Prince Albert Cycles Posted December 6, 2023 Share I ride alone during the week . Safety not an issue where I live . But beyond discussing start times and routes and wait for others who are always late . I am privilegedĀ Underachiever, Frosty, Eddy Gordo and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eala Posted December 6, 2023 Share Alone almost always .Prefer my own company and the road is a good listener . I work with people and avoid them when i am not working .Even on weekends i like to ride when i am ready and not when the group meetsĀ Eddy Gordo, Sepia and ChrisF 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobynE Posted December 6, 2023 Share Iām a woman and I mostly ride alone, day or night. I ride for me and not for the social aspect. In a group Iām either too fast or too slow and it just doesnāt suit anyone. I want to choose my own routes and do what I want to do. I ride to clear my head and to be reminded what it feels like to be the closest to flying that Iāll really ever be.Ā Ā When alone I stick to known routes and wonāt do/try anything sketchy, because of the risk of getting hurt out by myself.Ā Ā My 9yo kiddo and I ride together but thatās mostly āMommy look what I can doā and āMommy watch thisā or āMommy wait for meā or āWHY do there have to be hills?!?ā and me getting neck spasms for constantly looking for threats (mostly inconsiderate drivers). And frequent āIām thirsty and I need a breakā stops. Also me saying things like āYouāre fineā and āLetās walk it offā and āYou canāt leave your bike lying like thatā and āFor heavenās sake you canāt just stop like thatā. Riding with kids: fun times. I enjoy it but if I want to ride-ride itās mostly on my own.Ā Ā Iām fairly street savvy but do keep an eye on body language of people standing close to the kerb etc. I don't look like Iām worth anything and honestly when it comes to safety I hope Iām less attractive than someone else, but if it happens it wonāt be the first time or last time, so it is what it is.Ā Ā (previous criminal incidents didnāt involve a bike but had my fair share over the years eg home invasions, smash and grabs, being held up, etc. Not much a person can do if they come at you) eala, Sepia, Mamil and 7 others 8 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harryn Posted December 7, 2023 Share I still ride alone during the week, but have cut it down a lot, with all these awful event reports. But, I still like being on my own, not having to worry about keeping up, and just toodling along in my own head. But, ffs, I canāt be in my head. I have to be hyper alert. I have taken the following āprotectiveā measures: i do the majority of my rides in a particular bike park, where IĀ feel totally safe. But boredom has set in. so, I have actually given it a break.Ā on the road, i only ride āback roadsā and stay within a 20Ā km radius of my house, where I (perhaps stupidly) feel quite safe; always use Garmin livetrack but ya, it often gives sh#t; have added my wife, daughter,Ā brother to the find my Iphone app; i have set up a spare cycling dedicated old phone, on which i have deleted my banking app; Always ride with a canister of pepper spray. Its worked for me once, where 2 guys approached me with what i felt was bad intent. I took out the spray, pointedĀ the nozzle, and they ran off before before I squeezed. That said, itās probably useless. I have Ā insured , all bikes, phones, Garmins, at replacement cost. i am kidding myself with all this though. None of it will help. Except the insurance, the plan being to just succumb and hand over everything. If i walk away bodily intact i will cry, claim, be happy that i am unharmed. But, at the end of the day, Zwift is still my happy place, and I am grateful for it. Ā Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ouzo Posted December 7, 2023 Share 15 hours ago, NotSoBigBen said: As I said mine works most of the time ... I have found it does depend on the firmware on the phone and device being up to date as well as the Connect AppĀ This might seem a bit 'nuts' but I always carried my phone in my middle cycling jersey pocket, the device is on my stem, I find it more reliable since I've moved it to the side pocket go figure I do wear an ICE bracelet, 2 of my falls quite some time ago it was damn helpful! I find very second or third garmin update breaks livetracking. My normal routine is to turn on the garmin, open the connect app, make sure the device and phone are connected and that a synch has taken place. 99% of the time this routine ensures that it works, but every so often it decides to not work. Bichael Dewing 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dexter-morgan Posted December 7, 2023 Share The problem these days is that they do not just take your stuff, they stab, throw with rocks or shoots before taking your stuff (Recent events here in gauteng is proof and they weren't alone), Some of us have been lucky enough to tell the tale. nonky 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ouzo Posted December 7, 2023 Share 3 minutes ago, Dexter-morgan said: The problem these days is that they do not just take your stuff, they stab, throw with rocks or shoots before taking your stuff (Recent events here in gauteng is proof and they weren't alone), Some of us have been lucky enough to tell the tale. Everytime I read about these incidents, on the very roads that I ride on, I count my self extremely lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bichael Dewing Posted December 7, 2023 Share 3 hours ago, The Ouzo said: I find very second or third garmin update breaks livetracking. My normal routine is to turn on the garmin, open the connect app, make sure the device and phone are connected and that a synch has taken place. 