Why ride with people?

[Dogmama]

1. Nobody wants to get up at the crack of dawn to ride.

2. I hate having to watch other peoples' wheels and predict what they'll do.

3. I want to be alone, think, enjoy the scenery.

I am considering training for El Tour de Tucson, which means I'll have to start riding with a group on Sunday to refresh my group riding skills. Hmmm....

[Kalidurga]

I feel safe on the road when I'm by myself but I'm also aware that at anytime things could change drastically and I could find myself in a nasty situation.

That's definitely part of the challenge. I hike, bike and kayak alone all the time and I take great pride in knowing that, whatever happens, I'll find a way to deal with it. Granted, I've been fortunate so far and nothing really extreme has happened, but the day I stop feeling capable and self-sufficient is the day I curl up and die.

This is a very interesting thread. In spite of my own comments, reading the comments from folks who do ride with groups makes me still want to give that a try. Is there a way to turn this into a poll?

[Tater]

I too, am a loner. Mostly it is because I haven't met anyone to ride with. Now that I have moved to a more populated area and found some weekend rides (thanks, Kano!), I may start riding with a group on a weekend or two. I don't mind my solo rides, though. I think that is because I have always run alone, and now I bike alone. It doesn't bother me.

[quint41]

I don't like riding alone, either. I tend to not push myself, I get bored and I just can't wait for the ride to be over.

I ride with my Wednesday group because we've all gotten to be friends. We're all at different levels, but the more experienced riders challenge me and I work harder and learn more. At the same time, we will never leave the slower riders in the dust. And we always go for pizza and beer after!

In between when I want a leisurely ride, there are certain friends who I will call because I know they ride at a slower pace. There are other friends I'll call when I want a challenge.

It all depends what I need on that day.

[Raindrop]

I ride alone mostly because of my schedule and because the DH really hates riding and has to have "perfect" riding conditions, (i.e. not too hot, not too cold, not too windy etc.).

Sometime I ride with my clients (I'm a personal trainer), if they choose to do an aerobic workout on the bike. Unfortunately, that opportunity doesn't happen near often enough.