I do pretty much all of my key workouts alone. That is the only way to have complete control over the workout without subjecting anyone else to my particular needs on a given day. It also allows me to schedule them whenever I like, and change the start time according to my availability. Other non critical workouts can be done with people and the social aspect is nice, but for key workouts I need control - not company. I don’t have a group of friends locally with a similar fitness level and goals, so I train alone most of the time.
I have done both, and actually prefer the solo ride unless the people I ride with are on the same page as me. Too many times I have embarked on a 5 hour ride with someone who rides like they are going for an hour. It is frustrating to have your race prep screwed up by having someone push too hard and then leave you to nursemaid them for a couple of hours. I tend to be very selective about who I ride with on my long ones these days. No nonsense, 3-5 minute pulls, leave the house, ride, get home. Limit 3 people. Just the same, I think there is something challenging and satisfying riding by yourself. I am limited by family and work, so time is not to be wasted. A five hour ride is not really boring for me, it is a break from life for a while (Unless it is 40 degrees, windy, with passing showers).
do you talk to yourself?
I have found that sometimes i do talk to myself. Its weird when you have to then ask yourself if you just held a conversation out loud or in your head. Luckily there is no one by me who thinks i am just some nut job. But then again, every car that passes thinks every cyclist is a nut job
Just being in a race is enough stimulus for maintaining focus. I’ve done a bunch of solo 100 milers… but with the crazy work and family - I cherish the long rides with my buddies. With the crazy economy lately, my long ride are ~50miles. 2+ hour trainer sessions take care of the mental challenge!
I’ve done 18 IMs over the last 20 years and I did all my long training rides solo. I usually did two loops of 50+ miles. That way I could reload with nutrition at the half way point. I think it really helped with my mental strength, during the IMs, riding solo. Plus I could train at my pace and time of my choosing. No coordinating with someone else.
I like a mix of both and as far as mental prep it is good to do the same # of loops as your IM as there is something about riding back to your house or car after 55 miles only to run in to grab more fuel (2-4 min max) and then jump back on your bike for loop 2, overall solo rides allow you to stick to your plan better (HR, power, pace, hills, etc)than any other but can get tedious, good to do at least 2 long ones solo during the build…
plenty solo for me as well. Due to scheduling reasons more than anything. If anyone want to leave from my house and leave exactly when I want to/am able to and then do whatever I want for the day, PM me
Bottom line I am not willing to make the long rides even longer by driving somewhere or fitting it in to someone elses schedule. However, not sure there is any benefit to doing it alone. Certainly more fun to go with others.
I have never ridden in a group before today. I finally took the plunge and joined the local “Sunday Ride” Group. Around 60 riders leave downtown at 9Am for about a 3 hour ride with maybe 4-5 quick stops to regroup at the top of hills.
First time in a peleton, quite an experience. Found it a little intimidating, as I was one of the weakest riders in the “A” group. Pros: This ride kicked my ass. I went faster and harder and it was a real challenge to stay with the group. It also exposed some of my weakness. I have to work harder on gearing properly for hills and the approaches to hills, as people were pulling away from me easily and I was having to play catchup.
Cons: Frequent stops to regroup, a little “cliquey” for my taste, although that could change if and when I get a little better.
I think I prefer to train alone, as I can focus on what I need to work on that day. I think I will continue to join the peleton once a week, as there is clearly immense value in the challenge.
It is also an education when someone on a mountain bike passes you at will going uphill, downhill or flat. That dude can ride.
Typically alone. I’ll start out with the group and go to the front and ride my pace. Sometimes a couple of the stronger riders will tag along, sometimes they don’t. The really fast guys, ( the pure cyclists ) generally ride in a separate group and I used to ride with them and had no problems staying with that group but I realized some years ago that it wasn’t the kind of training I should be doing. They are mostly bike racers and I was always going too slow or too fast. The tri group is a lot steadier but not fast enough to draft in. The problem with group riding is it’s almost impossible to get exactly the right pace to get maximum benefit out of a ride. I’ve done 100 to 140 mile solo rides years ago so it doesn’t bother me to ride alone. A small, closely matched group isn’t too bad and you can just back off and keep enough distance to keep the effort up but riding alone you don’t have anyone screwing up your pace. Group riding can make you lazy. Solo, there’s nowhere to hide.
I always go alone. IM training is hard enough to fit into life without having to coordiante with someone else. If I waited for my buddies it would never happen.
My 100+ rides are usually with one or two other people. On wide sections of shoulders we ride side by side and chat and the narrow sections it comes down to who wants to ride in front.
This last year or so I have gone out with my cycling team. I just drag them all around until the slow guys pop and the faster guys out sprint me for the city limit signs. Then they go back into the draft and wait for the next one. They complain sometimes when the terrain is rolling because I keep a steady output over them and they actually have to work going uphill.
My routes are always loops and only one loop at the most. Multiple laps and out and backs seem to be a triathlete thing. Then again riding slow seems to be a triathlete thing too. I cannot train with my tri club as 99% of them can’t even hold my wheel, but insist on riding alone at the same slow pace ever week with multiple stops.
If you want to feel slow, agree to meet up with a pro cyclist to go ride. They will ride to meet you, and ride 5 hours with you and then continue on. Chatting your ear off every pedal stroke no matter how hard you go.
Slower people get faster. Remember when you were slow? I do. In any case, I don’t support lone rides. No way of proving it actually happened : ) Tree falls in a forest…that’s not even your computer, poser!
I rode long and slow and I have the powertap file to prove it!
I do most of mine alone.
Along with the various reasons here, I also have a flexible schedule,
same here. i’ll do a century (organized) ride if it’s convenient, but do it self-supported, as i want the long ride to be with race food and drink. i don’t seem to match the speed of others, so i just about always do my rides alone. i can do 100 milers fairly close to home, as a straight out and back, so i do those, and always alone. i don’t get bored—probably because i am in a mental mode of this-is-what-i’m-doing-today.
this is an odd year inthat i’ve done four centuries in the last 2.5 months/every other week, all organized rides. even with those, i went alone and pretty much rode alone.
peggy
