Anyone else similar to me?

[Flick of the Elbow]

I mostly ride alone but not by choice.

The clubs around here have no interest in catering for my speeds, they regard anyone who can’t maintain 15mph as a beginner.

I have no cycling buddies, in fact I have no buddies of any sort.

 

[raleighnut]

Nope, solo rider here.

 

[Rusty Nails]

I’m a solo rider but would happily join a club if it would organise rides at days and times to suit me, sometimes at a few minutes notice and never more than a day or two in advance…and which would ride at a pace set by me.

 

[scragend]

I go on one cycling holiday a year with a friend but other than that I always cycle solo even when I go on holiday. The last thing I'd do is join a cycling club to be honest, it's just not my thing.

I don't do the "café stops" thing either. When I need to top up on drinks or need some food I'll stop at a shop but other than that I just keep going.

I have dabbled with a turbo trainer in the winters, but on FulGaz not Zwift. FulGaz does real video, filmed by a cyclist, so I can imagine that I'm there and not in the depths of an English winter.

I do use Strava to keep track of my mileage and routes.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

I have to say, the proper clubs local to me do all seem very friendly when I come across them out on the roads. There are also a few informal local chain gangs with guys racing at Cat 2/3 level. I am always hesitant to reinforce the stereotype but knowing a few of them and seeing them out riding, they generally tend to come across as being slightly up themselves.

I

I will hold my hand up and admit to having been "Up myself" in my racing days. You do tend to regard yourself as being part of a superior breed. Utterly stupid really, but human nature being what it is I think it goes with the territory.

I used to love being part of a club up until I got into my forties, but then changed completely and from then on had no interest in riding with anybody else. Matching the pace of other riders, whether they were slower or faster than me began to spoil the rides so I happily became a Billy no mates. That's the great thing about cycling, you can chose any type that suits you as an individual.

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

I will hold my hand up and admit to having been "Up myself" in my racing days. You do tend to regard yourself as being part of a superior breed. Utterly stupid really, but human nature being what it is I think it goes with the territory.

I used to love being part of a club up until I got into my forties, but then changed completely and from then on had no interest in riding with anybody else. Matching the pace of other riders, whether they were slower or faster than me began to spoil the rides so I happily became a Billy no mates. That's the great thing about cycling, you can chose any type that suits you as an individual.

Fair play for saying so. To be honest, I do understand it, when you get really invested in something and commit to it, it cam sometimes cause any of us to get a bit too wrapped up in it.

 

[sevenfourate]

I've always been a solo rider.

Cycling does not have to be and for 99.9999% of people should not be competitive. I use strava but I've been competing against myself. Apart from one climb where I was 1s from the KOM (I rode it daily as part of my commute) it never bothered me. Now they've paywalled it I couldn't care.

I always thought stopping was cheating myself, but I'm now all for stops. I've yet to bring a lock out with me so I dont go to cafes, just have some sweets at the side.

Agree with you wholeheartedly 👌

 

[sevenfourate]

Probably only done a handful of club rides...

Never on when I'm free and from my experience attract the show off extroverts with £10k bikes.

Much prefer a solo ride or with a mate.

Love this type of shoot !

The very same people who won’t make eye contact with me / look away when I’m on my Carrera beater - are more than happy to nod / wave / smile when I’m on something more semi-exotic another day.

I’ve also had numerous times where a cyclist coming the opposite way: checks out your bike first. Often seemingly (?) deciding if you’re worthy of a wave based on how they perceive your ride.

I can’t begin to comprehend their mentality 🤦‍♂️

 

[Rusty Nails]

I’ve also had numerous times where a cyclist coming the opposite way: checks out your bike first. Often seemingly (?) deciding if you’re worthy of a wave based on how they perceive your ride.

That's a heck of a feat of observational psychoanalysis as two cyclists pass each other in a few seconds.

 

[sevenfourate]

That's a heck of a feat of observational psychoanalysis as two cyclists pass each other in a few seconds.

Hardly. I try to make eye contact. They are doing nothing but looking at the bike coming toward: and past them.

Doesn’t takes genius to work out what their focus is on……

 

[Webbo2]

Hardly. I try to make eye contact. They are doing nothing but looking at the bike coming toward: and past them.

Doesn’t takes genius to work out what their focus is on……

They must be going slow to clock what bike you are riding and then be able to decide to diss you.

 

[Rusty Nails]

Hardly. I try to make eye contact. They are doing nothing but looking at the bike coming toward: and past them.

Doesn’t takes genius to work out what their focus is on……

I find that I look first at people's bikes because I am interested in the bikes and set-ups that they ride. Never as part of deciding whether I should acknowledge them or not...and that applies whether I am on my hybrid, mtb or road bike.

Probably I have sometimes been looking at the bike so long they have passed before I have chance to smile or nod.

 

[All uphill]

They must be going slow to clock what bike you are riding and then be able to decide to diss you.

I think @sevenfourate has a point

Having recently moved from a drop bar bike to an upright ebike with wide tyres I was surprised to find I had changed categories and become invisible.

I don't have a problem with that. On the ebike I'm clearly a utility rider, on the drop bar bike I guess I could be mistaken for someone who is into 'the sport'.

 

[esoxlucius]

With the state of the roads and the lunatics who drive on there i'm surprised you even acknowledge oncoming cyclists! I certainly don't.

I'm usually too busy looking for overly sunken grates and potholes on my side of the road, or checking whether some dude in a parked car is going to open their door on me. I'm not overly concerned with making eye contact or waving at someone on the the other side of the road. And as for what they're riding, who cares?

Now if I'm passing a rider, or they pass me on my side of the road, then I always say hello.

 

[Reynard]

My bikes nearly always make people smile, mainly because they're all so small. And because while some might consider them el-cheapo, they tend towards the unusual. And yes, I've noticed that there is a certain segment of the cycling community whose response towards you depends on what you're riding. Me? I always nod, smile and call out mornin' or evenin', or whatever.

I'd be bloody useless on a club ride at this time of year, because I'd be like ooooh, blackberries! Or oooooh, hazlenuts. Must stop and investigate those apples!