Riding alone most of the time, do you?

[Prince Albert Cycles]

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 privileged 

[eala]

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 meets 

[RobynE]

I’m a woman and I mostly ride alone, day or night. I ride for me and not for the social aspect. In a group I’m either too fast or too slow and it just doesn’t 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 I’ll really ever be. 
 

When alone I stick to known routes and won’t do/try anything sketchy, because of the risk of getting hurt out by myself. 
 

My 9yo kiddo and I ride together but that’s mostly “Mommy look what I can do” and “Mommy watch this” or “Mommy wait for me” or “WHY do there have to be hills?!?” and me getting neck spasms for constantly looking for threats (mostly inconsiderate drivers). And frequent “I’m thirsty and I need a break” stops. Also me saying things like “You’re fine” and “Let’s walk it off” and “You can’t leave your bike lying like that” and “For heaven’s sake you can’t just stop like that”. Riding with kids: fun times. I enjoy it but if I want to ride-ride it’s mostly on my own. 
 

I’m fairly street savvy but do keep an eye on body language of people standing close to the kerb etc. I don't look like I’m worth anything and honestly when it comes to safety I hope I’m less attractive than someone else, but if it happens it won’t be the first time or last time, so it is what it is. 
 

(previous criminal incidents didn’t 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)

[Harryn]

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 can’t be in my head. I have to be hyper alert.

I have taken the following “protective” measures:

• i do the majority of my rides in a particular bike park, where I feel totally safe. But boredom has set in. so, I have actually given it a break. 
• on the road, i only ride “back roads” and stay within a 20 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, 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, pointed the nozzle, and they ran off before before I squeezed. That said, it’s probably useless.
• I have  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.

 

[The Ouzo]

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 App 

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.

[Dexter-morgan]

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.

[The Ouzo]

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.

[Bichael Dewing]

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.

I’ll actually test this out.. would give the missus a bit more peace of mind. She does tend to worry a lot😰.

I normally can’t be bothered as I just want to get going🤷🏼‍♂️🤣

[TyronLab]

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.

 

[reteid]

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.

 

 

[Skubarra]

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.

[Bichael Dewing]

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.

 

Hahaha “let me fit that for you sir, and remember left break is the front.”

that’s classic 🤣🤣

[TyronLab]

9 minutes ago, Michael Dewing said:

Hahaha “let me fit that for you sir, and remember left break is the front.”

that’s classic 🤣🤣

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.)

[Bichael Dewing]

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 ain’t stupid.. 🤷🏼‍♂️😉🤣

[Frosty]

For those commenting on “being too slow to ride with a group”, I’m the other end of spectrum. I’m usually faster than, or at least one of the faster ones, in the group. I don’t mind pacing the group, riding in the wind, or taking a longer turn on front if others also want to assist.

[Dexter-morgan]

13 hours ago, Frosty said:

For those commenting on “being too slow to ride with a group”, I’m the other end of spectrum. I’m usually faster than, or at least one of the faster ones, in the group. I don’t 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.