Going solo - Billy no mates

Talk about anything.

Moderators: Bearbonesnorm, Taylor, Chew

Trackthighs
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Sep 30, 2019 8:57 pm

Going solo - Billy no mates

Post by Trackthighs »

Hi all, I’m new here - just sold my carbon road bike in favour of Steel and Aluminium.
I’ve always loved camping out (some would say camping about), so Apart from bags - I was pretty well equipped for a bit of packing.
Because most of my mates are still chasing KOM’s and average speeds - I’ve done my first 2 trips solo. My wife thinks I’m barmy - as I’m now thinking of doing either, ( both really- but don’t tell her), 2nd city divide or wales north to south solo.
Does any one else do solo trips and apart from the obvious what happens if I can’t fix it - what do others think of solo expedition’s?
Cheers
User avatar
RIP
Posts: 9008
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2014 7:24 pm
Location: Surfing The Shores Of Sanity Since 1959
Contact:

Re: Going solo - Billy no mates

Post by RIP »

Warm welcome! I'm sure everyone else wishes you the same. And a cracking pair of thighs they are too by the way :wink: .

"sold my carbon road bike in favour of Steel" +100000 points

"and Aluminium". Oh. -100001 points :wink:

"most of my mates are still chasing KOM’s and average speeds" - yep, time to change your mates :smile:

"My wife thinks I’m barmy" - she's absolutely right. Same for the rest of us so don't worry about it, you're amongst friends here. And husbands if you're actually a wife instead. Er, or something. +999999999 points anyway.

"any one else do solo trips" - yep , they're ace. You often notice more, maybe more people talk to you, funny things happen, stop/go/drink/eat/pub/bivi whenever you like. Nobody there to laugh at you if you make a total shambles of pitching your tarp. Then again, solo means you don't get to "enjoy" the company of the rest of us nutters (see middleagedmadness's photo in "Cycle Mag" thread :wink: (*) )

"what happens if I can’t fix it" - you're stuck there forever. Good job you brought your tarp. But at least the scenery's amazing.

'Reg'

PS> This Place may take a bit of getting used to. Persevere (***)

PPS> I've lost track of how many points you've been awarded now. Doh. Doesn't matter anyway, you can't cash 'em in for anything I don't think (**).

(*) on second thoughts probably best not to.

(**) er, can he Stu?

(***) don't fall into the same trap fallen into by that bloke who came on offering to show us his seatpack made out of a traffic cone.
Last edited by RIP on Thu Oct 03, 2019 7:34 pm, edited 5 times in total.
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
User avatar
dlovett
Posts: 1924
Joined: Sat Nov 08, 2014 6:37 pm
Location: South Coast
Contact:

Re: Going solo - Billy no mates

Post by dlovett »

Trackthighs wrote: Thu Oct 03, 2019 6:59 pm apart from the obvious what happens if I can’t fix it
You learn quickly trailside or you get all MacGyver!!

Nothing wrong with solo riding, perhaps think about a Spot/Inreach if you ride in remote areas. Some of my favourite rides have been just myself and the bike.

Once your mates hear how much fun you had, you will find them wanting to tag along most likely.

<Troll Mode> Whats wrong with Carbon </Troll>?

Welcome to the madhouse.
middleagedmadness
Posts: 1799
Joined: Wed Nov 01, 2017 6:37 pm
Location: Tir Na Nog

Re: Going solo - Billy no mates

Post by middleagedmadness »

Since my regular mate fecked off to Australia ( back this week for a few days but sadly can't meet him) most of my trips have been solo this year , normally meet up with a few strange folk of here every couple of months or so ,just post up something in the playing out forum and usually somebody is available to join you if you want company ,unless you're on the borderline insane there's a few you may want to avoid mind =)) ( not mentioning anybody in particular Mr Perrin)
jameso
Posts: 5036
Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2012 1:48 pm

Re: Going solo - Billy no mates

Post by jameso »

I think it's good to make space for solo rides, I posted something on here about it at the weekend, just some navel-gaze waffle but prompted by the basic fact that spending 7 days riding solo, offline, through France recently was one of the most positive and mentally refreshing things I've done in a while. Some of us just like it, some of us need a dose it, others don't. Only one way to find out,

Learning to fix the basics or the majority of stuff is good, that and making things reliable and having back-ups is confidence-inspiring and empowering. 'Embrace the absurdity' of the less than perfect times (TM Reg) and enjoy the good stuff that sometimes seems even more valuable when you're the only one to see it.

