Do any of you ride organized rides alone?

[uforgot]

I've only ever ridden alone, organized rides or not. I met up with a couple of people while touring in the past, but didn't stick with them for long--I prefer riding alone and setting my own pace and stopping when I want to stop. I also like traveling alone better than with people. I love my family, but sometimes I wish they'd just go away and let me enjoy new places by myself!

Sarah, Curmudgeon-in-training

A soul sister! I have friends who just don't understand. My family does, however. Have you ever read Party of One: The Loner's Manifesto?

[gingerale]

Wow! Inspiration all around here!! My dh doesn't ride with me and my dad lives 6 hrs away so I ride at home alone most of the time, but never alone on an actual organized thing before this past weekend. Now I know it's definitely doable and I plan on doing more as the opportunities present themselves.

[kjay]

All of my rides are alone, even my first tour, which was around the Big Island. Of course, once you get there, you aren't really alone, are you? There are so many others around, but you don't have to ride with them.

[gingerale]

All of my rides are alone, even my first tour, which was around the Big Island. Of course, once you get there, you aren't really alone, are you? There are so many others around, but you don't have to ride with them.

I think it was more along the lines of not seeing another cyclist for 14 miles that had me a little nervous. Kept checking my map to make sure I was definitely going the right way thinking I HAD to have made a wrong turn somewhere.

[withm]

I think it was more along the lines of not seeing another cyclist for 14 miles that had me a little nervous. Kept checking my map to make sure I was definitely going the right way thinking I HAD to have made a wrong turn somewhere.

Nearly all my rides are alone. And yes, been there, done that. Missed a turn on one "organized, supported" ride, and ended up with an extra 15 miles, in the rain. When I finally got back to the start, not a car in sight anywhere, missed the lunch, and worse - the opportunity to go inside the ladies room and change into dry clothes. So I did that in my car. Ohhhh I was annoyed! Well I was more than that but I won't say that here.

[Triskeliongirl]

My club sponsored the event, and I posted something in the regional section http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=30087. Too bad you didn't contact me, we could have met up. Maybe you missed it, but your map had an emergency number you could have used if you needed assistance. The fellow answering the emergency line (husband of our bike club pres) would have then dispatched a nearby sag to pick you up. There were markings on the roads, but not at every turn, more where there were splits between different routes. But detailed route maps and cue sheets were provided in the bags. I thought the route markings were adequate, with so many different routes offered each day it would have been impossible to mark every turn on every route.

I did the metric century on saturday. Great ride! You should have stuck around for saturday too. We did the eagle's nest. The first time I did this I had to walk for part of it, the second time I got up with mountain gearing and thought my heart was gonna pound out of my chest, and this year I sailed up w road gearing, passing others as I went. Cool.........

[gingerale]

Thanks for the info. I didn't need a SAG to get me. I had the map and followed it and only took one wrong turn but somewhere at the end. Still not sure what happened on that one. I swear, though, I was looking for markings on the roads or something and didn't see more than a couple. But since it was my 2nd time to do this (and first alone) maybe I missed some, even though I was looking hard.

[sfa]

A soul sister! I have friends who just don't understand. My family does, however. Have you ever read Party of One: The Loner's Manifesto?

Sounds like a good book--I'll have to look for it the next time I'm at the library. Thanks for the suggestion!

DH and I are pretty much the same about liking our time alone, especially when we travel. It's nice because it means we can ditch each other for the day if we want and neither of us takes offense.

Sarah

[Pedal Wench]

I've just done my second 300K on my own. I'm not too comfortable riding alone after dark, so I just hang out with anyone else riding my pace, if there is. The first one, I was alone all night too, and the last one, I had to slow down just a touch, but welcomed the company. For the whole daylight part, though, I was on my own. I like myself, so I had fun.

[ZenSojourner]

I routinely ride alone.

The pack scares the living bejeezus out of me, so I hang back and start after they're all gone.

If it's later in the season and I'm fairly well conditioned by then, I'll overtake a fair number of the laggards. Usually I catch up to the main body by lunch, or at least not more than one stop behind them by then.

If it's early in the season or I'm NOT fairly well conditioned, I start at the back and stay there. On occasion I've been the last or next to the last coming in. On one occassion I was riding with someone who was even slower than me. The SAG finally took her in but I opted to ride the rest of the way in on my own - SAG was packing it up and they tried to talk me out of it, but the only reason I was THAT far behind was the person I rode with.

I did that last leg actually faster than any other, simply because I wasn't hanging back waiting for her. I decided after that that I do better on my own, not to be slowed down by a partner, and not slowing a partner down. I MUCH prefer to ride at my own pace. I can ride almost forever if I can go at my own pace.

[Aint Doody]

I've done it both ways, and I think I prefer alone, too. I just got back from Cycle Zydeco where I went by myself. Met some terrific people and rode with some of them--when I wanted to. I loved having my tent all to myself and deciding when I wanted to leave and at what pace. There were lots of people on the route, however.

[TxDoc]

Yes, I do a lot of organized rides alone - mainly because I forget to check-in with friends the day before and ask if anyone is going... and then often I meet a lot of people I know - or make new friends!

[fidlfreek]

Wow! I'm so impressed! This is amazing, but you and i were in the EXACT same position. Both going to travel into Kerrville to the to ride with our dads. SERIOUSLY.

I was going to come down from Fort Worth, but my dad decided he didn't want to go. So i wimped out and stayed home. Now I am SO proud of you for going no matter what. You go girl!