Riding alone as to riding within a group

[tyred]

I'm another who cycles mainly alone. I do ride on the local VCC rides and enjoy it but that is definitely not performance orientated. In fact, I would prefer it to be a little faster.

Most other clubs around me seem to be performance orientated, ride seriously expensive looking bikes and I don't think they'd want me to tag along. I would rather set my own pace and make the route up as I go along.

 

[yello]

So pick your companions with care. Even really good pals might be poor cycling companions.

Or consider why you are with them.

My club, for instance, contains one or two folk that I wouldn't mix with as a rule. Tbh, the club generally are slower than my ideal pace and riding with them can be frustrating at times. BUT I'm there primarily to be social and improve my French. It's a good way to get free language practice! So when I ride with them, I remind myself of that I don't think of it as riding. Though I must admit that I do enjoy leaving them to ride home!

 

[Ticktockmy]

I rarely ride with a group, but sometimes by the day’s end I am with a group, the nice thing with being a solo rider is that at tea stops you can socialise and sometimes tag alone with another solo rider if they are going your way or join a group if they are riding at your pace.

This nice thing with being a solo rider you have the choice of speed and route.

I would suggest you look and see what rides your local CTC group are doing, as often some of their rides are geared to a speed and distance which might be of interest to you.

 

[Adolf]

Ah so I'm definitely not alone then.


See, I would have thought because of my age being 19 that not many older folk would really want to ride with me anyways to be honest, we probably will all be chalk and cheese so it might be a bit awkward.


When riding in gear do you care what people think? I've had several people around my age pretty much rip the piss out of me like start laughing or think you're taking the mick wearing that clothing and I shouldn't let it get to me but if I'm honest it does make you feel a bit

,

I'm just wanting an older bike to ride on during the winter to, I only have one bike and it's kind of an all-year use and I don't like it.


May I also ask how many spare innertubes do you take when out? I take 2, is that alright?

 

[Sonofpear]

who cares what other people think. Let people say what they like. At the end of the day riding is your thing and the main thing is your happy in what your doing.

2 tubes is fine. Hope you take a pump aswell though haha. Pretty useless without one

 

[Angelfishsolo]

who cares what other people think. Let people say what they like. At the end of the day riding is your thing and the main thing is your happy in what your doing.

2 tubes is fine. Hope you take a pump aswell though haha. Pretty useless without one

and some tyre levers perhaps?


Agreed. Wear what you want to wear whereever you are. The people who will laugh at you in the main are the ones who wish they could do what you are doing. (Grandfathers are designed to take the piss out of you IMHO )

 

[Seigi]

Ah so I'm definitely not alone then.

See, I would have thought because of my age being 19 that not many older folk would really want to ride with me anyways to be honest, we probably will all be chalk and cheese so it might be a bit awkward.

When riding in gear do you care what people think? I've had several people around my age pretty much rip the piss out of me like start laughing or think you're taking the mick wearing that clothing and I shouldn't let it get to me but if I'm honest it does make you feel a bit

,

I'm just wanting an older bike to ride on during the winter to, I only have one bike and it's kind of an all-year use and I don't like it.

May I also ask how many spare innertubes do you take when out? I take 2, is that alright?

Caring about what people think about superficial things is something you do when you're 14, not 19, by now you should be starting to understand that everyone is them self, and what some people might find unattractive, others may love. Basically, the point I'm getting at is - If someone doesn't like what you wear that's their problem and not yours.

+1 to Angelfishsolo about the grandfathers taking the piss part, mine does it all too frequent. I said to him "I wouldn't mind trying to do C2C one day" and he's like "You know you can't do it in a day?" -.-.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Caring about what people think about superficial things is something you do when you're 14, not 19, by now you should be starting to understand that everyone is them self, and what some people might find unattractive, others may love. Basically, the point I'm getting at is - If someone doesn't like what you wear that's their problem and not yours.

FTFY

 

[Seigi]

FTFY

Shhh....no one has to see the error

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Shhh....no one has to see the error

They have now

 

[Adolf]

It's not so much that I care what the people think it's just that if you are waiting at a red light and a bunch of chavs come past and start basically ripping into you it doesn't feel to nice when it's about 10 of them and you are on your own getting slandered, whilst wanting to do something about it if you get me...


Yeah I have a pump and always carry just 2 innertubes that's all, hardly cheap them buggers like!


I generally find myself starting of to quick when I go on my own to which sometimes bugs me, hey I know all about my grandfather taking the mick, he tries to every single time because my first name is Adolf, and so is one of my dogs and when I'm wanting to go out the house Adolf is in the way and when I'm thinking he's talking to me he's not he's trying to get the dog to move, haha.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

It's not so much that I care what the people think it's just that if you are waiting at a red light and a bunch of chavs come past and start basically ripping into you it doesn't feel to nice when it's about 10 of them and you are on your own getting slandered, whilst wanting to do something about it if you get me...