Welcome.. it can be an odd world but it's a good one..
redefined_cycles
Posts: 9282
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2016 8:19 am
Location: Dewsbury, West Yorkshire

Re: Going solo - Billy no mates

Post by redefined_cycles »

:lol:
RIP wrote: Thu Oct 03, 2019 7:15 pm Warm welcome! I'm sure everyone else wishes you the same. And a cracking pair of thighs they are too by the way :wink: .

"sold my carbon road bike in favour of Steel" +100000 points

"and Aluminium". Oh. -100001 points :wink:

"most of my mates are still chasing KOM’s and average speeds" - yep, time to change your mates :smile:

"My wife thinks I’m barmy" - she's absolutely right. Same for the rest of us so don't worry about it, you're amongst friends here. And husbands if you're actually a wife instead. Er, or something. +999999999 points anyway.

"any one else do solo trips" - yep , they're ace. You often notice more, maybe more people talk to you, funny things happen, stop/go/drink/eat/pub/bivi whenever you like. Nobody there to laugh at you if you make a total shambles of pitching your tarp. Then again, solo means you don't get to "enjoy" the company of the rest of us nutters (see middleagedmadness's photo in "Cycle Mag" thread :wink: (*) )

"what happens if I can’t fix it" - you're stuck there forever. Good job you brought your tarp. But at least the scenery's amazing.

'Reg'

PS> This Place may take a bit of getting used to. Persevere (***)

PPS> I've lost track of how many points you've been awarded now. Doh. Doesn't matter anyway, you can't cash 'em in for anything I don't think (**).

(*) on second thoughts probably best not to.

(**) er, can he Stu?

(***) don't fall into the same trap fallen into by that bloke who came on offering to show us his seatpack made out of a traffic cone.
:lol:
User avatar
RIP
Posts: 9008
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2014 7:24 pm
Location: Surfing The Shores Of Sanity Since 1959
Contact:

Re: Going solo - Billy no mates

Post by RIP »

Please tell me this isn't another traffic cone situation Stu. I can't handle the guilt of another one. I'd have to string meself up with that spare bit of 1.5mm dyneema in the loft.
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
ScotRoutes
Posts: 8144
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2013 9:56 am

Re: Going solo - Billy no mates

Post by ScotRoutes »

Another hearty welcome.

There are many advantages of travelling solo. For me, the main one is being able to go at my own pace, faster when I'm up for it, slower when I'm not, and also being able to decide where and when to stop for the evening and when to get going again. Another side benefit is that you are more likely to talk to random folk you meet in cafes and pubs. You do need to be happy with your company of course, especially when the nights are longer.

Have a look through the Bivvy-a-month and other threads in the Trips and Adventures forum and you'll see just how much is going on.
Trackthighs
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Sep 30, 2019 8:57 pm

Re: Going solo - Billy no mates

Post by Trackthighs »

Phew thought it was just me!
Cheers - I’ll have a poke and see what I can find.
Is the traffic cone compulsory?
I have flash backs from a night out when I was younger ......
User avatar
RIP
Posts: 9008
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2014 7:24 pm
Location: Surfing The Shores Of Sanity Since 1959
Contact:

Re: Going solo - Billy no mates

Post by RIP »

"flash backs from a night out when I was younger" - tell us more, it's good to get these things out in the open. Cathartic.