99% of the time this routine ensures that it works, but every so often it decides to not work. Iāll actually test this out.. would give the missus a bit more peace of mind. She does tend to worry a lotš°. I normally canāt be bothered as I just want to get goingš¤·š¼āāļøš¤£ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TyronLab Posted December 7, 2023 Share Also ride alone the vast majority of the time. I like riding with people and riding alone for different reasons, riding with others just doesn't work out most of the time. I already work too many hours so I limit my riding in my family's waking hours. As such I'm always out of the door very early (also for quieter roads). Groups I could ride with start later, and oftentimes stop for coffee or a beer mid-ride on weekends, which seems like a waste, so end up riding alone. My morning routine also dictates that I need to be in the shower by 0530 or the whole system at home doesn't work. Most groups plan rides that only finish after that, so I often peel off mid-route and ride back alone. I try to be very conscientious about where and when I ride, stay alert and up to date on current hotspots. I also see no point in resistance so my bike is insured and I'll happily let it go. Hell, I'll adjust the saddle height for them before they ride away. Ā ChrisF, NotSoBigBen, nonky and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reteid Posted December 7, 2023 Share I do most of of my riding alone either on the idt road or mtb. I stick to the roads and surroundings I know and try to be vigilant the whole time. Hate it , but I ride with mace and have turned around before when dodgy characters were up the road. I have learned the best defence on the bike is distance between myself and the other person wanting to attack or liberate you from your possessions. Ā Ā nonky, Zebra and ChrisF 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skubarra Posted December 7, 2023 Share Cool thread... I certainly don't have an issue with my own company, commute on my own and every now and then a short ride on my own. However I found that cycling with others certainly lifted my cycling to a new level, much easier to get up in the early hours for a group ride than a solo ride. A long ride goes by much faster in the company of others than on my own. Guess those of us living in the CPT northern suburbs are lucky that there are loads of cyclists of the full range of abilities to choose from to ride with + a full range of mtb, gravel and relatively safe roads on our doorstep. Danger Dassie, ChrisF and NotSoBigBen 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bichael Dewing Posted December 7, 2023 Share 4 hours ago, TyronLab said: Also ride alone the vast majority of the time. I like riding with people and riding alone for different reasons, riding with others just doesn't work out most of the time. I already work too many hours so I limit my riding in my family's waking hours. As such I'm always out of the door very early (also for quieter roads). Groups I could ride with start later, and oftentimes stop for coffee or a beer mid-ride on weekends, which seems like a waste, so end up riding alone. My morning routine also dictates that I need to be in the shower by 0530 or the whole system at home doesn't work. Most groups plan rides that only finish after that, so I often peel off mid-route and ride back alone. I try to be very conscientious about where and when I ride, stay alert and up to date on current hotspots. I also see no point in resistance so my bike is insured and I'll happily let it go. Hell, I'll adjust the saddle height for them before they ride away. Ā Hahaha ālet me fit that for you sir, and remember left break is the front.ā thatās classic š¤£š¤£ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TyronLab Posted December 7, 2023 Share 9 minutes ago, Michael Dewing said: Hahaha ālet me fit that for you sir, and remember left break is the front.ā thatās classic š¤£š¤£ Psssssht, right brake is the front, moto-style. And yes, when a buddy wants to try rigid singlespeeding I want to sprinkle the added brain-screw of having wrong-way-round brakes into the mix too. I'm sadistic like that. (Actually, in truth, I swapped these brakes from another bike, lines were a little short, so instead of wanting to shell out for new hoses and bleeding I just swapped the lines. I'm also stingy like that.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bichael Dewing Posted December 7, 2023 Share 18 minutes ago, TyronLab said: Psssssht, right brake is the front, moto-style. And yes, when a buddy wants to try rigid singlespeeding I want to sprinkle the added brain-screw of having wrong-way-round brakes into the mix too. I'm sadistic like that. (Actually, in truth, I swapped these brakes from another bike, lines were a little short, so instead of wanting to shell out for new hoses and bleeding I just swapped the lines. I'm also stingy like that.) If it works it aināt stupid.. š¤·š¼āāļøšš¤£ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted December 7, 2023 Share For those commenting on ābeing too slow to ride with a groupā, Iām the other end of spectrum. Iām usually faster than, or at least one of the faster ones, in the group. I donāt mind pacing the group, riding in the wind, or taking a longer turn on front if others also want to assist. ChrisF, Dexter-morgan, mikkelz and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dexter-morgan Posted December 8, 2023 Share 13 hours ago, Frosty said: For those commenting on ābeing too slow to ride with a groupā, Iām the other end of spectrum. Iām usually faster than, or at least one of the faster ones, in the group. I donāt mind pacing the group, riding in the wind, or taking a longer turn on front if others also want to assist. That is a problem with lots of groups, not many want to do the work up front. Frosty and mikkelz 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now