I have several groups of people with whom I ride regularly. There's the core "B" group from my weekday training ride. We sometimes get together on Saturdays to ride at a slightly more relaxed pace or do a club ride together. One couple from that group have become some of my closest friends. Most of them are not competitive cyclists, but they're all pretty strong.

My core group of cycling buddies is a group of about 20 people. Actually, there are several subgroups within that group, some of which are faster than others. The core of the group met years ago through our cycling club and developed their friendships from there. The group's picked up additional people (like me) over the years. There are a couple of guys who race, another guy who does the occasional sprint tri and then everybody else. They're all strong steady riders, and some of them have been riding longer than I've been alive.

My introduction to the group came primarily through my ex BF. We've remained friends and, as time wore on after our break up and I became a better cyclist, I started to join him and/or one or another of the subgroups more regularly. Now, I'm just part of the gang. This is the same group that I run with, too. A handful of the the runners don't bike, but most of the cyclists, run during the winter at least That motivated me to dust off my running shoes and join them. The running is actually more social than riding because we meet for breakfast afterwards.

I really feel lucky to know these people. They are salt of the earth types and are, putting cycling aside, people I'd want to know regardless. I know that they're very much there for one another, so the friendships run far deeper than just cycling or running together.

I still enjoy riding alone, too, but I've gotten so spoiled by having someone to draft off of, that it's harder to motivate!