Seriously though, warm welcome. 'Routes is right - Bivvy A Month is a lovely and inspiring thread. A world you never thought existed even in your best dreams / worst nightmares perhaps :grin: .
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
User avatar
Mariner
Posts: 1793
Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2015 2:37 pm
Location: East Devon

Re: Going solo - Billy no mates

Post by Mariner »

I ride solo. Have been known to set off with others but usually end up alone. :lol:
Eat when you are hungry sleep when your tired and when you ride just ride.
Nothing like it. Alone with your thoughts and nature.
I could say you are not alone. :???:
Zazen - nothing happens next this is it.
User avatar
Bearbonesnorm
Posts: 23904
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2011 8:53 pm
Location: my own little world

Re: Going solo - Billy no mates

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

Solo sometimes and sometimes not. Both have a place and both are different.

I do find the longer nights drag more when you're alone but I combat that by not stopping - nothing quite like riding through the night on your own with nothing but your thoughts and the werewolves for company :-bd
May the bridges you burn light your way
Lazarus
Posts: 3598
Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2013 10:49 am

Re: Going solo - Billy no mates

Post by Lazarus »

"what happens if I can’t fix it"
Ok my procedure is as follows - the times of each phase can vary

1) Swear
2) improvise
3) Swear some more
4) Improvise some more
5) Swear some more
6) accept it is a long walk

Ok exhibit a

scenario is pedal falls off stripping crank threads

2) was try to wedge a stick in there
4) was try to wedge a stick in there with tape , inner tube and zip ties- which worked for a spectacularly short period of time
6 was accept i was pedaling out of there on one leg.

Most of my rides are solo- think my ratio is going to by about 10:1 possibly higher

one of the joys of getting out there is to get away from people - this is much easier if you dont bring them with you IME and finally have you seen the type of person who does this -do you really want to find yourself alone in the woods miles from anywhere with just them for company :wink:
User avatar
Jurassic
Posts: 1148
Joined: Sat Nov 14, 2015 10:46 am
Location: Helensburgh, Scotland.

Re: Going solo - Billy no mates

Post by Jurassic »

I do most of my trips solo (as I work weird shifts and am often free when my friends are working). I quite like it tbh and I think it also means that the rare trips that I do with others are more enjoyable as well due to the novelty factor. As others have said it can be a bit of a long evening during the darker months but I just relax in my bivvy and enjoy some music until I doze off.
User avatar
Alpinum
Posts: 2603
Joined: Thu Mar 06, 2014 5:38 pm

Re: Going solo - Billy no mates

Post by Alpinum »

Trackthighs wrote: Thu Oct 03, 2019 6:59 pm what do others think of solo expedition’s?
Much. It takes a bit more, especially on multi week trips with little or no contact to others (except perhaps sat comm). Fear, commitment, overcoming obstacles, help - all by yourself.

It can be just as nice. I don't think of it as more or less quality - just different. But the things above will be gnawing more on nerves when going on what deserves (in my books) the description "expedition".

On challenging trips I'm more successful solo than with a partner. Meaning basically just I can do what I want. Mostly I like to try and fulfil a dream, so I go thickheaded about it. Just recently rode twice across Iceland's empty parts in unusually nasty (even for Icelandic) conditions with my girlfriend and whilst we pushed through it all, it was really interesting to see what was different to when I rode a similar route solo 3 years prior. Very, very different - just as wonderful.

Of course it makes a difference with whom you share your trips, in doubt of a partner - go solo. That's how I do it...
Lazarus
Posts: 3598
Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2013 10:49 am

Re: Going solo - Billy no mates

Post by Lazarus »

Yes that above about if in doubt.

i think the main issue about solo is you set the speed at all times, the meal times,when you rest,where etc With others this is always a compromise. The speed one annoys me more than the others but a spare gate holder is a massive plus
Trackthighs
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Sep 30, 2019 8:57 pm

Re: Going solo - Billy no mates

Post by Trackthighs »

Lazarus wrote: Thu Oct 03, 2019 9:28 pm The speed one annoys me
Deffo up on that one! I’ve got 38c knobblys on my Tripster - it’s amazing how many people don’t realise how hard it is to maintain road speeds!!!
User avatar
Escape Goat
Posts: 2600
Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2018 10:41 pm
Location: Not nearly close enough to Scotland...

