I'm glad I'm not the only solo rider .. sometimes you get from friends and family about it being weird that you vanish for a whole day on your own on the bike ... they just don't understand how we feel about our bikes and the places they take us to ... it's a solitary activity that only another biker truly understands :-)

Jules

 

+1... I do enjoy the most when I run with other skilled riders where alot can be learned from them.

 

The largest group I have rode in was like 6 or 7 bikes and i did not like it all that much. I like solo riding alot since I can go at my own pace and go where I want and stop when i want to for how long I want. Alot of my friends have bikes, but work all kinds of hours so we never get them all out at the some time. I have one buddy that has a cruiser and i sometimes like to ride with him since it keeps me calmer most of the time. My one best friend has a 636 and he's a total nut on a bike, but he's fun to ride with because he will go anywhere at anytime as long as he's off work.

I guess what it breaks down to is how I feel that day. Some days i get off work and just don't call or text anyone and go solo, but other times I like having the company.

 

I fly solo most of the time, used to ride with my wife occaisionally until she sold hers. She plans to get a bigger one eventually, but till then its just me. Unless we're talking about the dirt... then it's with the buddies.

 

I do have to say .. that despite my riding solo now ... and at a much reduced pace because of lack of pressure ... I still do wind my bike up when out .. you know how it is, you've been bimbling along at a steady pace .. the road clears, no side roads and it's dead straight ... then I'll kick her down three gears and sing her up past 10 - 11 K (never touch the red) ... let her hit 120 mph and then straight back down again ...

I find that more exhilarating than the constant winding up through the gears .. I think because when you ride round everywhere too fast you become desensitised to the speed somewhat ... then when you wind it down it feels so slow you back up the pace ... I enjoy a more moderate pace with the occasional blast thrown in ... just feels better somehow :-)

Jules

 

hehe periodic shots of adrenaline for those short acceleration burst is always a fun thing Jules.. but on the sole riding note.. i always enjoyed it more..matter fact thats one of the main reasons i got into riding is to just have time to myself and clear my head..

 

There are few things more liberating than a nice lonely ride....I haven't been going out as much as I used to, and on the past 2 or 3 weekends I've gone out on like 4 hour rides from 10PM til 2AM and just enjoyed the wide open roads...my own pace, my own way, and ZERO traffic.

Juliet, I especially liked what you had to say about becomming "desensitized" to speed. I think I am a victim of that, and it has carried over from my bike to my car. I was driving to work the other morning and had a clear lane down a straightaway in my car...I didn't think I was going fast at all, but I looked down at my speedo and realized I was going over 95 MPH. That kinda scared me a bit that I was going that fast in a 55 zone without even noticing really. I gotta work on slowing down a bit on my bike and in my car.

 

I got into it when very young so it was only about the buzz back then ... but now it's mainly for time alone and the places it takes me :-)

Jules

 

Lone wolf.