Riding with Friends

I am used to riding solo. I ride alone most of the time. I do this partly because I do not want to get into a competition. I used to race, but that was a long time ago. At this point in my life, I have no desire to go back (well maybe just a little after seeing all the pictures from Rouge-Roubaix).

I like to ride alone. It allows me time to think, or better yet, not to think depending on my mood. I can let my mind wander or focus on a specific issue or whatever may be bothering me. Riding, for me, has always been therapeutic. 

Last week, I was invited for a ride with a friend. Jeff was a mountain biker in college but hadn't ridden in a while when I talked him into taking on road biking after law school. Since then, Jeff has been much more dedicated than I. Initially, I was apprehensive. Jeff has recently taken up cycling with a group. They ride frequently, train often, and sometimes even race. After some assurance from Jeff that this would be a casual ride as he eased back into the season, I agreed to meet him up. Getting my gear together, I borrowed my wife's car so I could throw my bike in the back and drive to meet up with Jeff on the other side of the city. 

When we meet up at the trailhead, we are both surprised by how many cars are in the parking lot. It didn't take long to get our things together and we were off. We decided that we would ride the river levee until we got tired. We kept our pace respectable but were able to maintain a conversation for almost the entire ride. Having been so long since I had ridden with a friend, I had completely forgotten how nice it could be to have someone to talk to. 

The conversation was not out of the ordinary for us. We covered most of the topics we normally discuss. There were no life altering epiphanies. What did happen was that the ride went by much faster. It was a distraction from muscle aches, sit bone pain, and other things that distract from the pure beauty of riding. It was an opportunity to experience the social aspects of cycling that I have neglected. 

While I still like to ride alone, I need to remind myself that riding with other can be a great experience. As I aim to ride longer distances, more rural routes, and more challenging routes, it will be great to have someone riding with me. Hell, I may even go on a group ride complete with pace lines and everything...