I (re)learned that riding with other people is fun! I'd fallen into the habit of riding by myself, because I didn't have to coordinate with anyone. But this year I rode with some old friends, and met a new riding buddy. It's just plain different. I'd forgotten how fun and satisfying it is to ride with other people and to be able to share the ride. I also rode some trails I'd never ridden before, and some that I hadn't ridden in a long time. And while we haven't managed it every week, having a weekly ride day ensured that I rode a lot more the second half of the summer than I normally would.

Riding behind someone is a mixed bag -- if the person ahead of you gets stuck, you may be more likely to get stuck, either because they're in your line or because you get psyched out. On the other hand, if they clear something you might have been iffy about, you're more likely to try it. And seeing the way other people ride can definitely give you some new tricks to try. Okay, I should say "I", not "you" -- it's definitely true for me.