[weaver]

I've been mountain biking for the last 16yrs and only once have I ridden with some friends. I didn't really like it too much. I enjoy doing what "I" want to do when I'm out riding. I don't want to be held up or hold someone else up on the trail. If i decide to take a fork I want to just do it and not debate on which way "we" are going to ride.

The reason I ask is because I here of people doing group rides. Especially at the LBS. Talking with people there I hear them mention when they rode such and such trail with "their" group. I even hear of groups getting together for bmx rides around my area. I just don't have any interest with riding with others. I never plan a ride. I just hop on the bike and go. MTB'ing is different. I have to plan somewhat as far as what trail I have to drive to but once I get there I just take off and do whatever.

I'm sure plenty of folks ride alone alot but what do you prefer? Group or lone riding? Why one or the other?

I think most of it comes down to me wanting to get away from the daily grind and not having people around makes it easier to relax and not think about anything.

 

[bikebum1975]

I HATE riding with most others. Same reasons as you I ride at MY pace and where I wanna go no schedule to stop and take a rest or whatever. besides me I prefer doing things like that solo pretty much always have. I think I have ridden at most with 2 or maybe 3 other people.

 

[photosbymark]

I usually ride alone, but sometimes enjoy riding a small group of people I know well. When I was a kid I had one or two riding buddies. If its people I know well, I enjoy it. I'm not a fan of riding in packs. For me I am too old, heal too slow and eyes are fragile to crash in a pack.

Alone I can think about something other than what I am riding to get away from. With a group, the friends I am with usually are just as slow as I am and we have fun.

 

[wild]

I ride alone most of the time, sometimes with anouther rider but I am slow for most riders. I did like rideing with the wife when she rode, evean if she road farther and faster than me.

 

[nh_district]

Yep, I like to fly solo for the same reasons; I also prefer to ski alone, again for the same reasons. I like going wherever I want, whenever I want. I ride fast, I ski fast, and I don't like holding back so others can keep up. Guess I'm selfish like that.

When I ride with anyone it's my wife, but I'm ok with holding back in that case. I still have to periodically sprint ahead and then fall back though just to keep my sanity.

'Bout to go for a solo ride here in a few minutes actually...

 

[weaver]

Glad to here I'm not the only one. I did fail to mention when my wife would ride with me years ago I did enjoy that. She was new to MTB'ing and it was fun showing her what it was all about. She stopped riding after a while though. Maybe one day I'll get her back out there.

 

[Industry_Hack]

I used to ride with a group in SoCal that was a good mix of guys and single women, mostly nurses. Fit, educated, attractive nurses. They also invited me to go out for cocktails on the weekends.

Yes, there are certain benefits to group rides.

 

[photosbymark]

Gee A group ride fill with smoking hot babes??? Even the wife lets me look at the menu, and would begin to worry about me if I turned that down. Trouble is most every time that is when something will happen that will result in a crash. Still if you have to get stitched up, there could be worse ways.

 

[Industry_Hack]

There was a group of guys that would hammer through the mountains to the beach and back. Or so I heard... I was quite content with the group I rode with.

 

[M_Wales]

Never done a group ride here and enjoy just riding alone... Going at my pace and whatever way I want is very nice... A group ride with better riders may make me a better rider in the long run and would like to try one..

 

[Industry_Hack]

For the road, I prefer solo, other than riding with friends/family.

 

[Weav]

There are some local club rides that are all different paces so you can take your pick. I like group rides more than solo, probably because I like to talk. There's this one group ride from an LBS that I call the hammer ride, because that's all they do is put down the hammer and if you can't handle it they don't wait up for you. They are also nuts. The paceline blows by, last month they passed our group on a curve in the oncoming lane and the whole paceline almost got taken out by a car coming around the curve. I hate groups like that.

One time I was late for my group ride so while trying to catch up to my group I latched onto their paceline at about 25 mph for as long as I could. The guy in front of me and at the end of the line was struggling I could tell, when I finally caught my group I passed him about a mile up the road pulled over yacking his brains out. The group had left him behind.

 

[Industry_Hack]

Gee, that really sounds like a lot of fun...

 

[Weav]

I do get to do a bit of lone riding though and it is fine. I do enjoy it.

 

[BeginnerCycling]

I work late often, so it's quite late after I get home, eat something, put the kids to bed, and pump up the tires. So, usually during the week I ride solo at night. On weekends I ride with my kids and sometimes get in a group road ride. I find that the group rides push me a bit more than I push myself, and that's not bad now and then.

 

[Poolie]

I'm a solo rider, and with the possible exception of a group similar to the one Hack used to ride with, I prefer it that way. Come to think of it, practically every hobby I have is a solo activity... guess I really am antisocial

 

[georgec]

Always alone I usually ride early in morning before work....

 

[ksr5]

This thread reminds me of a George thorogood song i changed a few words lol.

I ride alone, yeah
With nobody else
I ride alone, yeah
With nobody else
You know when I ride alone
I prefer to be by myself

Every morning just before breakfast
I don't want no coffee or tea
Just me and good buddy Wiser
That's all I ever need
'Cause I ride alone, yeah
With nobody else
Yeah, you know when I ride alone
I prefer to be by myself

 

[georgec]

I was trying to think of how that song went as I was making my post. It's been a while since I've heard it.

 

[rola643]

I ride alone a majority of the time but I like riding with others better than me ( which doesn't take much ). I can't or don't push myself enough to get better and after all that is my goal to better, faster, stronger and just better overall fitness.