bladesman73
Über Member
Yep lone rider here. Have a few others with whom I sometimes cycle but not often and I prefer being alone.
Lone riding
- Thread starter Oldhippy
- Start date
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- Location
- London
No "general" ie non racy cycling clubs near you @Oldhippy ?
If not you could always set something informal up, possibly via here.
I ride mostly alone these days for practical reasons, but in the past lead loads of all-comer rides (have never been a "cycling/racing" club bod) - I think there is something very special about a motley bunch of all sorts of folks on all sorts of bikes out for a day's ride (with pub stop of course), making their own free amusement, nattering on the ride and at stops, nursing/encouraging everyone along. Well with the odd exception - I would have buried some woman in a ditch if she hadn't had the eventual emotional intelligence/grace to bail for a station.
If not you could always set something informal up, possibly via here.
I ride mostly alone these days for practical reasons, but in the past lead loads of all-comer rides (have never been a "cycling/racing" club bod) - I think there is something very special about a motley bunch of all sorts of folks on all sorts of bikes out for a day's ride (with pub stop of course), making their own free amusement, nattering on the ride and at stops, nursing/encouraging everyone along. Well with the odd exception - I would have buried some woman in a ditch if she hadn't had the eventual emotional intelligence/grace to bail for a station.
oldwheels
Legendary Member
- Location
- Isle of Mull
We had Passaps and they were heavy particularly with the motor. Jones/Brother ones were lightweight in comparison.
Mo1959
Legendary Member
- Location
- Perthshire,Scotland
Careful…..you’ll offend the women‘s rights brigade.
Chief Broom
Veteran
I always ride alone but would be ok with riding with an informal small group of similar fitness [or lack off]. One potential problem i might have is if i have a mechanical issue which cant be fixed at the roadside. As my range extends with fitness i could be looking at a long walk....Often there is no phone signal in the hilly areas which doesnt matter much cuz i havent anyone to phone unless the AA have a cycle division
- Location
- London
sod 'emCareful…..you’ll offend the women‘s rights brigade.
she had some sort of weird passive aggressive thing going on - i really pitied her husband.
I would always stop/pause/slow for folks who were struggling a bit, maybe as the ride went on (some were pretty long) drop hints that they might want to go to a handy station (we would get them there) but very very rarely even had to do this - folk would get the measure of things and sometimes, with help, bail for a ride home. This woman coasted coasted with some sort of self-satisfied madonna expression when she could clearly pedal, accused me of being a bully when I gently suggested that she maybe try to "ride with us" a bit. Zilch emotional intelligence. Annoyed us all. To the relief of the entire party she did eventually leave as we approached the north downs on the way back. She never came on one of my rides again. Thank god.
Mo1959
Legendary Member
- Location
- Perthshire,Scotland
Same here. Suppose maybe a taxi if I was really stuck.I always ride alone but would be ok with riding with an informal small group of similar fitness [or lack off]. One potential problem i might have is if i have a mechanical issue which cant be fixed at the roadside. As my range extends with fitness i could be looking at a long walk....Often there is no phone signal in the hilly areas which doesnt matter much cuz i havent anyone to phone unless the AA have a cycle division
Chief Broom
Veteran
Good idea
i could carry tel numbers of local drivers and dont think they would mind putting the bike in the boot 
- Location
- London
why don't you get in touch with the ctc? they often have a range of rides for different fitness/determination levels.I always ride alone but would be ok with riding with an informal small group of similar fitness [or lack off]. One potential problem i might have is if i have a mechanical issue which cant be fixed at the roadside. As my range extends with fitness i could be looking at a long walk....Often there is no phone signal in the hilly areas which doesnt matter much cuz i havent anyone to phone unless the AA have a cycle division
I have the idea that there are maybe more "social" cycling groups around than ever before - that in the past there was more of a tendency towards the hard-core/committed.
Chief Broom
Veteran
Thanks Blue Hills, what is the ctc?
OP
OP
Oldhippy
Cynical idealist
It is the old name for Cycling UK.
- Location
- London
don't some of the local groups/merry wanderers still call themselves ctc?
as in:
https://www.centrallondonctc.org.uk/
OP
OP
Oldhippy
Cynical idealist
I didn't know that.
presta
Guru
I always cycled alone, I couldn't keep up with others.
When I was on tour, occasionally others would catch me up and pull alongside for a chat, but even though I wasn't aware of it I would subconsciously increase my speed and not notice until I was beetroot faced and pouring with sweat. I got caught up in a bike race once, and bust a gut on the climb from Newcastleton to Saughtree. I wasn't trying to catch them, and didn't notice I was going faster, it's just that being continually overtaken shifts your perception of speed.
When I was on tour, occasionally others would catch me up and pull alongside for a chat, but even though I wasn't aware of it I would subconsciously increase my speed and not notice until I was beetroot faced and pouring with sweat. I got caught up in a bike race once, and bust a gut on the climb from Newcastleton to Saughtree. I wasn't trying to catch them, and didn't notice I was going faster, it's just that being continually overtaken shifts your perception of speed.
neil_merseyside
Guru
- Location
- Wirral
In lockdown one I hated riding solo and struggled to do even 25 miles solo. I eventually got into solo riding and can cope with an imperial hundred solo if I have podcasts (or R2 weekdays) - yes using an earpiece! I do however prefer company as I'm pretty boring - well I think so. Riding in a group of up to six, or even sub groups of a 6 is OK (as part of say a CTC run), but in a well matched pair/triple/quad then a good ride becomes a very good ride, and as I'm usually the navigator I also get to go where I want to go to too!
I do often ride with people who aren't my fitness/speed but I'm of the view of being a stepping stone - be that up to bigger and better things but also those same sleek/lithe/once young things who are changing shape/age and are needing some company.
I do often ride with people who aren't my fitness/speed but I'm of the view of being a stepping stone - be that up to bigger and better things but also those same sleek/lithe/once young things who are changing shape/age and are needing some company.
