{"id":177504,"date":"2020-04-17T11:22:45","date_gmt":"2020-04-17T11:22:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=177504"},"modified":"2020-05-20T11:40:14","modified_gmt":"2020-05-20T11:40:14","slug":"why-cycling-alone-is-actually-the-best","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2020\/04\/17\/why-cycling-alone-is-actually-the-best\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Cycling Alone Is Actually the Best"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Whether it\u2019s a casual ride with friends or a planned route with your local cycling club, cycling in a group can be a lot of fun. It is also an option that currently eludes many of us and may continue to do so way into the future so we thought it might be nice to take a closer look at some of the things that make riding alone a truly gratifying and pleasurable experience. Let\u2019s face it, if ever there were a time to explore the possibility that you might just be your own best company \u2013 it is now. So, whether you\u2019ve always been a lone wolf or are just starting to discover the joys of riding solo, here are a few of the reasons that cycling alone is awesome.<\/strong><!--more--><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Spontaneity is the name of the game<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>We\u2019ve all experienced the inkling while out on a group ride to go explore an unmapped road or take an impromptu pause by a particularly pleasant pond. When you\u2019re out on your own, there is no need to pause and arrive at a consensus if an intriguing opportunity presents itself. You\u2019re totally in control and can decide to deviate from your planned route if the urge strikes. You\u2019re also not confined to any specific timeframe and can, therefore, start as early or late, ride as fast or slow, and as long or short as you like. If having full reign over the entire shape and scope of your ride is a bit daunting, keep in mind that you can still connect with other local cyclists to trade route tips and get inspired. Remember \u2013 you might be alone but you\u2019re not lonely!<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/B-36R5VA8Uf\/<\/p>\n<h2><strong>No fear of getting dropped<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>For many cyclists, the worst feeling they experience on their bike is getting dropped by the rest of the pack. Whether you\u2019re having an off day or just didn\u2019t take the time to properly fuel for the ride you had ahead of you, sometimes, even pushing your hardest just isn\u2019t enough. Depending on the crew you\u2019re riding with, falling behind might also mean having to tolerate some \u201cgood-natured\u201d teasing at the top of the climb while you\u2019re already experiencing the deflation from bonking. No such fear when it\u2019s just you and your bike. If you run out of steam earlier than expected, you\u2019re free to pedal as slowly as you want to get home \u00ad\u00ad\u2013 and whether or not you tell anyone about what happened is completely up to you.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>The freedom to get lost in your own thoughts<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>There\u2019s no doubt that cycling can be incredibly meditative. The repetitive action that keeps you in your body and in the moment gives your mind the opportunity to tune out and recharge. When riding alone, you won\u2019t have any conversation to interrupt your thoughts and distract you. Although this can definitely feel like an obstacle at times, it also provides the occasion to get more comfortable with yourself and to retreat inwards to benefit from some valuable \u201cme time\u201d.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>An opportunity to develop confidence<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Speaking of getting more comfortable with yourself, cycling alone is a great way to cultivate confidence and focus on your personal development. Cycling a long distance unsupported is an accomplishment worth congratulating yourself for. If your mind starts to wander to unpleasant or boring places, just remind yourself that you\u2019re doing something that fosters self-reliance and problem-solving skills. You\u2019ll soon realize that there is plenty to feel good about.<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/B9re6uPAceY\/<\/p>\n<h2><strong>The ability to stick to your training plan<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019ve been struggling to carve out the space to really focus on your personal training plan, now is a great time to do so. Cycling alone provides the ideal opportunity to concentrate on your interval splits, climbing or sprinting and gives you the flexibility to push your body according to how it\u2019s feeling on any given day. You might have to work a bit to compensate for the atmosphere and energy you get from a group but if you really have a specific area you\u2019re working on, you\u2019ll appreciate training free from the restrictions of a group.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Just don\u2019t forget to be safe while riding alone!<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>All that being said, riding alone also requires additional attention to be paid to safety. Even in an era of less traffic and mandatory social distancing, there are still very real threats that exist. When venturing out on your own, always make sure you are well prepared, have taken reasonable precautions, and never put yourself at risk. See our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2019\/08\/09\/safety-tips-for-riding-solo\/\">safety tips for riding alone<\/a> to get yourself feeling ready and confident to take your solo cycling game to the next level!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Whether it\u2019s a casual ride with friends or a planned route with your local cycling club, cycling in a group [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":177507,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4142,329],"tags":[3329,4070],"global-categories":[3366],"class_list":["post-177504","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ride2unite","category-road-cycling","tag-cycling-alone","tag-solo-cycling","global-categories-cycling"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.3 (Yoast SEO v25.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Why Cycling Alone Is Actually the Best - \u0160koda We Love Cycling<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Whether it\u2019s a casual ride with friends or a planned route with your local cycling club, cycling in a group can be a lot of fun. It is also an option that\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2020\/04\/17\/why-cycling-alone-is-actually-the-best\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why Cycling Alone Is Actually the Best\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Whether it\u2019s a casual ride with friends or a planned route with your local cycling club, cycling in a group can be a lot of fun. It is also an option that\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2020\/04\/17\/why-cycling-alone-is-actually-the-best\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"\u0160koda We Love Cycling\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-04-17T11:22:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-05-20T11:40:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/2\/2020\/04\/Solo-Cycling-CVR-profimedia-0513759448.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Megan Flottorp\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2020\/04\/17\/why-cycling-alone-is-actually-the-best\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2020\/04\/17\/why-cycling-alone-is-actually-the-best\/\",\"name\":\"Why Cycling Alone Is Actually the Best - \u0160koda We Love Cycling\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2020\/04\/17\/why-cycling-alone-is-actually-the-best\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2020\/04\/17\/why-cycling-alone-is-actually-the-best\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/2\/2020\/04\/Solo-Cycling-CVR-profimedia-0513759448.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-04-17T11:22:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-05-20T11:40:14+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"\"},\"description\":\"Whether it\u2019s a casual ride with friends or a planned route with your local cycling club, cycling in a group can be a lot of fun. 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