Yeah I have a pump and always carry just 2 innertubes that's all, hardly cheap them buggers like!

I generally find myself starting of to quick when I go on my own to which sometimes bugs me, hey I know all about my grandfather taking the mick, he tries to every single time because my first name is Adolf, and so is one of my dogs and when I'm wanting to go out the house Adolf is in the way and when I'm thinking he's talking to me he's not he's trying to get the dog to move, haha.

Chavs will take the piss out of anyone and anything they can. Not much you can do about that unless you can find a cycling group akin to a HA chapter .

LMAO re you and the dog with the same name - "Adolf - stop licking you balls!"

 

[Bicycle]

Ah so I'm definitely not alone then.


See, I would have thought because of my age being 19 that not many older folk would really want to ride with me anyways to be honest, we probably will all be chalk and cheese so it might be a bit awkward.


When riding in gear do you care what people think? I've had several people around my age pretty much rip the piss out of me like start laughing or think you're taking the mick wearing that clothing and I shouldn't let it get to me but if I'm honest it does make you feel a bit

,

I'm just wanting an older bike to ride on during the winter to, I only have one bike and it's kind of an all-year use and I don't like it.


May I also ask how many spare innertubes do you take when out? I take 2, is that alright?

1. I've never joined a club but many friends have. I'm told that they're generally pretty keen to have members and will be inclusive of new blood, regardless of age, skill, experience, speed etc...

2. At 19, 29, 39 and older, many of us stop occasionally to think whether we're doing, thinking, saying or wearing the right thing. I think cycling clothes are pretty good for cycling in. If you don't want to look too 'all the gear', you might put cycling shorts on under other shorts and just wear a loose top. I've often done that when commuting with a train journey involved... I'm not really comfortable sitting in an express to Paddington in full lycra - although clearly some folk have no issue with that.

However, I think that if you're doing some miles you do want the right shorts and a pair of cycling gloves.

3. Everyone has their own way of carrying spares and unless you have endless muscles and a fabulous sense of balance you can't take a complete workshop with you. My normal kit is 1 tube, 1 repair kit with levers, 1 pump, 2 Allen Keys. I usually stuff that into a plastic soup carton and carry it in a bottle cage.

Keep riding, keep enjoying it and get faster and fitter. Once you are riding far and fast you really won't mind who wants to take the mickey...

 

[Fnaar]

This has been on before, but it's a great short film based in Northumberland about cycling/teenage angst/solo cycling etc

[media]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-90y2pY0fZA[/media]

 

[Adolf]

Chavs will take the piss out of anyone and anything they can. Not much you can do about that unless you can find a cycling group akin to a HA chapter .

LMAO re you and the dog with the same name - "Adolf - stop licking you balls!"

I guess, seeing as I'm the one who is getting fit and all them scum are doing is getting absolutely drunk, sleeping with strangers stupid damn sluts and manslags, great life...not haha!

1. I've never joined a club but many friends have. I'm told that they're generally pretty keen to have members and will be inclusive of new blood, regardless of age, skill, experience, speed etc...

2. At 19, 29, 39 and older, many of us stop occasionally to think whether we're doing, thinking, saying or wearing the right thing. I think cycling clothes are pretty good for cycling in. If you don't want to look too 'all the gear', you might put cycling shorts on under other shorts and just wear a loose top. I've often done that when commuting with a train journey involved... I'm not really comfortable sitting in an express to Paddington in full lycra - although clearly some folk have no issue with that.

However, I think that if you're doing some miles you do want the right shorts and a pair of cycling gloves.

3. Everyone has their own way of carrying spares and unless you have endless muscles and a fabulous sense of balance you can't take a complete workshop with you. My normal kit is 1 tube, 1 repair kit with levers, 1 pump, 2 Allen Keys. I usually stuff that into a plastic soup carton and carry it in a bottle cage.

Keep riding, keep enjoying it and get faster and fitter. Once you are riding far and fast you really won't mind who wants to take the mickey...

I got into road cycling at around 15 and stopped when I hit about 16 and then got right back into it and absolutely love it, just love everything about it.


I don't know if I could even join a club because work controls my life, if overtime is on I have to do it for example and I sometimes spend weekends away with the missus.


I generally just carry 2 innertubes, pair of tyre levers, pump and a repair kit.


When you say keep riding to get faster and fitter won't I hit a stage when you just can't go any faster?