Anyone else a loner and not a group rider?

[askitee]

I have attended a few motorcycle events and rallies and participated in some group rides over the years but very much prefer to do my riding solo. The big advantage for me is to be free to choose my route, my riding style, when and where to stop etc without having to account for the wishes and whims of others. I would guess that over my 40 plus years of riding more than 90 percent of it has been solo. My wife has never been comfortable on two wheels and her trike pillion riding is limited to the occasional half day ride.

My absolute favourite activity is a solo 3 or 4 day motorcycle (now trike) tour on curvy roads in good weather. The joy for me is taking in the surroundings and the freedom to adjust and adapt my ride to match my mood or current thinking or interests. I check in to hotels, find a local pub for dinner and spend the evening in my room reading a book or researching my next ride on my iPad. I seldom if ever watch live TV as I have no patience for the constants ads. I usually have a daily quick call or and exchange of texts with my wife but other than that I am truly solo.

I guess I am a loner by nature and don't feel the need to have company around to enjoy myself. I don't get anything out of large gatherings, cocktail parties or "small talk" I love to hike but again most of it is done solo for the same reasons as I avoid group rides. My wife is concerned about my safety on the longer more remote hikes so I have bought a GPS with a satellite communicator to make her feel a bit better about my solo trips. Yesterday I did a 14 mile hike in the mountains which took about 6 hours and only saw a couple of other hikers on the way. It was a beautiful day and and I relished the mountain scenery and peaceful solitude.

Are there others on this forum who feel the same or I am really the "odd man out"?

I do some trips solo - I drive to one of 3 intersection in town and decide if I go North, South, East or West. I certainly enjoy those trips where it doesn't matter what time I stop for the night/meal-break/rest-stop. I prefer to get away early (pre dawn) and maximize the ride time.

I do also like the rides a mate puts on for our group. He defines the route, prearranges accommodation with a deadline. He makes it flexible if we want to add detours to the trip we are able and includes a few "day stopovers here and there" where we get to do the touristy things or just ride around the area, and its up to you to set the pace you are comfortable with.

[DaniBoy]

I ride alone a lot too. I have a buddy with a two wheeler who has gone along with his wife for sone touring. My wife loves riding on my Spyder. We just travel through Amish country and often go to the train crossings together. There is a large Spyder club here, but they’re 2 hours away. 2 hours there and 2 hours back plus several hours riding once you get there is just too much for this guy.

[GaSpyderRyder]

You sound a lot like me. As an only child growing up I learned that doing things on my own was a lot more fun simply because I didn't have to wait on somebody and nobody had to wait on me. When I started riding, I preferred to travel alone for the same reasons. Today, as a disabled Veteran, I still love to ride alone. Riding at my own pace, stopping when I want, eating where I want is the way I like to do things. My wife doesn't care that much for riding and as long as I call her every now and again I can enjoy my rides. My only problem now is I have to pull a trailer with a wheelchair inside. I can still walk a little, but my chair is my primary way to get around. I don't go to rally's or things like that, but if you want to talk Spyders and riding I like to do that. I find that I am constantly talking about my Spyder whenever I stop for gas. People gather around and talk about how they like my trike, they ask what did it cost, what kind of gas mileage I get, etc. I usually have to spend an additional 5 to 10 minutes talking about my Spyder after I get gas, but I don't mind. TCRS = Take Care, Ride Safe.

[chipveres]

I guess I'm a loner without being alone. My wife and I love to ride two-up. We both have licenses and training so we can split the driving. So far, we haven't joined any group rides.