By Ron Koch
I ride alone, and I do it a lot. Many of my columns have been about group rides, mostly because random things seem to happen on them. However, most of the time it’s me, myself and I, and that’s exactly the way it should be. Don’t get me wrong, though, I absolutely love group rides, but most of the time I ride alone and by choice. Many will say it’s not smart or safe, and I’m one of them. However, there is something about the solo ride that I crave and will always draw me back.
IN SYNC
The list of reasons I do it is incredibly long, but the primary thing that I get from solo missions is a sense of peace, clarity and inner dialogue that I just don’t get any other way. I don’t talk to myself, but I certainly have deeper thoughts than when I’m doing just about anything else. It typically takes place while climbing and at a moderate pace, where my mind can wander a bit. Without distractions from the modern world or anybody talking my ear off, I get into a zen-like state where everything seems to make sense and the path is clear. Most of my ideas for these columns come while riding by myself. I often stop mid-ride when a zinger of a sentence or thought about something comes pouring out and type it out on my phone. This almost never happens on a group ride. Unless I get dropped, I suppose, which brings me to my next reason for solitude: setting my own pace.
I never know how hard I want to ride until I turn the pedals. Some days I think my legs will be unstoppable, and sometimes I’m right; however, most of the time I’m wrong. Pushing outside of my comfort zone is, well, uncomfortable. Since I’m not training for a race or anything like that, I typically just want to have fun. The days of breathing through my eyeballs for fun are far behind me. And how about the anxiety of getting dropped by faster riders and making them wait for you? But going faster than I want is just as bad as going slower. I hate it when my legs are ready to go, but my riding buddy is not on the same pace. Yeah, I can ride ahead, but why not just ride alone? When I’m by myself, I can go as fast or as slow as I want, whenever I want.
CONTROL FREAK
Where I ride is often as important to me as how fast. When I’m solo, I can ride wherever I want. One of my few talents is the ability to return to someplace I’ve been before, so I hardly ever get lost, even without a GPS or phone to help me. And I don’t want to brag, but I also know how to put together some pretty fun loops. I never have to worry about whether somebody else is going to like the route or not, be fit enough to ride it, or have time to do it in. I just ride it and can change my mind midway through if I’m not feeling a certain trail or conditions have changed.
Now, this is more a “me” thing than a “we” thing, but as a magazine editor whose job it is to test bikes and gear, not only do I ride at odd times of the day, but often mid-week too. Most friends who have real jobs can’t just head out for a ride at 10:30 in the morning. And riding with an editor is annoying because they are always tinkering with their bike and setup. By the time we get a bike set up to our liking and dialed in, it’s time to swap and move on to another bike. We are probably the most annoying people to ride with in the world.
THE DANGER ZONE
There are plenty of downsides to riding alone, and number one on that list is safety. You are really putting yourself at risk by going out solo because mountain biking is a dangerous sport, and a lot can happen. Chances are nothing will, and if it does, it won’t be so bad that you can’t take care of yourself or call for help. But what if you can’t? We have heard some scary stories from riders who crashed while riding alone that almost ended in tragedy, and we have also heard of some that did come to a tragic end.
You can limit risk by always telling somebody where you’re going and when you’ll be back. I also live by the 70-percent rule while alone: I ride at 70 percent of my abilities with lots of margin for error so I can rein it in when I do make a mistake. I also pick routes that are not too technical or isolated. Even with these measures, you are more at risk alone than with others, and you have to accept that. It’s not for everybody. Because of the risk, I can’t recommend that everyone do it. It’s certainly a case of do as I say, not as I do.
Most of the time I control my solo rides to a degree that nothing extraordinary happens. That’s probably why I covet the group rides I do so much. They’re exciting, social, and because of the safety in numbers, you tend to ride harder, explore deeper, and take more chances. Crazy things happen on group rides, and I love them for that, but more often than not, I’m deep in thought on some long climb by myself, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.