs go out at that time, and to echo what most people said on here, it’s nice to be in control of where I go and at what pace etc. B-)

[pants]

Mainly by myself, i do like
Mainly by myself, i do like riding with friends occasionally though, club rides are a bit sociable for me, i also dislike cafe stops, i would rather spend that extra time riding.

[CommotionLotion]

Unfortunately our local club
Unfortunately our local club only does Sundays at the weekend, when I have other commitments. Plus I’m a sociopath.

[Getting there]

Almost always solo. I go
Almost always solo. I go where I want, as fast or slow as I want, stop where I want. And get lost truly alone, which is wonderful. Like the occasional club ride – and belong to a great club – but out there alone, just me and the climb, reaches places no group ride ever could. I come back exhausted, elated, centred – and ready to remeet the world.

Last week, 6am, on a country rode I had to do an emergency stop as a doe and her three young offspring sauntered across the road, looked at me with curiosity. That on a group ride?

[foot_loose]

I do both. Club is riding a
I do both. Club is riding a route on Sunday but the forecast is wet so I did it today as happened to have the day off. I want to do longer slightly slower rides than the club does (around 50 miles at 17mph aveerage) as trying to get ready for the 100 in August.

[PhillBrown]

You, Alotronic sir, are
You, Alotronic sir, are clearly grumpy and no fun as very correctly stated. It’s well a well known fact that cycling is no fun without cake.

[alotronic]

Solo, 100%
Club is all very
Solo, 100%

Club is all very well and I would but…. they ride at the same time my very accommodating and lovely wife wants to go for her weekly run AND they phaff about (stravaed their rides). I just don’t have the kind of life where I can spend four hours doing a three hour ride. Not interested in fecking cake stops.

Used to ride with an MTB group and that was more fun as MTB is a little more casual in nature, but I still felt like I had to do an extra hour after the ride to get the required time in.

I am grumpy and no fun obviously B-)

[notfastenough]

stenmeister wrote:the local

stenmeister wrote:

the local road club do the same route EVERY Saturday without change

Good grief. I’ll bet they’re fun to go out for a drink with.

[notfastenough]

DanTe wrote:99% solo.
Went

DanTe wrote:

99% solo.
Went out with a decent club the other day and it was swift. 25 man group absolutely flying at 8 am on a Sunday morn. I’d join a club just to keep me off the Kronenbourgs on a Sat night. I won’t though, not really a clubman type..
Do we think riding long solo rides makes you a stronger rider or is it the sprinting off the corners in a group that’s gonna help more?

I think they both have benefits – obviously solo rides mean you’re always working on the front, but fast group rides are where I really get my fitness – they push me outside my comfort zone, the group is a buzz and you keep coming back for more, and before you know it, you’re the one pushing on the front.

To the OP, my long Sunday rides tend to be in a group, and shorter solo adventures if I get out during the week. However, I’m moving house soon, not sure if I will find a local group out at 8am (Holmes Chapel if anyone can point me in the right direction). I might have to ride the 20 miles to meet up with my current lot.

[Author]

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