Sooooo, I was having a chat with a fellow TE'r recently. Actually it was in the midst of a nice cross-town ride here. I had asked about her experiences with bike clubs in the area, etc.

This sort of broadened into a more general question...

Why ride with others?

Is it to be around a group of folks who like to drop the proverbial hammer and go as fast, or close to it, as they can? See who survives, who doesn't? Conversation discouraged, grunting/huffing/puffing encouraged? Competition heavy?

Is it the opposite....less effort/moderate pace, more conversation, socializing, talking, chit-chatting, sight seeing?

Why do you ride with others and what do you want out of those rides?

Thankfully, I rode with someone who was on the exact same wavelength as me.