Re: Coumting bikes

On 4/20/2024 7:12 AM, Roger Merriman wrote:

Frank Krygowski <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

On 4/19/2024 4:19 PM, Catrike Ryder wrote:

On Fri, 19 Apr 2024 13:54:55 -0500, AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org> wrote:
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On 4/19/2024 1:15 PM, Catrike Ryder wrote:

Why would
anyone choose to ride under somebody else's directions?

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As is often quoted, for every room in heaven there's another
just like it in hell for someone else.

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Everybody follows their own directions. Some people's directions have
them following other people.

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So the grumpiest person here, and the one with the most limited riding
regime, thinks there's no joy or value in riding with others.
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On my most recent group ride, I had friendly conversation with at least
8 different people, and I was introduced to a few roads I'd never
ridden, some with beautiful scenery. At the group ride's end, I carried
on solo for another 16 miles or so at a higher pace.
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I'm happy to be able to enjoy riding with others or riding solo, riding
fast or riding more slowly, riding for recreation or for utility.
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Some folks are much more limited.
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Indeed, I ride with a range of folks from friends from my youth to a
variety of different folks at the bike club. From very fit Strava segment
chasers to cake chatters, mostly off road though not always, such as riding
around London Cobbles organised by another club which was a hoot, with
someone I’d not ridden with much.
 Do I ride on my own absolutely! I’m generally more technical than my riding
companion so bigger more scary stuff I do on my own.
 Roger Merriman

The vast majority of my riding is solo, but that's just due to timing of group rides in my area. I'm generally not a fan of 'social' rides. I prefer rides where the intent is to challenge each other. The team I rode for in the 90's to early 2000's used to have a group ride midweek in the evenings - a very spirited race-training ride with designated sprint points along the way. At it's peak we would have 30 riders and broke the group up into the hard core riders and people out for an easier ride. There was certainly a lot of banter during the regrouping sections, but once the "action" started it was all business...Pacelines, attacks, even team tactics where we would form into squads to compete against each other.  Good times....:)
There are a couple of those types of rides in my area, but it doesn't fit my work schedule to make it there without breaking numerous traffic laws. The last mid-week road race ride in my area didn't reform after Covid, but it was fun while it lasted.
https://www.strava.com/activities/2597327499
Don't let the average speed fool you, that includes easy pace to/from the circuit.
More recently I've found a few MTB groups that like to push the envelope, 'weekend warrior' rides.
https://www.strava.com/activities/7297696050
Rip up some single track, wait at the next fork, lather, rinse, repeat. Some banter during the rests while deciding which trail to ride next, but once rolling it's "shut up and ride".
Burgers and beer after.