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Am I enjoying rides wrong? My idea of fun is taking in the scenery, crawling up hills as it’s the only way you can come back down and let gravity make you go fast. Stopping for a drink or breather when I feel like it, and being able to have a chat with whoever I’m riding with.
Went for a mtb ride with a friend I’ve not been out with before (he’s much fitter than me and a roadie), and he just seemed to want to go from a to b as fast as possible, and be done with it. I felt I might as well go on my own if that’s how it plays out. If I want to get somewhere super quick I’ll just cut out the middle man and get in the car.
Anyone else, or just me?
I do it your way. And almost always ride alone.
Depending on the mood and company I'll do either, but much prefer your method.
If you're ever in the Aviemore area, I'd be happy to ride with you. Sounds like my sort of thing.
Went for a mtb ride with a friend I’ve not been out with before (he’s much fitter than me and a roadie), and he just seemed to want to go from a to b as fast as possible, and be done with it.
I avoid riding with people like this. Massive buzzkill.
Fit people have just as much fun and have more time to drink beer afterwards...
In with you OP but everyone has a different idea of fun.
Are you perhaps quite time-rich and your friend quite time-poor? Might help explain some of the attitude differences.
I like the idea of your kind of riding OP, but it's a million miles from my experiences as a parent of young children.
I do both, for different reasons, either with others (riding with faster / slower people) or on my own (pootling / training).
Both are great and I don't feel the need to restrict myself to either.
Enjoy rides how you want.
Enjoy what you enjoy.
In truth, I’m more like your mate, I want to go as far and as fast as I can in the limited time I have. Plodding up climbs and stopping for coffee just aren’t for me. But that’s fine, I tend to make sure I ride solo or with others who are like minded.
Enjoy your rides the way you like them.
I'm in the riding fast A-to-B club, luckily so are the people I ride with. But that's me/us, you can of course enjoy your rides the way you like.
One consideration - if your mate is much fitter, it may be that he's not out to ride from A to B as fast as he can, it's just that his idea of cruising from A to B is faster than you can do it, hence it appears like he's going as fast as possible to you.
Have you talked to him about it ?
I like both tbh, but the fast option is out of reach for me at the mo fitness wise. It can be quite satisfying to get lots of riding in in a short space of time or cover a lot of distance.
Surely it also depends how much free time you have available.
Yeah I guess a lot of it comes down to personal taste. I’m not knocking fit people who have the ability to motor up hills, just not my bag. And I am particularly time rich, but he also has no kids or a mrs. He’s fully aware of the difference in fitness between us, we used to gym together. This particular guy does like to approach an activity as if he’s just trying to get to the end of it, which is where we differ I suppose. It’s a shame because our other mates also find this trait annoying in him, they approach life a bit more similar you to me.
Anyway, I know there’s no real right or wrong, different strokes and all that! I’ll just pick who I ride with differently next time.
Hope you all have a great weekend.
It did start off as a sport, y'know?
I know it's morphed into middle class leisure activity like golf or bridge but still...
I guess it started off as a mode of transport before the sporting aspect got introduced..
And the downhill side of things is still sporty 🙂
Get an ebike and let him chase you,
different day, time available, mood, length of ride, earlier rides in the week, weather..
it depends..
no point rushing at the moment the pubs remain closed
I don't think thre is a wrong way to ride as such but I'm with you op. Lockdown really made me realise that the scenery, nature and being away from most of civilization is what I really enjoy. The speed I ride it is irrelevant.
It's actually a big part of the reason I ride solo as I have neither the fitness, skill or inclination to ride fast but many others do.
Lonely from Rochester.😉
As above he may be cruising too, in any event it doesn't sound like a good riding partnership.
crikey
Free Member
It did start off as a sport, y’know?
What do you base that on? I expect plenty in the early 80s were riding like the OP.
The 1880s?
Just because you don't race it doesn't mean you're not a loser.
[/joke]
This made me laugh curry through my nose 😂
Small groups of similar skill/fitness are my favorite types of rides. I like to make decent progress in general but do like the odd short stop for a natter and/or refreshment.
Larger groups are like herding cats and tend to have a d**k or two. Not for me.
Mostly ride solo though as I find it hard to persuade folk to ride in the dark in the late autumn/winter. Billy no mates 😂