Re: Going solo - Billy no mates

Post by Escape Goat »

Super toasty welcome!!

Solo is vaguely exciting

https://youtu.be/VccY_pu3prQ

https://youtu.be/TEfE2lgM6LQ

Group stuff is also fun,

https://youtu.be/DiUtghNljdY

https://youtu.be/-C7rcpTl0Qk

Average speeders SUCK.
I've turned off my speed and actually also the distance. Only interested in the hours spent on a bike now and how many pictures I can take!!

Ex mtber, then roadie, then smelly bike packer. Even whilst out in mallorca I didn't have distance or speed displayed. So liberating.

Congratulations on your shift to the fun stuff.
User avatar
Charliecres
Posts: 1453
Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2013 1:28 pm

Re: Going solo - Billy no mates

Post by Charliecres »

As others have said, there are some great things about solo travel but sometimes it’s nice to be able to share those experiences with someone else.

Especially when your freehub’s jiggered and you need a tow. :cool:
User avatar
benp1
Posts: 4051
Joined: Sat Dec 07, 2013 7:36 pm
Location: South Downs

Re: Going solo - Billy no mates

Post by benp1 »

My local stuff is solo, essentially rides that stay from my house. I don't stop in the pub or cafe on these rides, i'll resupply on the go and often eat outside picnic style

Rides involving a trip (train or car) don't happen so much at the moment so the last few I've had have generally been with others, sometimes just one other. I don't like it when there are too many people as there's too much stopping, but I like the banter, company and social aspect of sharing the ride with others
pistonbroke
Posts: 2123
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2012 9:39 am
Location: Southern Cataluña
Contact:

Re: Going solo - Billy no mates

Post by pistonbroke »

what do others think of solo expedition’s?
I think there's no apostrophy in expeditions.
Welcome to pedant central :grin:
I do a lot of solo trips, perhaps for the reason indicated above.
I find it less pleasureable than group rides coming from a genereration where we were forced to talk to one another in the absence of tech diversions such as smart phones. Now when cafe stops are just a reason to start tapping away on these infernal devices, you might as well be on your own.
User avatar
Borderer
Posts: 1541
Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2016 9:59 pm
Location: Scottish Borders
Contact:

Re: Going solo - Billy no mates

Post by Borderer »

pistonbroke wrote: Fri Oct 04, 2019 8:07 am apostrophy
You mean 'apostrophe'

:lol:
User avatar
Mart
Posts: 1749
Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2012 9:57 pm
Location: Oot 'n' aboot

Re: Going solo - Billy no mates

Post by Mart »

Hello
I find I need to have a mix of Solo tips and those with others - I get different experiences from both
I don't have a preference as solos riding sorts my head out, riding with others is usually a good craic and laughs all round :-bd
2924 miles per Gallon
User avatar
RIP
Posts: 9008
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2014 7:24 pm
Location: Surfing The Shores Of Sanity Since 1959
Contact:

Re: Going solo - Billy no mates

Post by RIP »

Borderer wrote: Fri Oct 04, 2019 10:39 am
pistonbroke wrote: Fri Oct 04, 2019 8:07 am apostrophy
You mean 'apostrophe'

:lol:
You are indeed the pedant's pedant, B :-bd . One has to keep the standards up though or who knows where it'll end :wink:
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
User avatar
Borderer
Posts: 1541
Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2016 9:59 pm
Location: Scottish Borders
Contact:

Re: Going solo - Billy no mates

Post by Borderer »

RIP wrote: Fri Oct 04, 2019 11:36 am
Borderer wrote: Fri Oct 04, 2019 10:39 am
pistonbroke wrote: Fri Oct 04, 2019 8:07 am apostrophy
You mean 'apostrophe'

:lol:
You are indeed the pedant's pedant, B :-bd . One has to keep the standards up though or who knows where it'll end :wink:
If you are going to be pedantic, you have to be right.
Post Reply